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  1. When it comes to writing a story, there are a few situations in which it is particularly important to “show, don’t tell.” In general, any time you are describing an action, item, character, or setting that is important to the plot or larger narrative, you should try to “show” as much as possible.

  2. The Show, Don’t Tell writing technique is used in various types of creative writing. It allows the reader to experience the story and characters through actions, thoughts, sensory details, and feelings, rather than just a factual description.

  3. Jul 11, 2019 · Show don’t tell is common advice among writers — but what does it really mean? This thorough guide answers that question with plenty of helpful examples.

    • Is 'close to home' a'show Don't Tell'?1
    • Is 'close to home' a'show Don't Tell'?2
    • Is 'close to home' a'show Don't Tell'?3
    • Is 'close to home' a'show Don't Tell'?4
    • Is 'close to home' a'show Don't Tell'?5
    • Avoid Summary Narrative. You know your characters, your setting and the action so well that when you read your own work you can easily visualise it. You feel as though you are right there in the middle of the action.
    • Appeal to the senses with evocative detail. To experience and engage we need detail that will evoke the feeling of being in the middle of the action. This means appealing to the senses and not just the mind.
    • Balance detail with pace. Once you have a handle on showing and not telling, the temptation can be to go overboard with description. This is the point where a scene starts to slow unnecessarily and the reader is overwhelmed with information.
    • Avoid summarising character feelings. Once again, we want to experience what the character is feeling rather than being told about it, so that we can fully engage or identify with the character.
    • Engage the senses. Show, don’t tell means giving readers all of the sensory information they need to experience a story as your characters do. So include lots of sensory description.
    • Use dialogue. Dialogue is a great way to convey your characters’ personality traits, emotions and relationship dynamics - without having to explicitly tell your reader all about them.
    • Describe action. Summaries and exposition slow down your narrative because they interrupt the action. So keep things moving along at a good pace by describing actions, rather than characters or settings, whenever possible.
    • Strengthen your verbs. Strong verbs are specific and descriptive. They help you to paint a vivid picture (which is exactly what show, don’t tell is all about).
  4. What is Show, Don't Tell? “Show, don't tell” is a popular piece of creative writing advice to write with more sensory details, allowing your reader to hear, see, taste, touch, and smell the same things your fictional characters experience.

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  6. Sep 8, 2016 · Show, Don’t Tell is one of those phrases that is oh-so-important to get right, yet requires a heavy dose of good judgment. Because it isn’t as much about showing OR telling, but knowing when to do each, and how to be effective at both.