Improve your Writing: Show, Not Tell

Become a better writer, no matter what you're writing! I'll show you how to take simple, boring sentences and turn them to vibrant, expressive writing. As you practice this technique in your writing, you will find it carries over to your everyday spoken English as well. Before you know it, you'll be a more dynamic, compelling speaker and writer.
To improve your creative writing, and to learn why it's important, watch this video next:
• Improve Your Creative ...
Learn more about descriptive writing techniques from ‪@engvidAdam‬ : • Build a picture with y...
And for extra English help, visit my website: honeyourenglis...
Take the quiz on this lesson at: www.engvid.com...
TRANSCRIPT
Welcome back to engVid. Here we are with a writing lesson. We are looking at the skill of showing, not telling, and it's going to transform your writing as long as you put it into practice afterwards. "Show, not tell. What's he talking about?"
When we're writing we want to avoid simple statements that don't really add any description or flavour. For example: "The man was stressed." [Snores] Boring. Instead, I want you to paint a picture, I really want you to describe the man is stressed without telling me that he is. So how can you do that? We're kind of trying to avoid this word, and describe it instead. So what's he doing? "The man was fidgeting. Ah, he's fidgeting. He's so stressed, he can't sort of stay still. And biting his nails." Okay? So pick out a couple of details that show how the person was.
Next one: "The room was messy." Again, it's a simple, simple sentence. It's just one sort of main clause and it's not very interesting. Much better to describe the items in the room that make it messy. For example: "There was a leftover pizza, dirty clothes were strewn"... I'll write that word for you. That means they were covering the floor. "...and there were dirty plates and cups". Okay? These details give us the idea that it is messy.
Example three: "The woman was confident." Okay, but it would be much more effective if you described how she was confident. So, how does she move? How do other people react to her? "She strode", that means she walked, but with purpose. Okay? So I've picked an interesting verb. "She strode into the room, and everyone turned their heads to notice her." Okay? Much clearer, more vivid idea of confidence than just saying she was confident.
Example four: "The boy was careful." Tell us how he was careful. "He placed his favourite magazine in the top drawer of his cabinet." Okay? So we need to say exactly what he is placing, the object there has been missed out. "He placed"... There's no room for me to write it. You get the idea, he places his favourite book or magazine, and look how specific it is: "the top drawer of his cabinet".
Next example: "The stadium was full." Again, I'm bored with this simple sentence construction. We need to make it more interesting. "The sound from the stadium was deafening", okay? And then give us some main action perhaps: "The sound from the stadium was deafening as the crowd rose up to chant the player's name." Okay? Give the sense that the stadium is full from what you can see and what you can hear. Okay?
A couple of ones to describe weather. "It was hot." Okay? Well, a very young child could write a sentence like that, so if you're sort of a teenager or an adult, it's time to raise the bar. How can we tell that it is hot? Well: "The sun was causing damage to", "The sun was melting", "The sun was burning", "The sun was causing the lady's skin to turn red". Okay? Pick out details that show the effect.
"It was cold. It was cold." How do we know it was cold? How cold did it feel? What can you see? "Drainpipes were freezing, ice was as thick as"... I don't know. "It was three inches thick." Whatever, you've got to show details rather than just stating things. -"It was windy." -"The umbrella was totally bent out of shape. The umbrella"-you know for keeping the rain off us-"was totally"-that means fully-"bent"-Yeah? Bent-"...out of shape", out of its normal position.
"He found it funny." Right? How funny did he find it? Okay? Better to... For us to get the idea to picture what he was doing: "He was rolling around the floor in hysterics." Okay? When you're so... Find something so funny, you're like: [Laughs]. Okay? He can't control his body he finds it so funny. "Hysterics", that means like totally lost control. "Hysteria". Okay? Hysterics. "In hysterics" means finding something really, really funny.
"The castle was captured." Right. I want to get a sense of drama. I want to imagine what's happening there at the castle. Is the king having his head cut off? Are the new army marching in? What's happening? "The new flag was hoisted up on high, greeted by a cheer from the crowd." Okay? Paint pictures, pick out details.

