Most writing advice feels like a straightjacket, but none squeezes tighter than “show, don’t tell.”
TLDR:
- “Tell” serves crucial narrative functions that pure “show” cannot accomplish efficiently
- The decision between showing and telling should be strategic, not reflexive
- Overcommitting to “show” creates bloated prose that exhausts readers
The Theater Metaphor That Changed Everything
I’ve been wrestling with this advice for years, watching writers tie themselves in knots trying to dramatize every mundane moment. Then I encountered Tiffany Yates Martin’s theater metaphor: show is the on-screen action, tell is the voice-over narration. Suddenly it clicked.
Think about your favorite films. Would Goodfellas work without Henry Hill’s matter-of-fact narration bridging decades? Would Blade Runner achieve its noir atmosphere without Deckard’s internal monologue? Of course not.
When Tell Actually Wins
Here’s what nobody talks about: readers get tired of constant dramatization. I learned this the hard way, reading a manuscript where the author “showed” a character making coffee for three paragraphs. My eyes glazed over by sentence two.
Tell excels at:
- Compressing time efficiently
- Providing context without derailing momentum
- Creating breathing space between intense scenes
- Establishing mood through narrative voice
Actually, let me correct myself. Tell doesn’t just excel at these things, it’s often the only tool that can accomplish them without creating bloated, unreadable prose.
The Strategic Approach
Smart writers think cinematically. They zoom in for crucial emotional moments, then pull back for transitions and exposition. When your protagonist discovers her husband’s affair, show every trembling finger, every shallow breath. When she drives to her lawyer’s office three days later, a simple “The consultation confirmed her worst fears” will suffice.
Modern tools like AI fiction writing assistants can help writers experiment with different approaches, while platforms for AI image generation with commercial licensing let authors visualize scenes before committing to lengthy descriptions.
The Practical Truth
Publishing demands efficiency. Whether you’re working with traditional publishers or using services like comprehensive publishing platforms for books, ebooks, and audiobooks, editors appreciate writers who understand pacing.
The real skill isn’t choosing show over tell, it’s knowing when each serves your story best. Sometimes the most powerful moments happen in the quiet spaces between action, in those brief narrative observations that let readers catch their breath before the next emotional gut punch.
Trust your instincts. Your story will tell you what it needs.