What is Showing and Not Telling?

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Something a lot of authors struggle with is telling instead of showing. But what does that really mean? Isn't the whole point of writing to tell a story? In this post I'll cover what showing not telling means, how to spot it, and what you can do to fix it. 

Telling is another term for exposition. Exposition is basically the explanation or description of background info for the reader. Exposition is important, especially when establishing characters or settings. Exposition explains things that have happened "off stage" or not in front of the reader. 

Showing makes up the bulk of a story, and should be everything that happens "on stage" or in front of the reader. It means that the characters are experiencing an event rather than summarizing it.

When shouldn't you show? Showing is important, but if you never use any exposition you'll end up with a thousand-page novel! You want to show characterization, setting, and actions but anything that's not important or only mildly related can be explained. 

Now that you know exactly what showing not telling means, how do you spot it? 

Look for events or key details that are summarized. For example, if your character's supposed to be smart how does the reader know? Was there a sentence or two about how smart Jane is, but nothing else? Telling is often brief; there might be one or two sentences that mention Jane's intelligence. Telling is usually vague and factual, using a term like "smart" to describe Jane.  

Example of telling: John was tired. 

Example of showing: John's eyes were heavy, and it was a struggle to keep them open.

Example of telling: It was raining.

Example of showing: The patter of rain outside was soothing.

Now that you know what showing and telling is and how to spot it, you're ready to learn how to fix it. 

You can use dialogue, specific details, and engage the senses in descriptions. You don't want to overdo using the senses, but instead of saying it looks like it's going to storm, say that the air smells sharp or that it's humming in anticipation. 

Use action instead of summary. Going back to the example of Jane, use action to show she's intelligent. Maybe she sees something other characters miss or solves a complex problem. Write out a scene that demonstrates Jane's intelligence. 

It takes practice to recognize telling, and when you should tell instead of show. But don't get so fixated on showing and telling that you lose the story. The purpose of a story is to make a reader feel and connect, and readers will prefer an impactful story to a technically perfect one. Remember: storytelling is an art, not a science.