[@engvidBenjamin]

For extra English help, visit my website: honeyourenglish.com

[@khaledmcgonnell8056]

Both "Hone Your English" and "Honey Our English" are apt

[@phillipsmith3422]

@@khaledmcgonnell8056 q

[@bluealbin8156]

I know how to show when writing. My question is however, do I have to go with it throughout the whole writing? Or it should be a mix of both tell and show? How do you create the perfect balance? A writer commented on my writing once and said that it became too descriptive. Is that a wrong approach? I am writing my first book ever, so I have a lot yet to learn.

[@soyaliovee]

@@khaledmcgonnell8056 lol

[@kewp5885]

@@khaledmcgonnell8056 u got a point

[@applecore8978]

I needed this. Sorry, I mean... My writing droned and bluntly stated scenarios without detail.

[@MindBodyStorm]

Nice!

[@khyzrshunhojas175]

Coolsome

[@engvidBenjamin]

Thanks

[@ClockworkGearhead]

Adverb! Ahhhhhh!!!

[@johngalt8708]

that is the stupidest thing ever. It's like you just used a bunch of words you didn't know the meaning to.

[@davidbailey8211]

Good video! I have something to add which I learned from my writing classes. Many of your "showing" sentences used the to-bes "was" or "were". These words in and of themselves can lead to passive and even telling writing--not to mention verbose writing, meaning using more words than necessary to describe or say something. Outside of thoughts and dialogue (people do talk that way after all), to-be's (am, are, is, was, were, be, being, been) should usually be eliminated. Example 1-"The man was fidgeting and biting his nails." could be written as "The man fidgeted and bit his nails." This eliminates a bit of verbose making the sentence more active and crisp. Example 2-"There was a leftover pizza, dirty clothes..." could be written in a more active way by writing it as "A leftover pizza and dirty clothes lay strewn about the floor." Hope this helps other writers out there. Thanks for reading!

[@yan-bbyan]

Thank you! My writing has been verbose lately and this would really help.

[@aquamarine2416]

you're Right, (I fixed my spelling)

[@Modeltraveling]

Thanks for this reminder. I was taught the same way. My essay writing professor at Columbia wouldnt allow us to use is, was or any of the to'be's--ever.

[@thenextshenanigantownandth4393]

Thanks for the advice.

[@Southpaw_canvass]

Thanks for this!!

[@cold_static]

"Show, Don't Tell" is basically the "Tell me X, without telling me X" meme format applied to writing.

[@engvidBenjamin]

Yes

[@Orblinkluv]

That's a good point! That's really funny. Imagine a teacher seeing this & using it in their lesson lol

[@alienmakintosh479]

Wow i finally understand it, thanks

[@thenumbertwo9136]

Weirdly enough this genuinely helps me grasp the concept

[@ramyamanimaran6475]

Is it pun applied here?

[@xtonibx5770]

I practice this often. I write the vague sentences and then I describe them in more detail "It was hot" no. "Children complained in the car as the blazing sun fused their skin to leather seats." It's really fun and helps me catch vague sentences before I write them.

[@aditidhingra9767]

I am learning so much from the comment box as well

[@neellavgogoi1453]

😂😂😂

[@neellavgogoi1453]

That was dramatic

[@xtonibx5770]

@@neellavgogoi1453 Kind of? I guess. I still like it, though (if I removed the word "blazing" it'd be much better). The sentence is trying to convey how hot it is by describing something kids often do on hot summer days. It can also be a relatable memory that pulls the reader in with nostalgia. If you don't like it then you're allowed to have an opinion, but if you can't convey your opinion without a bunch of laughing emojis then I'm not going to take it seriously.

[@engvidBenjamin]

Nice

[@engvidAlex]

Great stuff, Benjamin! This was actually useful for me and my own hobby of fiction writing.

[@tabahful]

it's work for academic writing also :)

[@engvidBenjamin]

Thanks for watching, Alex

[@grandmawweslammedamidget]

@Al Amin Stop having a stroke

[@mikemalickyoutubechannel1101]

@Al Amin Attention please 😂😂

[@peaceandharmony4062]

Alex You are the one of my great teachers.

