How to Show, Not Tell: The Complete Writing Guide

“Don’t tell me the moon is shining. Show me the glint of light on broken glass.” – Anton Chekov

Writers often have different definitions of “showing” and “telling.” I define “telling” as any time in the story when an important moment lacks depth in terms of detail or narrative voice. However, telling can also be an excellent tool for controlling the story’s pacing and delivering important information.

In this video, I’ll explore the origins of this advice and why “showing” appeals to audiences on an emotional level. Using examples from popular works and advice from published authors, I’ll outline six strategies you can employ to produce stronger writing:

1. Use evidence to support your claims.
2. Replace the abstract with the concrete.
3. Substitute vague descriptions with specific sensory details.
4. Avoid relying too much on body language.
5. Show emotion through dialogue.
6. Filter observations through the narrative voice.



Title and End Music:

Background Music by Vindsvept:
+ “Illuminate”
+ “The Fae”
+ “Wildkin Glade”
+ “Hideaway”
+ “The Forgotten Forest”
+ “Lake of Light”
+ “Winter’s Day”

SOURCES
“The clues to a great story” TED Talk by Andrew Stanton:

“Creative Writing and the New Humanities” by Paul Dawson:

“The Craft of Fiction” by Percy Lubbock:

“Nuts and Bolts: ‘Thought’ Verbs” by Chuck Palahniuk:

Novel Writing Help blog by Harvey Chapman:

“How Fiction Writers Can Show Emotions in Their Characters in Effective Ways” by Robin Patchen:

“Show, Don’t Tell: What You Need to Know” by Jerry Jenkins:

Gail Carson Levine’s blog:

Delilah Dawson’s Twitter feed:

Stewie Writes:

More great literary examples on Reedsy:

“Understanding Show, Don't Tell: (And Really Getting It)” by Janice Hardy:

“The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Expression” by Becca Puglisi and Angela Ackerman:

Introduction (0:00)
The Origins of "Show, Don't Tell" (3:53)
1. Use Evidence to Support Your Claims (5:38)
2. Replace the Abstract with the Concrete (7:20)
3. Substitute Vague Descriptions with Details (10:09)
4. Avoid Relying Too Much on Body Language (12:09)
5. Show Emotion Through Dialogue (15:32)
6. Filter Observations Through the Narrative Voice (17:51)
Summary (21:51)
Writing Exercise (26:00)

[karrin]

90% of wattpad aspiring writers need to watch this

[tigolbittys]

Damn you’re really giving all this gold away for free

[utzgcvb]

I just wanted to make a list sooo

●you gotta show when it's about emotions, opinions and sensations
●use evidence to show:don't just say this character is kind, what prove that this character is kind?
●don't use verbs like
●don't say the character feelings directly, describe it so the reader feel it to
●read about body language of different emotions, but don't rely too much on it
●try engaging different and unique senses
●show emotions through dialogue
●don't use too much adverbs
●sometimes it's better to just tell(if it's not that important of a scene)

|writing exercise|
take a paragraph or a scene and try rewrite all the telling to showing

[skeletonshorror]

“Showing dramatizes and telling summarizes” is the smartest thing I’ve heard about writing. 💀🔥

[nicewords]

With a heavy sigh that sounded like the first shift of snow before an avalanche, he clicked out of YouTube and without a word, made his way noiselessly to his writing room. He shut the door and set about a serious edit of his first draft...

[acandybar]

this made me open up a word document, then realize after staring at the blank page for a while that i still can't write

[enjay]

The hardest thing, imho, is to not overthink it. Too much showing can toss me out of the story when there are way too many fluffy words for describing simple objects. But thousand readers = thousand flavours I guess :)
Great and inspiring video btw, thank you for it

[arunashinde]

I believe that using the telling method in a conveyable way is a skill. These days, I've read a lot of work online where writers believe that being metaphoric or philosophical and describing every emotion too specifically makes their writing look mature. I too believed that earlier. And tbh I've read a few works which were absolutely amazing with this method. Because the plot suited it. Not every plot needs the same writing method. If JK Rowling used that specific method, I wonder how long Harry Potter would have been.

