This advice means well, but it’s an oversimplification of how to write
When I started my writing journey, one of the key advice I consistently saw doled out to newbies was:
Show don’t tell.
But for the uninitiated — the neophytes — that advice can be confusing. And not as simple as it seems.
In general, showing is better than telling
When people say show don’t tell, they usually mean don’t tell the reader who a character is and/or what state they are in.
Show who a character is and/or the state they are in.
As a writer, you wouldn’t want to say:
Jane was cold.
You would want to describe how cold Jane is.
Jane shivered. She shoved her hands into her pockets, and tried to turtle into her coat. Her ears stung, sorely missing the beanie she forgot at home.
In my opinion, the second paragraph is more descriptive. It paints a picture for your reader, allowing you to describe not just the state your character is in but establish what kind of person your character is.
This is good, especially when trying to establish a scene and character.
Plenty of people would even say the adverb sorely could be further broken down to show more than tell. And sure, you can do that, but then I think you get too far into the weeds.
The trap for writers is believing you must never tell
When people give the advice show don’t tell with no caveats, they don’t realize that telling as a technique for writing has its uses.
Telling is far more efficient and concise than showing. And can even be evocative if phrased correctly.
For minor characters, you might not want to write a whole scene describing what their character is about, especially when you’re writing short stories and every word matters.
When you switch from show AND tell, you can create a rhythm between scene and summary.
Telling has much of a purpose as showing does. They are both partners in the dance of fiction.
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