[@inkwyvern5171]

Do neither. Don't merely show description. Burn this into your brain: learn how to lie. Showing _is_ telling. (Not really, but stay with me) They both translate in a nutshell: to reveal. Don't tell or show. Instead, suggest and allude. It doesn't stimulate the mind to be told and shown. *Implicit prose makes readers write the story for you.* Practice writing this way to rewire your brain. I'll demonstrate: Russet leaves eddied around the hurried steps of little red riding hood. From the gloom of the crooked wood came a howl that clutched her throat. Her pace quickened, her breath in debt, when a great shadow loomed along the path from behind to swallow her in darkness. She spun with a billowed cloak like the wide-eyed owls that hooted overhead. The wood stilled. Her cry echoed home to the woodsman's cabin and prickled the nape of his neck. It carried cold along autumn streams and dark in the old burrow downs. Small birds scattered. Rabbits shied into dens. Then it whimpered through Grandma's window, who seized the scruff of her collar and gazed out into the murky unknown. Apples lay strewn and glistened bloody. The woodsman's axe was missing from the stump, and he was nowhere to be found. Grandma's garden gate creaked on the wind, her front door ajar. Lead readers on; the hook is in _not_ knowing, not _knowing._ *Make what you **_don't_** write more significant than what you do.* To simply show would read like this: the woodsman snatched his axe from the stump and leaped into the wood; it doesn't matter how little or much I describe it to you, I'm still telling you what happened, instead of provoking a reader's imagination. Make. Them. Guess. Imply meaning _from_ description; do not simply state(tell) or describe(show). Make every line on your page a hook that pulls readers deeper into your story. Every sentence and paragraph should ask a question. *A story should speak fluently without dialogue.* Torture your readers like the sadistic bastards we are.

[@engvidBenjamin]

Some great writing here - thanks for sharing.

[@The-Clockwork-Eye]

Brilliant, thank you.

[@ijeawele3125]

Incredible! Can a bland writer become this artful and eloquent? If yes, how long do you think it'll take? I would like to write the way Picasso painted, but how???

[@inkwyvern5171]

@@ijeawele3125 definitely. I sustained brain damage about 4 years ago and lost my writing, imaginative and problem solving skills significantly. I became dyslexic with it, and writing is a very slow process for me still. If I sat there an entire day writing I'dprobablyget about 500-1000 words I'm happy with for a rough draft. Very slow writer now. Before brain damage, I was an imaginative and poetic machine, but I clawed enough of it back. I'm currently in hospital with severe covid pneumonia in both lungs so listen, my tip for you is to not write or think (when you write and think), just imagine and be inspired. That's how you get into the unconscious flow. Practice going to sleep imagining stories, this works for me. All the best my friend, and if survive this I'll write something a little more practical 😅

[@troygreen8959]

@@inkwyvern5171 You have my prayer for your recovery. And I appreciate your passion, drive, and generosity!

[@jamescleiton5571]

"His explanation was great!" Or "He explaneid so much better than every teacher has taught me ever!".

[@engvidBenjamin]

The second option should read: 'He explained the concept so much better than any other teacher had taught me before.'

[@ramroshan417]

@@engvidBenjamin '...than any other teacher who had taught me before.' You missed the 'who'.

[@natethegreat7821]

Writing 101: Ask yourself how you know what you’re telling the reader. Ex: The man was stressed. Ask yourself “How do I know that?” Then share the answer with the audience: There was a man sitting in the corner of the waiting room. His hair was matted to his forehead where beads of had been sweat collecting. His right leg was shaking in a steady rhythm accompanied by his blank stare into the distance. Here, the reader might infer this man was either waiting to hear news on a loved one or even himself. Much more interesting than the original sentence and made possible via the ole “how do I know this?” questionnaire. Great advice & a great video!

[@engvidBenjamin]

Thanks Nate!

[@judemorales4U]

This video is 6 years old and it popped up on my feed. I'm 70 years old and feeling as if I have a story to tell. I think I'll begin in the morning.❤ I've got some pictures to paint. 😂

[@madnessbydesign1415]

Ironically, when I used descriptions like the "fidgeting and biting his nails" one, I was told that was too much 'stage direction'.

