Telling instead of showing
“Show don’t tell” is an aphorism often heard in writer’s groups. Anton Chekhov wrote, ‘Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.’
Showing gives information that stands out and is more plausible. It allows us to feel, see, smell what the character is feeling, seeing, smelling and it gives the scene reality by engaging our senses. Like so much of life, it’s the detail that imprints on memory.
Yet, telling does have a place in a story; during transitions between scenes telling provides a shift in tone and change of pace by allowing a character to reflect on and summarize what just happened, and for background, technical, or historical information.
Instead of “show, don’t tell,” perhaps it should be “show more, tell less.”