[octaiii]

“The forest hummed of the cries of children long dead.” Okay, maybe too eerie.

[kelleren]

"You don't always need to show"

*Tolkien:* Hold my pipe.

[froggy]

I'm currently ten years old and aspire to be an authour. This video has helped me to really understand show not tell or whatever you want to call it. I truly believe in my dreams and have been told countless times that my talent is incredible or unbelievable but honestly I think I could improve by miles. This video was my first step towards making my dreams become a reality.

[chasehughesofficial]

this is a criminally underrated channel. Listened to you when writing my first fiction book. Now contracted to be a TV series. So thanks for making these.

[AnaPaula-vkbs]

I didn't know why my writing was sounding too melodramatic, until this video show me that I was relying too much on body language. A new window opened to me after this. Thank you so much!

[PunkWad]

Everyone: here to write a novel.

Me: mmmm fanfiction

[ultrahotwings]

Funny enough, when I first started writing, I did a lot of the things that were said. I cut my teeth in the fanfiction world, practicing showing concepts and not telling, based upon the books I grew up with and loved (and would lose myself to). I wanted to become a writer that my childhood self would have loved.

Then I got to college creative writing classes in my community college and my professor slammed me for "purple prose" and being "too melodramatic" and that I had to "condense my thoughts"... that showing too much leads to disinterest from readers (he then cited Stephen King as the worst offender of said "overdescriptiveness"). Had another professor in my university days get on my case for using specific adjectives/verbs that had specific connotations saying nobody wanted to read a "SAT Hit Parade piece" and that simple and straightforward is better. Seeing this video is bittersweet, because it tells me... that writing is an art. My writing, nowadays, has become very technical and dry, devoid of emotion... and tells like a narration rather than a story. It makes me want to go back... but it also makes me feel sad that I gave up writing back then, because I felt I didn't have the talent or the skillset for it.

Wish I could go back ten years and tell my younger self to not feel discouraged and want to quit being a writer just because two professors said so. Instead, find a style, craft it, hone it, stick with it, trim the fat, and develop. Wish I could take those ten years back.

[gabrieleriva_bboykappside]

One thing I love about stories in books is I always visualize the scene in my head and it's stuck. I probably have a clear view on how the coastline looks like, how the hotel rooms are built, how characters feel things, sometimes it's so well written i even deduce things that weren't even talked about. That's when I know a story can be magnetic and engaging to me, I personally love to feel taken hand by hand to the place so I can see it myself

[dreamer]

The simplest way (for me at least) is to read through what I wrote and imagine I'm watching a movie and ask myself: am I seeing/feeling these images myself or there's a voice over/narrator explaining what is happening in the scene. Then my telling will turn to showing

[readingontherun]

Currently as a book reviewer, in my opinion the 2+2 method also lets the reader make the story partly their own, inserting details based on their own experiences. This draws them deeper into the story. By far one of the best approaches!

[silverfire]

I like this video because it actually has examples and reasoning. So many advice giving youtubers just say things they've heard before. I love that you've obviously done your homework and teach about writing rather than giving some sort of list of tips or some such thing. Awesome video.

[liegeman]

I so needed this! (Telling?). I stifled the hundredth yawn as I struggled to understand how to decipher which path my writing had taken. Was I telling or showing? Exhaustion threatened as I poured over unfulfilling sources to find the elusive answer. “Could I trust this post? Would it leave me hungry for more?” It did not! I devoured every example, repeating them over and over. I blinked. My quest had ended. Leaning back into the comforting cushions of my armchair, a small tear formed at the corner of one of my reddened eyes. It sidled its way halfway down my cheek before I wiped at it with the back of my painful key pushing hand. (showing?) Wow, just writing this silly comment proved to me how much work I need to do! Thanks for this video!