[@madnessbydesign1415]

"Fidgeting and biting his nails" is stage direction, I was told. "Let the actor figure out how to play it". Idiotic. I can put that line in a script, and the actor now has some idea of how to play it, rather than guessing at what the character is thinking. I don't care if they actually fidget, or bite their nails, but I do care that they convey the ideas I wrote for the character, otherwise a script is just ideas for an improv group.

[@copykonsmusic1065]

That is hilarious!

[@cloud2012x]

In my writing class the reason that we were chastised for doing this is because some actors get angry when you tell them how to act. Writing "fidgeting and biting his nails" is better for novels, short stories, etc... and not screen plays, or at least that what my professors would say. Not saying that you are wrong or anything, honestly I still don't get it either lol.

[@hteur1]

The examples are clearly exaggerated, but what is important is to get the idea.

[@aquamarine2416]

😂

[@cassienawi9964]

I'm from Malaysia, and I truly love this simple, yet powerful tips to improve writing skill. This has been taught in school, but this short video made it so clear that I felt I haven't think before! Fully recommended for creative writing(narrative or descriptive) . Also, as I'm studying to become an English teacher, this is fully helpful to give me idea of teaching. Thanks Benjamin!😀

[@engvidBenjamin]

That's great!

[@Kishan_Narrator]

after watching that video his eyes shrunk in happiness , he stood up looked into mirror and watched himself smile, he was cheered after long time.

[@ChiotVulgaire]

I feel there IS a place for the simple sentence, like when stating plainly a conclusion built up in a narrative or when it serves to contrast against being descriptive, but its also important to keep from over-elaborating. It is better to show than tell, but endlessly droning on or using increasingly verbose and esoteric words can feel tiresome. Shakespeare did say that "brevity is the soul of wit".

[@engvidBenjamin]

To be brief: definitely!

[@citytrees1752]

You are guilty of your own accusation.

[@themajor1884]

Brevity IS the soul of wit. However, this video is not about effective communication; it's about making your writing more interesting. If I were reading a book, I'd be able to imagine a much clearer picture with the sentence 'He was fidgeting and biting his nails' than simply, 'He was stressed'.

[@jinmgrant94]

This is easy

[@jadeandwhizz3566]

@@themajor1884 that is very true plus I'm learning about the show not tell method and also as a writer and author to be . The teachers never went into detail about the method during English lessons i had in high school and college.

[@truehare]

I think this was the best, most clear explanation of how "show don't tell" works that I've ever seen. At least it was the most helpful for me personally. Thank you.

[@mattiaslarsson4687]

The most comedic video about an educational topic I've ever watched. Thank you for all the laughs and great lessons, my dear sir.

[@engvidBenjamin]

You're very welcome

[@WonderWithGil]

This is very helpful. Now, I am trying to balance the teaching “keep it simple and cut all the unnecessary” and this one. But this i very helpful for creative writing. :)

[@engvidBenjamin]

That's the dilemma. See what you enjoy reading.

[@sharvyahmed]

I work with logics, codes, and algorithms. Never have I ever tried to learn creative writing or story telling. But in recent times, somehow I am convinced, without better writing, specially better explaining, I can't be a good mentor. It took me sometime to find this video. These examples hooked me up. You have one more subscriber now! You deserve appreciation for such great content. Keep doing the awesome work, dude!

[@vietnam973]

Me before watching this video: The man was mad there was only one chair left the store. Me after watching this video: The man roared in rage as he smashed the last chair in the Ikea store. Thanks for making this video!

[@nomadz3354]

More like: The man was swept by a tide of agony and destitution as his beloved chairs were stricken away from him. Save for the one final seat, still for sale.

[@vietnam973]

@@nomadz3354 Beautiful

[@engvidBenjamin]

Thank you Nam and Neoq!

[@davidd1490]

@@nomadz3354 poetic, but don't fit with the previous meaning hahaha.

