Show, Don't Tell | what it means and how to use it

You've heard it once, you've heard it twice, you've heard it eight million times, and you're hearing it once again folks: show, don't tell!
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 - Intro
0:42 - What does 'show don't tell' mean?
1:50 - When to tell vs show
2:42 - Showing/Describing
3:21 - Telling/Explaining
4:40 - Why too much telling is a problem
6:45 - Examples of showing vs. telling
MORE WRITING CRAFTY STUFF:
Symbolism: • How to Use Symbolism |...
Point of View: • The Ultimate Guide to ...
How to Write a Short Story: • How to Write a Short S...
Flashbacks: • Using and Incorporatin...
Inciting Incidents: • Inciting Incidents | W...
Specificity and Concrete Language: • Specificity and Concre...
MY SHORT FICTION
☾"I Will Never Tell You This" in The Puritan: puritan-magazine.com/never-tel...
☾"Solarium" in The Minola Review: www.minolareview.com/shaelin-b...
☾"Barefoot" in The Fiddlehead [print only]: thefiddlehead.ca/issue/282
☾ "Wishbone" in PRISM international [print only]: prismmagazine.ca/2020/04/19/pr...
MORE WRITING TIPS: • Writing Tips
WRITING VLOGS: • Writing Vlogs
WRITING CHATS & DISCUSSIONS: • Writing & Authortube D...
BOOK REVIEWS: • Recent Reads
Check out more writing and publishing videos from me over @Reedsy!: / @reedsy
OUTRO MUSIC: "l u v t e a [acoustic]" by Autumn Keys
SOCIAL
Tumblr: / shaelinwrites
Ask me anything: shaelinwrites.tumblr.com/ask
Twitter: / shaelinbishop
Instagram: / shaelinbishop
Goodreads: / shaelin-bishop

[@kryner0]

"Describe, don't explain." Wow, that actually made me understand it. lol.

[@sethrakes1991]

dramatize, don't summarize.

[@tento3555]

Your hair looks very cute and it suits you a ton!

[@adamfinch3593]

Shaelin you told us how you felt about your hair but you didn't SHOW us!

[@mowadayasser9839]

Her hair is literally infront of she didnt have to explain further...

[@ShaelinWrites]

Hey everyone! Just wanted to say since I forgot to mention this in the intro, that I will have a part two to this video next week! It’ll be covering specificity and concrete/abstract language as well as going over a longer example. Originally I’d planned on having it all in one video since the topics overlap so much, but I thought it was getting a little dense and wanted to make each video a bit easier to digest rather than throwing 35 minutes of showing vs telling at you. I’ll leave a link to that here once it’s posted! ALSO in retrospect I don’t know if my phrasing about a car hood being ‘oxide-eaten’ makes sense lol. Could have just said it was rusty! There’s a prime example of showing a lil too hard right there kids! Edit: for some reason this posted at 3 am PST instead of the time I usually post. No clue why! Maybe youtube glitched, maybe I somehow scheduled it seven hours early. One of life's mysteries.

[@noordeepsingh1732]

Looking forward to your next video😊👍

[@billyalarie929]

This is so good. Thank you.

[@somekid3893]

Though you could anthropomorphize the rust or the oxidation to say the hood's being eaten away by rust, or by time, or by neglect manifesting as the rust. The bob cut is adorable; I guess technically it's your face that's adorable but the hair doesn't hurt :) Thanks for all the amazing content btw, been watching since I decided to start a book about a year ago -- though maybe it was the book my friend pitched me two years ago that set me on a writing craft binge. Regardless, thanks!

[@ellyazalfa1652]

I can't believe your content is FREE. I've been struggling with my writing for so long. They are almost like academic paper instead of fictions and your videos help me to understand what I'm lacking! Thank you so much!! Please have a nice day

[@jarenworme8961]

I endorse this message 😂 I’ve probably watched every video on the channel and they are all so helpful! Single-handedly made me a way better writer than I was a couple months ago

[@peyuko5960]

In the one about the man hiding from the door, I kinda felt he was escaping from tax collectors or something.

[@ShaelinWrites]

lol fair, in retrospect I see that too

[@billyalarie929]

I was like man is that Monk she's describing?

[@peyuko5960]

@@billyalarie929 Woah, now I can't unsee it!

[@floodychild]

She wrote this from experience. I've even crawled up the stairs to escape human interaction.

[@leahgodson2319]

I though the description might not show that he was shy but added to the intrigue for the reader, making them look forward to discovering what’s really going on with this man!

