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.
Where the advice comes from
The idea is often attributed to Anton Chekhov, who in 1886 advised his brother not to write about moonlight but about the glint of light on a shard of glass. Percy Lubbock popularised the contrast of „showing“ and „telling“ in „The Craft of Fiction“ (1921); today it is one of the most quoted rules of writing.
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.
Showing on Fireside
In short stories every image counts. The AI editorial feedback can point out where your text tells instead of shows.
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.
What is an example of show, don't tell?
Instead of „He was nervous“: „He twisted his wedding ring until the skin beneath it turned red.“ Readers infer the feeling themselves – and experience it more strongly.