[@OhNoNotAgain42]

You guys should shop somewhere else

[@db4552]

Trying to wrap my head around "show don't tell" and every answer is so typically complicated. This is short, sharp, simple and shiny. Thank you very much.

[@vidyawitch]

my eyes widened... i took out a pencil, writing down the sentences from the video! thank u...this was incredibly helpful. good day.

[@engvidBenjamin]

Nice

[@nerosonic]

The wealth of knowledge realized from this video now encourages me to write aspiring literature

[@engvidBenjamin]

Go for it and keep learning.

[@sanityone649]

Very good. Short and to the point. Well explained. I see this in my writing groups from writers of all levels. It's hard to get them to change their ways. Many writers that haven't bothered to learn the craft of writing are documenters rather than story tellers. They're stuck on writing what they saw, not what their character(s) felt or experienced.

[@engvidBenjamin]

Thanks for sharing that.

[@sophiaisabelle01]

As an aspiring published author myself, I feel like I needed this type of advice.

[@engvidBenjamin]

I'm glad it was helpful for you.

[@sheppardscott13]

"...Paint a picture." That depicts the subject 'show, now tell' so fluently. And so forth, great video!

[@engvidBenjamin]

Glad you liked it!

[@aristidezoides9616]

Great advice for effective writing to make the reader actually feel the situation. like actually being in, experiencing and sensing the scene. 6 minutes that could change your understanding in effective communication through writing. Excellent and very well presented video.

[@Rueparkermusic]

This really helps me! I tend to struggle in my English classes and though my creative writing is decent, I really struggle to describe things! So thank you!

[@engvidBenjamin]

Cool

[@PabloskyS84]

I never had any lesson on writing before (so this is my first) and that was absolutely revealing!! thank you!!

[@Eloweh]

I used to not truly understand show don’t tell, but recently I was told it this way “never say 4, say 2+2”

[@Jasonronsteinberger]

that kinda goes with another person i forget but "make the reader work for it"

[@trungdo3175]

I've never seen any short video like this, with the effective details

[@engvidBenjamin]

Glad you liked it!

[@icanrelate]

Same!

[@orikakuli1]

where the hell were you when i was in school. boy if I had a teacher like you not only I would be your favorite student but I would get 100 on any exam

[@cleonemusician217]

Your comment made me smile!

[@7th_CAV_Trooper]

Omg, this is the first time someone explained this in a way I understand.

[@randommess1870]

thankyou sir. I wish I could've seen ur video few months back. I'm almost at the end of writing my first novel.

[@randommess1870]

A.S. 1 thanks. but I've too many mistakes. will take time to edit. I'm on last 3 chapter's. it's called "parallel temptations" for now. may b wil change it later

[@popcornandwater5903]

saba butt wow that sounds great! God bless you

[@engvidBenjamin]

Thank you

[@grammarmia]

Such an important skill and it makes a massive difference to the quality of a student's work - thanks for sharing, Benjamin

[@engvidBenjamin]

Absolutely!

[@aktarulislambd.584]

Your words are like the sweater a person needs in winter. It will make my writing better. Thanks.

[@engvidBenjamin]

Interesting simile there, Aktarul!

[@irfanyaqub9643]

To be honest this lesson was so helpful… I actually got the idea from it to now tell anything straight away, just give the details or add the details… thank you sir.

[@marietesta7076]

Thank you for a wonderful lesson, not only were you informative but you made the lesson seem like common sense. Just what I needed.

[@engvidBenjamin]

great

[@kasfiyazara9975]

You have my gratitude! Tomorrow's my test on creative writing and I really needed a perfect idea or tip on how could I standardize my writing skills.

[@engvidBenjamin]

Good luck!

[@kasfiyazara9975]

@@engvidBenjamin I really did well on that test, today. Thanks!

[@Test-dr2dw]

Quite literally a more on the nose type of teaching. This kind of education is unmatched. Thank you for you (as someone who struggles with descripting)

[@ananyadutta1154]

Your first illustration with such quiver of your body made me a mirth and the picture stayed in mind till your last illustration.

[@engvidBenjamin]

:)

[@user-zt1ls9mc1f]

I'm writing a paper this week for English Comp - thank you for helping my writing!