[@xtonibx5770]

"My hair is very short. It was shorter than I intended it to be" "I'm still in the process of learning how to love this curly mushroom" I literally chopped off my hair yesterday out of impulse and it's about the same length and I have 3B/3C hair and I relate so much. I also have mine parted like that so this is nice to me for some reason.

[@ShaelinWrites]

the hair solidarity right now

[@adolphaselrah9506]

For some reason that hair style is one of the best for curly hair, I have found.

[@billyalarie929]

@@ShaelinWrites I think it looks adorable, personally.

[@xtonibx5770]

@@billyalarie929 Me too. It suits her really well.

[@xtonibx5770]

@@ShaelinWrites

[@APinchOfHistory]

"If you think my hair doesn't look good, please don't tell me. So, show, don't tell!" ~ interesting phrasing, Shaelin ;) Your hair is excellent though! Love the curliness!

[@leech1355]

It’s 8am where I am. I woke up, made a tea, sat down to write on this lovely bank holiday Friday, and a Shaelin video dropped?! Is this you showing love to the other side of the world? Also your hair & general entire aesthetic is glorious. Not just saying that. Thanks for another great video!

[@anthonywheeler2082]

This is one of the best descriptions of show, don't tell I've seen yet. I like how you trust your viewers to use it when they see fit. That's actually pretty rare on KZbin videos like this.

[@topik801]

Your curly mushroom is beautiful :D My first thought when the video started was "omg, love her hair!"

[@theanti-veela-leprechaun]

In my opinion, I like writing the tell sentence and then the show sentence right after, or vice versa depending on the circumstance. Constantly writing in show or constantly writing in tell is going to exhaust or bore some readers, and they will never know exactly what to interpret. Something that can also happen is the reader will interpret something one way, but will later find out they need to interpret a different way. This might make reading a jumbled mess for them. (I also don't do it all the time, but definitely when necessary.)

[@errolbean7221]

You have helped me to finally understand the difference between showing and telling - Describe ; don't explain" . Blessings

[@damontego]

Your point about thinking of how screenplays are written and how things like emotions are shown on screen is probably the most helpful explanation I've ever heard or read about "show, don't tell". I think I'm finally getting it. Thank you very much! 😃🙏

[@Dark_Mishra]

How do you ‘show’ emotions that you know you overuse some expressions like grimacing, sneering, etc.? Me: She cried heavy tears. Editors: “Show, don’t tell!” My revision: She wiped her face with the back of her hand to clear her vision. Publishers: “Sorry, but we can’t publish this because your word count is far too excessive.” Me: Ugh! How do you win?!

[@lifeisbutadreamm]

"Her eyes stung", or "her chest tightened", or "she wailed", are all fairly short phrases that stoll describe the situation of someone being in pain and crying, so I would just try to use language like that, where you're using stronger descriptions that are still shorter, but pack the same punch as a longer description... Shaelin has another great video about descriptor words, and how using more extreme language (he hit the ball vs he chucked the ball vs he propelled the ball, etc , but each version has a different intensity, all based on one singular word change), can really help to make your writing more impactful, more intense or emotional etc.. I'll try to find that video and post a link for you!

[@Dark_Mishra]

Pamela Mertz Thanks. I’ll try looking for that video too if you can’t find it.

[@ETBrothers]

​@@lifeisbutadreamm did you find that video?

[@IloveItachiandGaaru]

Every time you cut your hair I'm in awe at how amazing you can rock it! Lovin' it!

[@KayFlowidity]

1:15 Describe >Explain 2:50 Describing vs Explaining 6:15 Examples 8:15 Plot Telling 10:50 Signs of telling... 12:10 Great advice 👌🙏

[@saranghaedosh]

This is the video I have NEEDED. I struggle so much with showing and not telling, must be my science background, it's hard to come out of that.

[@DavinSmith08]

You’re hair looks gorgeous!!!

[@samus123ful]

Your videos always get me in the writing mood. Thank you very much Shaelin for another amazing video

[@mackennawilson838]

THANK YOU SO MUCH. This absolutely the resource I needed. Very helpful

[@ghibbles6200]

Oh my gooooooosh thank you so much for addressing this! I've always found this so confusing...

[@MediaAttorney]

Big help Shaelin! Thanks for sharing this.

[@mageprometheus]

Thank you Shaelin. Great advice. You are beautiful on the outside and the inside.

[@marlenaleach6589]

Thank for your wonderful much clearer explanation to think, "describe and explain", rather than, "show and tell". Lightbulb!

[@MissKokaKola]

Thanks for all of your advice. I've written two short stories, that I now have to make some major corrections on. Your videos are so insightful!

