Do you want to make your writing more emotional, vivid, and memorable? Welcome to the “Show, don’t tell” technique!
“Show, don’t tell” is one of the most powerful writing techniques.
But if you are new to this technique, you might wonder: What does it mean, and how can you use it in your writing?
Well, let’s find answers to these questions in this article!
Explaining the “Show, Don’t Tell” Technique
When you tell in your writing, you explain things to your reader. However, when you show, you create an experience—taking them on an adventure.
For example, you are telling when you say this: “Bright was terrified when the interviewer was asking him questions.”
But how about a different approach: “Bright kept tapping his foot while sitting, wiping his sweaty face and palms as the clock ticked closer to 10:00.”
In this new example, you didn’t say Bright was terrified. But you helped the reader feel it. You helped him see it. Yes, that’s the magic of showing!
Excellent writing doesn’t just inform—it immerses the reader.
When you tell in your writing, you’re acting like a tour guide pointing at the scene from afar.
Each time you show in your writing, you are giving the reader a key and asking them inside.
What Happens When You Show
Here are excellent results when you “show, but don’t tell”:
- Readers visualize clearly: Your readers will be able to see the scene unfold like a movie, not just on the pages but in their minds.
- Emotions hit harder: It’s sweet when you make your reader feel that someone is sad or angry, and you aren’t just saying that someone is angry or sad.
- Your story becomes memorable: It’s part of our human nature to remember what we experience, not just what someone tells us.
- It builds trust and depth: Readers reading your story will feel like they’re right inside the world you have created, not just standing by watching from the outside.
Aren’t these excellent reasons to embrace the “show, don’t tell” techniques?
Therefore, whether you’re writing a blog post, novel, or a personal essay, use the “show, don’t tell” to help your message sit with more personality and, yes, power.
How can you do the “Show, don’t tell” techniques? Let’s find out!
How to Implement the “Show, don’t tell” Techniques?
Here are five beginner-friendly techniques to instantly level up your writing.
Each of these techniques helps turn plain statements into emotional, vivid scenes your reader will be able to feel.
1. Adopt Sensory Details
One of the simplest and easiest ways to “show” is to engage the five senses.
Remember them? They are sound, sight, smell, touch, and taste.
When writing, think about what your character is experiencing and describe it through these lenses.
- Don’t Tell: “The room was messy.”
- Show Instead: “Clothes littering on the floor, dusty windows, foul smell from used clothes, dirty curtains, spilled water on the floor.”
- Why this works: You didn’t just say the room was messy—but you’re allowing the reader to see, touch, and smell the mess for themselves.
Goal: The next time you write a scene, ask: If I am standing in this moment, what are the things I’d notice with my senses?
2. Allow Actions to Speak for Emotions
Instead of naming emotions like “sad,” “happy,” or “angry,” show your readers how the emotion sounds, looks, and behaves.
- Don’t Tell: “She was upset.”
- Show: “Sarah slammed the door shut, her jaw tight, eyes quickly narrowed into slits.”
- Why this works: For those reading, they can feel it. You don’t just have to say she’s upset.
Goal: When next you are writing, just imagine that your character is on mute in a movie. Ask yourself: What would their actions reveal about how they feel?
3. Use Dialogue to Reveal
The goal is to reveal what’s unspoken. Yes, what a character says—or doesn’t say—can do a lot.
Through dialogue, we can bring readers closer to the relationships and emotions that lie behind the scenes.
- Don’t Tell: “He’s not ready to go.”
- Show: “Do we have to travel now? He muttered, already heading back to his bedroom with a sigh.”
- Why this works: Your reader can hear his reluctance and hesitation as to why you don’t have to give so much explanation.
Goal: When next you write, don’t explain what a character is feeling. Allow your reader to imply it and say it through your writing—I mean what the character is saying.
4. Paint with Similes and Metaphors
Similes and metaphors add texture and color to your writing.
These tools would help your reader to understand something by comparing it to something familiar and vivid.
- Don’t Tell: “It was a cold day.”
- Show: “The breeze blew in like a cold ice, and the air shimmered above the asphalt.”
- Why this works: Now we feel the cold instead of just being told it’s cold.
Goal: In your next writing. Ask: What does this scene or feeling remind me of? Let that be your starting point for a simile or a metaphor.
5. Slow Down the Key Moments
Sometimes, when you write, it’s possible to rush through the most key parts—decisions, emotions, turning points.
Instead of taking that route, it’s essential to zoom in and reveal the moment unfolding in real-time.
- Don’t Tell: “He got the call and was excited.”
- Show: “His phone buzzed. He read the message once—twice—before her eyes started to well up. ‘I got it!’ he screamed, rolling in the kitchen with the phone tied to his chest.”
- Why this works: The reader experiences your character’s joy in real-time. This is better than just hearing about it.
Goal: When something big happens in your writing, slow it down. Sprinkle sufficient physical reactions, inner thoughts, and small actions to stretch the moment.
When Is Telling Not Bad?
You probably think, ‘Will I just keep showing up in my writing all the time?’ Oh no!
Let’s be real—you don’t have to show up every time. You can’t show everything. And that’s great.
While “Show, don’t tell” is an excellent rule, don’t see it as a law.
What smart writers do is use both in their writing.
But the challenge? Knowing when to Tell! This is just as important as knowing when you should show.
Use Telling to:
- Move fast through transitional or unimportant scenes. For example: “They drove for four hours in silence before getting to the next town.”
- Summarize background or backstory information. For example: “He had grown up in the city. However, his village always feels like home.”
- Clarify logistics or facts that wouldn’t require emotional weight. For example: “It was his first day at the new job.”
- Keep the pace snappy during dialogue-rich or action-heavy scenes. For example: “The next few hours were a blur of emails, meetings, and coffee runs.”
Why This is Important
If you “show” every single moment in detail, your writing will become exhausting and bloated for readers.
Not every sentence demands sparkling with dramatic pauses or sensory descriptions.
The most important thing is intentional storytelling. Therefore, it’s important to ask yourself:
Is this moment emotionally needed? If yes, show it!
Is this just a background or transition detail? If yes, tell it.
- Telling gives structure, shape, and clarity.
- Showing adds emotion, life, and beauty.
So, realistically, the magic is right there in the mix.
Like a pleasant dish, your story requires both the flavor of showing and the substance of telling so you can truly satisfy your reader.
We thought about taking you through the route of trial. We want you to master this. So, here are a few tips to try.
Turn Telling Into Showing
Let’s start with a flat sentence like:
“George was angry.”
- Your goal: Don’t just say he’s angry—make the reader feel it.
- To accomplish this, Ask Yourself:
- What is George doing (or not doing)?
- What exactly is happening in his body—heavy limbs, tight chest, blank stares?
- What does his space appear like? (Messy room? Bright light?)
- What’s missing? (No text replies? No sounds?)
Do for the following situation:
- “Joe was nervous.”
- “It was a beautiful day.”
- “He felt embarrassed.”
- “She was thrilled about the news.”
If you’d love feedback or want to turn this into a mini writing workbook, mail us here at the end of the test.
Just let us know—we’d be happy to help!
Final Thoughts
Don’t view “Show, don’t tell” as a rule—it’s a tool.
You need it to create deeper characters, stronger scenes, and more immersive writing.
Just like a magician that reveals enough to spark wonder, let your writing invite readers to feel the story.
The next time you’re writing, ask yourself:
Am I telling my readers how it feels, or I’m just letting them feel it for themselves?
Make sure to master this technique, and all your words will inform and move readers!