[@engvidBenjamin]

I assume that's English composition, not comprehension!

[@moh_Alashwal]

This made my day. I am about to write an essay for a scholarship and now everything will totally change.

[@engvidBenjamin]

Good luck

[@christiandaveobando593]

This is a helpful for me since I am not a native english speaker and a novice writer online, I really have troubles describing the feelings, actions and emotions of my characters which my readers go 'Meh', I have written like five stories which two has at least 30,000 words, unfortunately my readers didn't like it at all, you see I have this ideas coming to my brain but due to my average or below average English skills, writing and furthermore the story itself, I failed to fully explain, as you said, to Show it, well I'm still improving and videos like this will help me, thanks for the upload!

[@marikothecheetah9342]

Finally! Everyone speaking about: show not tell but not explaining what they mean. Thank you!

[@engvidBenjamin]

cool

[@dannyperry6505]

This was my first time on one of your videos, haven’t taken a quiz since school and I got a 10 out of 10 thanks for the lesson Benjamin

[@engvidBenjamin]

You got this!

[@Kit_Nightwolf]

this was absolutely amazing, it had helped me a lot and now i can finally write my first story. The way how you explained it was so clear. keep up the good work.

[@engvidBenjamin]

Glad it helped!

[@user-kv7rg2cf2z]

That is a nice way to replace simple words to more better sentence with context, thanks for the bit of elaboration and examples, great lesson.

[@boomboom1258]

A writer myself and I didn't think I'd need this advice - so helpful to improve my write-ups from now on.

[@swimcrafters1743]

My journalism teacher uses this phrase constantly. I enjoyed learning more about what it means!

[@engvidBenjamin]

Thanks

[@serendipity6235]

This is super helpful! I love writing, especially little scenarios that I made in my head but they always look so choppy.

[@engvidBenjamin]

Great!

[@CollectorXD]

Online learning is definitely difficult, but man using lesson perked up a few English grades. Truly a great way to get students into visual writing, thank you dearly for the lesson..

[@engvidBenjamin]

Cheers

[@WritewithKali]

Thank you. I'm a novel writer and I struggle with show not tell.

[@FeonaLeeJones]

Super helpful! I am trying to write essays for music grants and I need to stand out through not only my music, but my writing ability. This really helped thank you!!!

[@engvidBenjamin]

:)

[@Agreedtodisagree]

I sit completely stunned and fascinated at how powerful language can be when used purposefully.

[@engvidBenjamin]

Cool

[@Aaliyah3965]

Can't believe this stuff is free, this content is going to help me to write more descriptively my articles

[@engvidBenjamin]

go for it

[@majesticats4262]

I learned more from this video than I have over the course of my grade 10 creative writing class. I wish we did more writing.

[@engvidBenjamin]

I'm glad you found it useful.

[@danielstalks332]

Every tip on writing is a good tip. Thank you Benjamin, always well presented!

[@engvidBenjamin]

cheers

[@greathira]

One of the best lesson I have ever seen, and quiz score 100.... I'm so happy

[@engvidBenjamin]

:)

[@sajid_official]

I was searching for something to make me understand storytelling, I've found this! Subscribed. Will be looking for more of likes.

[@engvidBenjamin]

Glad you liked it.

[@carmie329]

I needed this so much lol I’m a practicing screenwriter and I was taught to write bluntly. But I wanted to try a hand at novel writing and I was looking at my writing and was like “it’s like I’m plagiarizing a script, I would not buy this book” but now I know why it felt that way

[@engvidBenjamin]

Ok. Glad it was useful :)

[@juliette0523]

I can't thank you enough for this incredibly helpful video! This is exactly what I needed.

[@engvidBenjamin]

You're very welcome!

[@rabbitherabbit13]

I love this! Your voice doesn’t sound like you were forced to do this like many other tutorials. 😂 I like how you went over multiple examples and you actually took time to go over those examples instead of rushing through. It helped me a lot! Someone commented a suggestion on my document saying, “maybe show not tell?” but I had no idea what they meant and when I saw this video, it helped me a ton! I usually do show, but then my words seem weird since I just keep describing or don’t know how to not stop. Thank you.