[@rayyyyyyyyyyyyy13]

Your hair looks so cool!!!

[@tanyaduncan4476]

i'm writing a book about a girl who has three brothers and a father. she has flashbacks to her past growing up, since she's about 22 now. i'm planning on doing flashbacks just a bit more often, and this helped me a lot. thanks!

[@grantlopez6797]

Yes, this is something I struggled with in the past, and never really had any teacher explain to me how to do it. I kinda had to figure it out on my own. I loved your examples! Btw, I like your new haircut.

[@seatongrey315]

I finally have confirmation of how i have been doing this. Thank you so much. Makes me feel so much better and relieved that I am in fact doing the right thing.

[@francefehr429]

show don't tell.. oh yes this is what my son is telling me to aim for .. he also write some short stories form different experiences he has as a sport journalist. It is still not easy for me to get it but I will ... eventually ! Thanks for explaining.

[@RebieaZedits]

One way I like to show is by giving a character a specific reaction to a specific emotion, and then whenever they have that reaction, we get an idea how they're feeling. For example, at the beginning of my book, one of my characters gets into a argument that almost ends up in a physical fight. He tenses his muscles and balls up his fists. Throughout the book, whenever he feels confronted or angry, his muscles get tense. Because we've seen this reaction in obivous situations, like the argument or when someone tries to hurt his best friend, we can use it as a gauge of his anger in situations where it's not as obvious.

[@ClefairyFairySnowflake]

This video was super helpful! Thanks for making it!

[@usagi1987]

This is what I have been looking for I have been stuck. on the Show don't tell for a while and It had gotten so bad I thought about quitting. now that I have seen this video I am itching to write again. and your hair looks lovely.

[@cwfcwfcwf]

This is one skill that has always confused me a bit so I took notes. Thanks, Shaelin. :)

[@leahgodson2319]

I shall beware of purple in my writing now! Thank you for explaining how to apply this, Shaelin. God bless you.

[@imaginativebibliophile549]

Shaelin, I love using descriptive language in my writing. I like how you provided examples to explain the difference between showing and telling. When writing, my greatest endeavor is to use strong sentences. At times, an ordinary sentence without many vivid details is stronger than a sentence with unnecessary description. I use similes and metaphors in my writing as well. I just finished writing a short story, The Tree of Exposure. I have ideas for a novel as well as another short story. I wrote a poem, The Age of Hearts yesterday. I show descriptions when revealing character traits to readers. I hope to excavate happiness through my writing. I love you

[@mmsutantowrites]

Thank you for doing this video! It is definitely something I struggle with and that I am working on. It's an especially uphill battle for picture book writers who have limited word counts to work with. Oh, and I wish my curly mushroom looked as cute and pretty as yours :)

[@jongourdine]

Thanks Shaelin! I just began writing last month due to the pandemic. I was/am/will be once again, a Lighting Designer and Scenic Designer for Theater. Now that theater is on a little bit of a "leave", I decided it was time to start. Your video was and reinforced how I love to write using imagery. Great tips and perfect examples. I subscribed and will now encourage my fellow writers to do the same. BTW - the hair is perfect and frames your face nicely.

[@thecatcherintherye9947]

As a someone who is shy too I'd suspect social anxiety or evasion of a specific person the man doesn't want to deal with before shyness or reticence. Since he's ducking down in order to not be seen this means the curtains are open. I'd suspect the curtains with the most foot traffic to be drawn shut with such an individual. All that being said it's still a good example.

[@Micktrex]

There were some good examples of showing here that I’d never considered. I also hadn’t realised the extent telling can crop up in writing. By the way, your hair looks fine.

[@0915SJ]

I love how your hair looks! Thank you for this video btw, it helps a lot ^-^

[@GBrown-ql6qn]

In my creative writing class I learned it as "summary vs scene," which I guess is similar cause you're deciding whether each detail can just be summarized in one simple sentence, or is important or interesting enough to describe as a scene. Also your hair and outfit are both heckin cute

[@ShaelinWrites]

I'd say summary can be a form of telling, but summary can also be really useful and have a lot of showing within it as well!

[@dougmoring7321]

Great explanation. Thanks.

[@ffstopP]

You're very thorough and helpful. Thanks.

[@paulachapman5722]

I love your short hair! Best style I have seen on you!

[@spiralsun1]

Best treatment of show don’t tell I have ever seen. Some serious secrets. I spent time in a screenwriters workshop in LA and it really helped me. I still love your eyeballs. I don’t know if you know it but eyes are functional, attractive, but also symbolic. Because they were written to show humans something. I’m not crazy, I am writing a book about that. 😝🥰

[@hatezis]

Your hair looks really good :) And the video is very useful as usual.

