Showing and telling are both important parts of storytelling. You need to know when to properly show and tell to make them effective. Both having their advantages, a good story will consist of each. Today we will be talking about the basics of showing and telling that the article, Showing and telling: the basics, described.
SHOWING
To be able to successfully show you need to make the reader feel as if they are in the story. This consists of playing to their five senses to help them create an image in their head. The article states that showing could also be called, evoking, presenting, and channeling.
- Evoking: is giving the reader physical and emotional experiences to feel connected to the story.
- Example from the article: “They gripped each other and the tweed of his jacket was rough under her cheek. His hand came up to stroke her hair; she smelled leather and horses on the skin of his wrist. He was trembling.“
- Presenting: is presenting the story with vivid details.
- Channeling: is using the readers emotions to make the readers feel the emotions.
Dialogue and physical descriptions are also great ways to use showing.
TELLING
There are times when telling is more effective then showing in stories. It is effective when you need to add important details. The author describes telling as informing, explaining, and understanding.
- Informing: is telling the reader important information that they need to know.
- Example from article: “The temperature had fallen overnight and the heavy frost reflected the sun’s rays brightly.“
- Explaining: is describing minor details to the reader.
- Understanding: is using information to help understand the story.
You have to make sure when telling that it is effectively moving the story along.
Abbi's Thoughts 