Definition
Show don't tell is the principle that readers connect more deeply when they experience a story through concrete details, behavior, and sensory evidence rather than through the narrator simply declaring facts. 'She was angry' is telling. 'She slammed her coffee mug down so hard the handle snapped off, and she didn't even look at it' is showing. The showing version lets the reader do the emotional math themselves, and that act of interpretation is what creates genuine connection. That said, telling has its place too - good writing uses both strategically.
Why It Matters
This is probably the most repeated piece of writing advice in existence, and for good reason. When you show instead of tell, you invite readers to participate in the story rather than passively receive information. A reader who figures out that a character is heartbroken from their behavior feels that heartbreak more intensely than one who's simply told about it. But here's the nuance most advice leaves out: telling is useful for transitions, pacing, and conveying information that doesn't need emotional weight. The real skill is knowing when to show and when to tell.
Types of Show Don't Tell
Famous Examples
The entire story shows a relationship in crisis through dialogue and gesture alone, never once telling the reader what the characters actually feel. The reader infers everything.
Morrison shows the horror of slavery through specific sensory memories - a tree-shaped scar, the taste of ink - rather than abstract descriptions of suffering.
Rooney shows the push-pull of Connell and Marianne's relationship through tiny behavioral details - who texts first, who looks away, who reaches for the other's hand.
Common Mistakes
Telling is efficient and useful for transitions, backstory, and information that doesn't need emotional weight. 'Three weeks passed' is fine - you don't need to show all three weeks.
Don't write 'She slammed the door so hard the frame cracked. She was furious.' The slamming already told us she was furious. Trust your showing to land.
Showing isn't about word count - it's about choosing the right specific detail. One perfect physical gesture can show more than a paragraph of description.
Try It Yourself
Write the sentence 'He was nervous' and then rewrite it five different ways without using the word 'nervous' or any synonym for it. Use only physical sensations, behaviors, and environmental details to communicate the nervousness. Try to make each version feel like a different character - a tough guy, a teenager, a surgeon, a comedian, a grandmother.
Spot telling-heavy passages and find opportunities to show instead.
Find Your Telling Habits
Novelium's Writing Analytics flags common telling patterns like filter words and emotion labels, helping you find the passages where showing would land harder.