[@madhurimadas2616]

OMG! Thank you for such valuable free content!

[@maleesha4137]

Thank you so much ! This video was helpful for my writing.

[@makt7448]

Excellent video. Thanks

[@sofijasofija2867]

I see telling as a generalisation. It's like a general conclusion. With characters, you don't need to say anything, the reader has to find this stuff out. Same with emotion writing. Naming the emotion is like saying to the reader, 'I know you're dumb, so I won't even try to describe how the emotion feels like and how the character with that emotion will act." In reality it makes the reader experience very passive.

[@4saken1977]

This was helpful. Thanks Shaelin... and mushrooms are interesting.

[@vladimirbarkanov9459]

I have spotted Night Circus on your bookshelf. Nice book!

[@doodlehawk91]

loved this video really good advice, thank you! Also, I think your hair looks great :)

[@alexandravladmets8206]

I very rarely comment on how people look. But that hairdresser did right in challenging you on the lenght. Hair looks great and frame your face nicely!

[@coinparadise]

Thanks for the info, great content

[@MagnetMagicGirl]

I love your hair! It’s so cute!

[@user-ng8qr5ot5i]

I just love your videos! They help to learn English. I really like the way you talk. Hope I learn to speak as quickly as you do! And you also very nice🥰

[@jacindaellison3363]

10:04 Great imagery! Charcoal, sopping... Great adjectives!

[@ejwilly2309]

So proud of shaelin for learning to love their curly mushroom

[@kerver5722]

Thank you so much! Your videos are very helpful We hope you live a century of happiness

[@erikaroth6049]

Love the curly mushroom cut!!!

[@joshuafarrow9581]

So i have been wanting to write a star trek stroy amd and needed help with point of view best for this story and tips on show not tell im a beginner at writing. Your video's are great

[@StillGamingTM]

Good explanation, thanks

[@CharlieHorse4363]

I think your hair is adorable!

[@CosmicErrata]

The hair is adorable!

[@jacc1854]

Been waitin for this one for a long ass times

[@ChromaticTempest]

Living in an instance. I remind myself to show this way as I'm often excited to move the story quickly with abbreviated, direct language.

[@maya55389]

but your hair looks so cute!!! we stan a curly mushroom

[@glennrm42]

Your hair looks great!

[@williamribardo3736]

Hi shaelin, I am a nonfiction writer and hope to use your show verse tell in my own writing. Your presentation on how to show vs. tell is very informative. I know I'll end up in the purple area but it's always worth giving either to try. Describe don't tell.

[@melodid5023]

Your hair does look cute shaelin.. don't worry :) Great video as always

[@me-zs7tr]

I currently have almost the same length of hair and I love it bcz it's so comfortable!

[@tresk495]

I think your hair looks great!

[@alexpiteo9825]

Thank you for yet another fine video providing me with enough information to possibly put to use whenever I shall need to. I highly appreciate this and just wanted to let you know that, Shaelin (very pretty name, in my opinion, by the way). You have a good and safe day and take good care. Good tidings!

[@sumayyahkhan8897]

I love your hair shailen

[@siennablack4690]

I love your hair!!

[@user-zu4jw3nj9c]

I am so much happy with you, with your latest comment on my activities which is you see and what's in my mind running the thought you are a great observer thanks for this situation which is I am feeling, So describe and explaining both the words are little bit familiar but different meaning in my opinion. (People are joking me without permission here right now.) So we come on the main point, describe means in short the things we can explaining it in our words maximum what is about it how, when where, little bit introduction, and so on, explaining is using own words, sentences, phrase, about the object like that mostly in advertising about the project, product etc. So just my activity in writing actually I am translate in English or Gujarati, but both the language I am studying myself with proper understanding with clear meaning which is helpful for me in my book as a content writer. The translate is as it is but what I understood is different thing at the same time. How I represent myself that is the point of view.

[@Saiorcha]

Your hair is super cute by the way! This is definitely a tricky one at times - when you started talking about emotions, "anger bubbled through me" I was like oh no that's me! 😦 Didn't even realise that's something I do, that that counts as telling. Hopefully I'll remember to rewatch this video when I get to the editing process!

[@ShaelinWrites]

It's a really easy one to miss! I definitely made that mistake for a long time because I thought I was showing by being extra descriptive haha

[@hannaholmberg3054]

I actually think you hair looks suuuuuper cute, and I love it!

[@Vickynger]

My problem is that in my first draft I neither show NOR tell emotions. There's just pretty descriptions of scenery and dialogue on the page.

