"Show don't tell" we've all heard this haven't we? A phrase tossed about so often in the writing world that we probably all see it somewhere at least once a week.

It's also a very common piece of advice tossed to new writers and with good reason generally. But it's also the most frustrating piece of advice given to people and why is that? Because unless you're a veteran, you don't know what that means. So today my Padwans, I'm going to explain what that phrase means and why it's good advice.

Let's begin, can anyone tell me what is wrong with this sentence here?

"She was angry."

If you said, this sentence is boring then you got the answer right! But why is this sentence boring? Well tell me, can you visualize this scene? And you feel the characters emotions and hear their thoughts? The answer to all of the above is a very obvious no and the reason is simple: that's boring as heck. It is bland as heck. It does not paint a picture for your readers at all.

You literally just said they were mad and that's not good writing. This above line was an example of telling your reader what has happened. You do not want to do that, as a writer it is your job to paint a picture for your reader to show them what has gone on.

Jillian tossed her hair and stomped across the wood. Her footsteps echoed loudly and she grabbed the door frame and slammed it shut, the impact making the walls shake. She strode across her room, grabbing a pillow and screaming into it, the sound shrill and muffled against the white sheets. "Damn this!" She exclaimed, throwing the object across the room, throat raw from screaming and shouting. "Damn all this!"

Believe it or not this passage is saying the same thing the first line did. But clearly there is a large difference, first being that the word "anger" or any variance of it was never used once in this passage. That's an important part of showing when you write, not using the word to describe what goes on. You can toss it around but don't just leave it as that. For instance:

He felt anger rise in him.

The above is a bit bland yes? A little too telling? Add to it.

He felt anger rise in him, hot and sharp as he glared at the man at the end of the table.

Same sentence used, but more words, more adjectives added to give the reader a picture. That is what you want to do.

So now you know what "show don't tell" means (if you didn't already) and that should hopefully be enough to explain why it's good advice-because if all you do is tell your reader what goes on, you are not doing your job as a writer. You want to immerse and entertain your readers and when you tell, you can't do that. When you show, well that is immersive and entertaining to read.

Well that's all folks so until next time so...

Write on! :)

P.S.

And if you have a question or topic you'd like me address let me know in the comments!