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How to Show, Not Tell: The Complete Writing Guide
ChannelDiane Callahan - Quotidian WriterIn brief
This video breaks down the classic writing advice ‘show, don’t tell’ into six practical strategies, using examples from published works and expert insights. You’ll learn how to deepen scenes, sharpen descriptions, and convey emotion more vividly—whether you’re drafting fiction or refining prose. Perfect for writers who want to make their storytelling more immersive and engaging.
Key steps
- Replace abstract claims with evidence—like a character’s actions or dialogue—to strengthen credibility.
- Avoid over-relying on body language; instead, weave emotion into dialogue or internal thoughts.
- Express characters’ emotions through what they say, not just what they feel internally.
Questions & answers
What are some examples of ‘showing’ vs. ‘telling’ in popular works?
The video cites Anton Chekhov’s advice (e.g., ‘show the glint of light on broken glass’ instead of ‘the moon was shining’) and draws from works discussed in sources like The Emotion Thesaurus and How Fiction Writers Can Show Emotions by Robin Patchen.
Description from the creator
“Don’t tell me the moon is shining. Show me the glint of light on broken glass.” – Anton Chekov
Writers often have different definitions of “showing” and “telling.” I define “telling” as any time in the story when an important moment lacks depth in terms of detail or narrative voice. However, telling can also be an excellent tool for controlling the story’s pacing and delivering important information.
In this video, I’ll explore the origins of this advice and why “showing” appeals to audiences on an emotional level. Using examples from popular works and advice from published authors, I’ll outline six strategies you can employ to produce stronger writing:
1. Use evidence to support your claims.
2. Replace the abstract with the concrete.
3. Substitute vague descriptions with specific sensory details.
4. Avoid relying too much on body language.
5. Show emotion through dialogue.
6. Filter observations through the narrative voice.
You can read a text version of this video on Medium: quotidianwriter.medium.com/how-to-show-not-tell…
Love my channel? Treat me to a cup of coffee at ko-fi.com/quotidianwriter.
Behind-the-scenes notes for this video: ko-fi.com/post/Behind-the-Scenes-How-to-Show-No…
My Published Stories and Poems: quotidianwriter.com/my-writing
Twitter: twitter.com/QuotidianWriter
Title and End Music:
“Clockwork” by Vindsvept - youtube.com/watch?v=9Zl4EGLoiI8&t=83s
Background Music by Vindsvept:
+ “Illuminate”
+ “The Fae”
+ “Wildkin Glade”
+ “Hideaway”
+ “The Forgotten Forest”
+ “Lake of Light”
+ “Winter’s Day”
SOURCES
“The clues to a great story” TED Talk by Andrew Stanton:
ted.com/talks/andrew_stanton_the_clues_to_a_gre…
“Creative Writing and the New Humanities” by Paul Dawson:
books.google.com/books?id=r2NNKUlOAXUC&prin…
“The Craft of Fiction” by Percy Lubbock:
gutenberg.org/files/18961/18961-h/18961-h.htm
“Nuts and Bolts: ‘Thought’ Verbs” by Chuck Palahniuk:
litreactor.com/essays/chuck-palahniuk/nuts-and-…
Novel Writing Help blog by Harvey Chapman:
novel-writing-help.com/prose-writing.html#sthas…
“How Fiction Writers Can Show Emotions in Their Characters in Effective Ways” by Robin Patchen:
livewritethrive.com/2015/06/24/how-fiction-writ…
“Show, Don’t Tell: What You Need to Know” by Jerry Jenkins:
jerryjenkins.com/show-dont-tell/
Gail Carson Levine’s blog:
gailcarsonlevine.com/blog/2017/02/01/lachrymose…
Delilah Dawson’s Twitter feed:
twitter.com/DelilahSDawson/status/1086657712518…
Stewie Writes:
stewiewrites.com
More great literary examples on Reedsy:
blog.reedsy.com/show-dont-tell/
“Understanding Show, Don't Tell: (And Really Getting It)” by Janice Hardy:
amazon.com/dp/B01M0BE4UP/ref=dp-kindle-redirect…
“The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Expression” by Becca Puglisi and Angela Ackerman:
amazon.com/gp/product/B07MTQ7W6Q/ref=x_gr_w_bb_…
Introduction (0:00)
The Origins of "Show, Don't Tell" (3:53)
1. Use Evidence to Support Your Claims (5:38)
2. Replace the Abstract with the Concrete (7:20)
3. Substitute Vague Descriptions with Details (10:09)
4. Avoid Relying Too Much on Body Language (12:09)
5. Show Emotion Through Dialogue (15:32)
6. Filter Observations Through the Narrative Voice (17:51)
Summary (21:51)
Writing Exercise (26:00)
Writers often have different definitions of “showing” and “telling.” I define “telling” as any time in the story when an important moment lacks depth in terms of detail or narrative voice. However, telling can also be an excellent tool for controlling the story’s pacing and delivering important information.