[@nachoijp]

I sometimes see my writing as a digital art work. It has layers: setting, feelings, dialogue, events and so on. I try to make it as complete as I can in the first go, but latter I come back and judge each layer and try to enrich or fix each one as needed. Some days my dialogue is on point, some others it's just rubbish. But seeing it as a separate thing helps to focus on it when revising.

[@WiscoDrinks]

You can show emotion and develop characters through their word choices and how they talk to and about each other.

[@Hxarh]

Honestly. I think your hair looks great😇

[@ambre8472]

hi !! love the hair you look like a cute mushroom. i'm always very interested when you mention screenplays as i'm a film student! i would loveeee to see a video dedicated to writing a screenplay not only how screenwriting have improved your writing. like things idk things you might consider essential or anything!! love your vids and love from france hehe

[@ShaelinWrites]

To be honest I think I'm probably not a good enough/experienced enough screenwriter to make any videos on it, but if I ever gain more experience at some point I might!

[@52Paulis]

The short hair works well. I am a screenwriter and the thing I use to tell myself and my students action is character. That can also move into the description of the character or location because the location can be a character. I am now the bearded old man working on his first book. Screenplays require fewer words because white space on the page is gold. Now I am looking to give the reader a richer experience. Thank you.

[@ShaelinWrites]

"action is character"

[@sickdream4067]

thanks for the tips. the screenplay hack was very helpful. you can rock any hairstyle =)

[@Nao-qi4jo]

I love these videos, I'm a very creative person, but the problem is that I don't know which media suits me best, I'm trying out writing right now because I absolutely love creating complex characters and your videos really motivate me to keep going💕 (English is not my native language so sorry if the comment sounds weird. Hopefully I can express my thoughts better in my mother language😂💕)

[@ShaelinWrites]

Good luck with writing!

[@Nao-qi4jo]

@@ShaelinWrites Thank you sm💕

[@Chrisg288]

The Hair had a fundamental epiphany; bathed in a beam of pale cream rays, and refusing to be defined by the human host, instead commanded her host to abide and rejoice in it. Her decision to be as it was meant to be. I command, and the human obeys, as it was meant to be. I shall be just so. I rule. I grow and curl, therefore I am. I am the arc of this covenant.

[@ihatemickiegee]

the problem I always had when I was younger trying to write was that I wanted to get the info out as fast as possible, not for times sake but in terms of characters, I wanted readers to know as much as I did about who they were so that the story made sense, not knowing just yet that the story will make sense on its own as the reader goes on, AKA the whole point of the story. all qualities of which I assume most writers share when they're still in the phase of telling-not-showing. maybe you mention this maybe not, I am only at the beginning, but I'm sure someone can relate to trying to write as a freshman in high school thinking It sounded good to say "she was a quiet and nervous soul" rather than say "she would often sit in the corner, making observations on her peers and wondering why no one shook when they were spoken to, not realizing until going over these observations that they would likely also be in those same dark corners as she." now obviously that was a totally tropey, corny example (for the show and the tell lol) off the top of my head, but it still gets the reader to the same conclusion in a barely longer sentence and actually will say even more than that when you transform the "tell" into the "show" because every reader is unique in their perspective. :)

[@kelvinrivera3753]

You're amazing.

[@loxee4769]

Don't worry, your hair looks really cute!

[@levipennington5969]

I was interested by what you said about showing time passing by things that change, like a cut on a finger becoming better over time.

[@bookishandbewildered]

You look great! Xx don’t be hard on yourself 💕 you 👏have👏the👏bone👏structure 👏

[@Lafihe]

Actually love the short hair!!!!

[@jimenasanchez75]

Your hair looks really pretty. I think it suits you better

[@efosaagbonson1581]

One way to tell if a person knows what they are talking about on KZbin is to look at their faces upside down while they talk.....if they do not look hideous enough but kind of like matured then you would be able to tell if they know what they are talking about.....Hey Shaelin just want to tell you, you passed my small test with the hair and all.....you looked matured and that you knew what you where talking about. Kind regards, Efosa Osakue Agbonson.

[@nonostalgia]

Girl i feel u. I had a hairdresser give me a pixie cut when i asked for a bob

[@Psychoh90]

Read The miniaturist, by J. Burton. That is a proper show do not tell kind of book. Beautiful and insightful.

[@hugoleonardoamaral586]

I should be finishing my novel but here I am. That ending can wait :)

[@sazmarie1281]

When are you starting to write your next project? Are you going to vlog it?

[@ShaelinWrites]

I've already started and a vlog is already scheduled for a few weeks from now :)