“Show, Don’t Tell”: The Big Picture Function

“Show, don’t tell.”

It’s one of the most widely repeated pieces of author advice out there. The goal is to bring the reader into the character’s world and immerse them in it.

Most writers interpret “show, don’t tell” to mean that they should include more details. That’s not entirely off — showing often does require a bit of strategic expansion. It lets the author deliver beyond simple “what is happening” and delve more into the who, why, when, where, and how.

But showing isn’t just about adding more details or supporting visualization.

In this video, I explain how showing connects to big picture thinking and the real function it has to serve. You’ll see how that ultimately connects to the way you plan your book or other storytelling.

[Transcript summary]

If you do any kind of writing or public speaking, you have probably at some point heard somebody tell you, “Show, don’t tell.” What does this mean?

I’m Wanda Thibodeaux. I’m the sole proprietor of takingdictation.com. And when we think about “Show, don’t tell,” we often think that that means adding detail or visualization. But that’s not the whole story. It’s more about revealing the systems and emotional infrastructures that are in place, which is kind of hard to do. It’s about making sure the reader understands all the little nuances and mannerisms of meaning, because all of that is what makes the scene relatable.

So, why does that matter? Because it means that the details or the actions or the language that you choose to add has to be thought out in advance. It’s big picture thinking. It’s not just random, okay? So, it has to match the systems and infrastructure that the characters or you as a storyteller deal with.

So, let me give you an example of what I’m talking about.

So, a classic tell would be something like “Laura put her books on the table. ‘Tell me everything,’ she said.”

Now, if you are going to show this, here’s how that might sound. “She felt her stomach lurch with dread as she set her books on the table. Her mother’s face was frozen, poised in pain like a cracked porcelain doll. The clock chided her for still waiting, and finally she blurted out, ‘Tell me everything.'”

So, in that second example, you get a sense of not only what is going on, but how the characters are feeling by their descriptions and what is taking place. So, it’s not just the detail, it’s bringing you into their inner world. That’s really what you are after when you are showing somebody.

If you want to learn more, head out to takingdictation.com. Take care. Bye.