“Show, don’t tell”. The golden rule drilled into every new or aspiring author’s head. It’s a simple enough concept. Don’t tell your reader how a character is feeling; show them!

For example, instead of telling the reader that Dan was madder than heck, show his anger: A crimson flush spread across Dan’s face as he clenched his fists at his sides.

Showing can create ambiance. Consider:

A little light spilled into the car from the streetlight as it started to rain.

Compared to:

Rain pelted the windshield, each drop a fat, pearlescent teardrop, blurring the already dim haze from the streetlight.

Showing can deepen the character’s intimacy. Consider:

She leaned in and brushed her fingers over his face, overcome by the realization that she loved him.

Compared to:

She leaned in, savoring his musky scent. His five o’clock shadow tantalized her fingertips as she delicately traced the smooth line of his jaw. Her hands trembled, a blush warming her cheeks as she quickly withdrew them, terrified he’d notice she had fallen for him.

Showing is vivid. It creates an image in the reader’s mind and pulls them into the story. Many consider it essential in fiction writing… up to a point.

When Showing Becomes A Bad Thing

Overdosing on showing can slow the pace of the story, create sensory overload, and be downright exhausting to readers. So exhausting, they no longer care and cast aside the book, never to be finished.

Consider our example from above, ladened with showing.

She leaned in, savoring his musky scent, reminiscent of fall leaves on a forest floor. His fresh, visible five o’clock shadow tantalized her manicured fingertips, painted blue and gold with tiny sparkling crystals. She delicately traced the firm, smooth line of his squared, uneven jaw. Her hands trembled like a mouse cornered by a cat, and a quick, fiery blush warmed her cheeks. She quickly withdrew her hands. Heart pounding, throat so tight it was difficult to breathe, she could almost taste her anxiety, worried he’d noticed she had fallen for him.

Can you imagine reading paragraph after paragraph and page after page of this? Whew!

Telling has its place and, when used properly, serves as the glue holding show moments together.
Telling helps to keep the story moving. It revs up the pacing for action scenes. Sometimes, a well-chosen tell (slam of a door, a bitter retort) is enough.

So how do you know when to show and when to tell?
Look at the purpose of your scene. Is it a fight scene? Don’t slow the pacing with too much showing. Is it a love scene or an intimate moment? Use showing to pull the reader into the character’s experience. Use show when you want to emphasize the feeling, atmosphere or other important details.

Final Thought
It is easy for aspiring writers to be confused by all the rules of the craft. I certainly was! Between advice from other authors, craft classes, different methods and approaches… There is a lot to digest!
Keep in mind that every author must find their path. The process that works for them. Take all you learn, keep what works for you, and discard what doesn’t.
Still, some concepts, like show not tell, can only improve your writing. You can master this one with a few exercises.
Take something you’re watching right now, a photograph, or a memory of an event or place. Whatever you choose, pretend you are describing it to someone else. Someone you want to experience it. Write it down, then put it away for a week or two. Go back and read what you put down. Not enough show? Too much?
Take a book you particularly enjoyed and reread it, but this time, read it with purpose. Notice where the writer used show rather than tell. Can you see why they made that choice? Can you see how it slowed down the pacing?
The two most valuable tips I can offer an aspiring writer are to read books in your genre and write and write and write and then write some more.

No one said writing is easy, but if you must write, the journey is worth the effort!