In this video, I’ll explore the origins of this advice and why “showing” appeals to audiences on an emotional level. Using examples from popular works and advice from published authors, I’ll outline six strategies you can employ to produce stronger writing:
1. Use evidence to support your claims.
2. Replace the abstract with the concrete.
3. Substitute vague descriptions with specific sensory details.
4. Avoid relying too much on body language.
5. Show emotion through dialogue.
6. Filter observations through the narrative voice.
You can read a text version of this video on Medium: quotidianwriter.medium.com/how-to-show-not-tell…
Love my channel? Treat me to a cup of coffee at ko-fi.com/quotidianwriter.
Behind-the-scenes notes for this video: ko-fi.com/post/Behind-the-Scenes-How-to-Show-No…
My Published Stories and Poems: quotidianwriter.com/my-writing
Twitter: twitter.com/QuotidianWriter
Title and End Music:
“Clockwork” by Vindsvept - youtube.com/watch?v=9Zl4EGLoiI8&t=83s
Background Music by Vindsvept:
+ “Illuminate”
+ “The Fae”
+ “Wildkin Glade”
+ “Hideaway”
+ “The Forgotten Forest”
+ “Lake of Light”
+ “Winter’s Day”
SOURCES
“The clues to a great story” TED Talk by Andrew Stanton:
ted.com/talks/andrew_stanton_the_clues_to_a_gre…
“Creative Writing and the New Humanities” by Paul Dawson:
books.google.com/books?id=r2NNKUlOAXUC&prin…
“The Craft of Fiction” by Percy Lubbock:
gutenberg.org/files/18961/18961-h/18961-h.htm
“Nuts and Bolts: ‘Thought’ Verbs” by Chuck Palahniuk:
litreactor.com/essays/chuck-palahniuk/nuts-and-…
Novel Writing Help blog by Harvey Chapman:
novel-writing-help.com/prose-writing.html#sthas…
“How Fiction Writers Can Show Emotions in Their Characters in Effective Ways” by Robin Patchen:
livewritethrive.com/2015/06/24/how-fiction-writ…
“Show, Don’t Tell: What You Need to Know” by Jerry Jenkins:
jerryjenkins.com/show-dont-tell/
Gail Carson Levine’s blog:
gailcarsonlevine.com/blog/2017/02/01/lachrymose…
Delilah Dawson’s Twitter feed:
twitter.com/DelilahSDawson/status/1086657712518…
Stewie Writes:
stewiewrites.com
More great literary examples on Reedsy:
blog.reedsy.com/show-dont-tell/
“Understanding Show, Don't Tell: (And Really Getting It)” by Janice Hardy:
amazon.com/dp/B01M0BE4UP/ref=dp-kindle-redirect…
“The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Expression” by Becca Puglisi and Angela Ackerman:
amazon.com/gp/product/B07MTQ7W6Q/ref=x_gr_w_bb_…
Introduction (0:00)
The Origins of "Show, Don't Tell" (3:53)
1. Use Evidence to Support Your Claims (5:38)
2. Replace the Abstract with the Concrete (7:20)
3. Substitute Vague Descriptions with Details (10:09)
4. Avoid Relying Too Much on Body Language (12:09)
5. Show Emotion Through Dialogue (15:32)
6. Filter Observations Through the Narrative Voice (17:51)
Summary (21:51)
Writing Exercise (26:00)
About this tutorial
Diane Callahan - Quotidian Writer published this 27:19 video tutorial on October 7, 2020. It has been watched 3,843,921 times on YouTube.
- Category
- Education
- Duration
- 27:19
- Published
- October 7, 2020
- Views
- 3,843,921
- Likes
- 172,987
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