[@engvidBenjamin]

Cool. Thanks for the feedback.

[@deniszhytkov7488]

It is astonishing how a single video can make such a dramatic difference in my writing. Thanks so much for it

[@electrolyteblend]

People always say show dont tell, but they never say what they mean by it. This is a good video full of examples of what show dont tell means.

[@UKImperium]

Thank you for this. I've been thinking about writing my own short stories and this will surely help me word things better.

[@engvidBenjamin]

Great!

Compact lesson, very straight and joyful to follow as time snatches by! Very good Mr. Bejamin!

[@engvidBenjamin]

Thank you!

[@telescopegoldfish3688]

Thank you so much for this video! It's taken me so long to understand the show not tell thing. My brain just can't figure it out when people say to do this. I love writing, but it's difficult for me. Thank you again aaa! I've learned more in this tiny video than I did 3 years in English class

[@engvidBenjamin]

You got this!

[@shirereh1916]

my school teacher says to write descripted sentences mainly but they barely tells how on actually to improve writing and such simple tricks/techniques you suggest does help alot .

[@engvidBenjamin]

Glad this helped.

[@Valentino016]

This is super helpful. I was failing my writing exams. You gave me a clear understanding on how to be a better writer.

[@engvidBenjamin]

Yay!

[@skyflower2415]

I’m writing my first book . Thank you for these tips 👍🏼 I didn’t pay much attention to this at school although prolific in my attempts ☺️🦋

[@gazster]

i remember when i've watched a movie, or played a video game or read something and it's like i'd step back and sort of analyse and i would think to myself if only i was the creator here i'd make parts more intresting, it's like an urge there for the story telling side of it. i always remember thinking that, i already have a job at the moment so never really got in to writing ✍ but i think it would be intresting writing books, especially non fiction where your mind can go wild with the story telling side of it.

[@caughtin4kshorts619]

oh my god, i improved my writing skills in 6 mins 😮 thanks buddy.

[@Ranjanwatson]

Quick, yet excellent writing tips that can be applied to a variety of contexts. Thank you Benjamin.

[@devarsai100]

Show, Not tell One of the finest insights summed up in three words Very helpful Thank you

[@engvidBenjamin]

You're very welcome

[@sarabegay6339]

Thank you. I've been hearing that "show don't tell" for ages but didn't know what it meant. This simple and understandable. Got it. Thanks again.

[@engvidBenjamin]

:)

[@THEBATZZ]

This is probably the best video that explains this concept. And I’ve watched many. Thank you for taking the time to teach it this way. Thank you.

[@engvidBenjamin]

You're very welcome

[@liveanadventure429]

I got 10 out of 10 on the quiz, perhaps I take more in than I give myself credit for, you really helped to understand show and tell with simple examples 👍🏻

[@malthehakonssen605]

This helped me so much, thank you! I just finished writing my first novel.

[@engvidBenjamin]

Awesome!

[@aqleemmuhammad8982]

Thank you, Benjamin for teaching a wonderful lesson. This video was very useful for my daughter and she scored full marks in the quiz..all because of you

[@engvidBenjamin]

Glad it was helpful!

[@mohdagar1587]

The videos I saw all my entire life about writing were nothing compared to this one, deep in my heart I knew that there was something wrong, finally there’s a step a head to establish a background for my writing

[@engvidBenjamin]

Excellent, glad it works for you. You don't need to use it with every sentence, it's just a tool to expand description.

[@nireekshalkulal5706]

I'm from India. I was fishing about novel writing then I caught by your video which really captured all my attention. Decidedly it's really helpful 😊.

[@brandonterzic]

Every writer has to find the correct balance in all elements of their style. The "show vs tell" dynamic is important. But sometimes you do need to "tell", particularly in first person. It's more about the HOW you tell than the WHAT you tell. If you are constantly analyzing your technique/process instead of writing with honest emotion, your writing will be clear and proper, but stuffy. The most important thing is to write in rhythm, to have a flow and tempo. The details can be worked out later in the rewrite/editing stage. That being said, cutting out words and sentences has the same peculiar appeal as picking off scabs from yer knees.

