Show, don’t tell. How often have you heard this same tired advice? You understand the concept. But when it comes to implementing, it’s not as easy as it sounds.
So, what’s the difference between showing and telling? Should show don’t tell be applied to every line and paragraph of a story? Are there times when it’s better to tell?
When do you show? When do you tell? And how do you write it?
In this episode, I’m going to tease apart the difference between showing and telling. And then we’ll talk about when to tell, when to show, and what makes both work together.
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Episode at a glance:
[02:17] What’s the difference between telling and showing? I’ll give you an easy way to think of each, and it all lies in the reader’s experience.
[06:24] You can’t (and shouldn’t) show everything. The best stories blend both. Hear two examples with a breakdown of how the telling and showing feed off one another.
[15:06] When do you tell? Learn the essential purpose telling serves in your story, the most common mistake writers make with telling, and when to use it.
[15:52] What should you show? There’s one common mistake stopping writers from showing effectively, or showing at all. Hear one question you need to answer to make the showing more powerful
[18:25] Learn 3 Questions that will make your showing more vivid and compelling. .
Links mentioned in this episode:
One Day by David Nicholls
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