#82: Show, Don't Tell: What This Advice Really Means

In today’s episode, I’m sharing what the advice to “show, don’t tell” really means (and spoiler alert: it’s probably not what you think!). We’ll also talk about how to reveal your character’s emotions on the page, too. Here’s a preview of what’s included: 

[01:20] In general, the advice to “show, don’t tell” means that a writer should relate information to readers through sensory details and actions rather than exposition.

[03:39] But there’s more to it than that. To me, “show, don’t tell,” means that you need to show your character’s emotional reaction to what’s happening in a scene—and there are three main ways to do this.

[03:56] Method #1: You can tell readers what your character is feeling.

[04:35] Method #2: You can show emotions via body language or physical tells.

[06:14] Method #3: You can show readers what your character is thinking in response to what’s happening in a scene.

[12:15] Final thoughts and episode recap.

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Links mentioned in this episode:

• Ep. 2 - How to Choose the Right Genre for Your Story
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