[@engvidBenjamin]

Slightly graphic image, but yes, well said, Marlon!

[@muhammadsaadmansoor7777]

you took the show, not tell principle on a deeper level than the mariana trench.

[@brandonterzic]

@@muhammadsaadmansoor7777 sorry I dont understand.

[@aminezizou2932]

This video is exactly what I needed to improve my English language skills 😍😍😍 I'm glad that I found your Chanel 😎 Yes it's time to rise the bar 😍🍻

[@engvidBenjamin]

excellent

[@gombaobariokpa1352]

Thanks. After all this years, I finally understood showing instead of telling.

[@engvidBenjamin]

Glad it helped!

[@alainiskandar3472]

I fell in love with this video while watching it with a lopsided grin. More of those!!!

[@engvidBenjamin]

Thank you.

[@arnie1020]

Simple yet highly effective. Thank you!

[@engvidBenjamin]

:)

[@michaelknapp8074]

BEST 6 MINUTES OF MY ENTIRE LIFE YOU HAVE SAVED ME FROM MY OWN BORING SCREENPLAY NOW ITS GETTING A LOT MORE EPIC

[@engvidBenjamin]

Cool!

[@allexwilliams4168]

Thank you, You just opened up grandmas chest of age old recipes.

[@engvidBenjamin]

I hope the recipe helps you to serve up some treats!

[@kbmvelthy2666]

I watched few minutes but i absorbed so rapidly what i looking for long time is an informative but at the same time so perfection thanks you are wonderful teacher

[@engvidBenjamin]

Thank you very much.

[@jahsjewel]

I appreciate this so much. I'm writing my first book and really needed this lesson. The quiz reinforces the video nicely. Bravo.

[@engvidBenjamin]

Thank you!

[@symph2220]

I feel so thankful for this lesson! Sorry, I meant My soul is jumping from hedonism and joy in virtuosity from this lesson of yours

[@engvidBenjamin]

:)

[@henriquegiacomin2915]

This has actually opened my mind on how to write better even in my own language

[@engvidBenjamin]

Great!

[@yugrajsingh9249]

I have never encountered a comment section where not only the quality of the writing is exemplary, but the depth of the insight is equally remarkable.

[@ErikaFaithWarriorForChrist]

Thank you so much for this😊 It helps a lot even though I'm just starting streaming your video.

[@engvidBenjamin]

Glad it was helpful!

[@piyalichhajed6009]

I always watch this video to get motivation for writing. This always comes handy :) Thanks!

[@engvidBenjamin]

Glad it was helpful!

[@davidr4523]

Great advice. The concept we received from school is to be to a concise to the point writer in as few words as possible but not an interesting writer. So rather than just saying it was "really cold outside" to say "my eyelids were almost frozen shut and my teeth chattered so much my old filling were falling out."

[@Jericko427]

This tutorial is great. But, you could also use the simpler phrases to introduce the more detailed clauses. For example, "It was cold: drainpipes were freezing, frost swallowed the hearth of silent cars, as the bitter burn of Nuclear Winter blemished the earth's remains." There's many ways to be creative, without eliminating simple sentences. They also work to create impact. Open a paragraph with "blood everywhere." And tell me that doesnt stick ;).

[@engvidBenjamin]

Yes

[@nerdyguy5287]

This topic will always be a forever debate among writers. I think it should be balanced. Sometimes it's better to tell, not show, cos if you're writing a novel and you are writing a long description, the story pace will be slower and boring (IMHO), but of course it's subjective.

[@yunosnutshell3833]

Very useful, I liked the energy and I found your expressions quite funny. c: Found myself engaging to this more than most of those other writing videos, Thanks. I really appreciate it.

[@engvidBenjamin]

You're very welcome.

[@ryushogun9890]

Simple, but 10/10. As a beginner this really was a reality check for me.

[@Futurebusinesshehe]

Okg you’re a legend thx tomorrow I’m having an assessment and this video helped me ❤❤❤