Show, don't tell
In short: „Show, don't tell“ is the advice to depict feelings and states rather than name them: not „she was sad“, but the tear she wipes away while carrying on talking.
How to apply it
Turn assertion into scene: Instead of naming a trait, show an action or detail from which readers infer it themselves.
The five senses: Concrete sensory impressions – seeing, hearing, smelling – make a scene come alive.
Not dogmatic: „Telling“ has its place too: to compress and keep up pace. Show what matters, tell the incidental.
Related terms: Characterization · Subtext · Dialogue · Pacing
Frequently asked questions
What does show, don't tell mean?
Show rather than assert: make feelings and traits tangible through action, detail and the senses instead of naming them.
Should you always show rather than tell?
No. Show the important moments in full and compress the incidental – otherwise pacing suffers.