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I know, I know. Show versus tell is one of the most recycled topics in creative writing, but the thing is… most writers have been taught to tell you that showing is the way to go. However, coming from someone who specializes in short fiction – it’s high time I play devil’s advocate.
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Storytelling formats are more than just a way of categorizing manuscripts based on word count; shorter formats (whether they be flash fiction, novellas, or short stories) may serve functions exclusive to their specific category, and therefore they may require the writer to develop skills that enable them to effectively craft narratives that also meet certain criteria set forth by a publisher/editor. The key to writing short fiction is to use effective telling.
Cons of Telling
Too much telling and the prose will begin to feel more like a plot summary than a narrative.
So-&-so did this. Then So-&-so did that, but as it turns out So-&-so did not like that. So So-&-so decided it would be best to go back to this, and thus So-&-so felt better for doing so.
In poker, a “tell” is when a player does something that may tip others off to the strength of their hand. This could be a nervous tic, a behavioral shift, a facial expression, etc. The same goes for writing prose and using tell versus show. One telltale sign of a weak hand is when a writer tells the reader too much, and not just in terms of frequency, but I mean too much in terms of unnecessary information that’s irrelevant for developing the story (not to be confused with “overwritten prose” which means too much showing off via purple prose).
So-&-so and his date had a nice evening and now it was time for So-&-so to drive his date back home. So-&-so and his date approached his vehicle on the passenger’s side, and So-&-so had to unlock the door on the passenger’s side of the vehicle so that his date could get in. So-&-so reached into his right pocket with his right hand to retrieve his keys. So-&-so felt around in his right pocket with his right hand for his keys, but So-&-so also felt something else in his right pocket that didn’t feel like his keys. Suddenly So-&-so remembered that in his right pocket there was also a condom. Therefore, So-&-so was careful to make sure that he grabbed the keys to his vehicle, and not the condom, before So-&-so removed his right hand from his right pocket.
Pros of Telling
Using effective telling as a creative writer is a skill that comes in handy especially when drafting short fiction. Short story writers do not have the luxury, the privilege, or the benefit of falling back on an unrestrained word count to beat around the bush all frigging day. Okay? Sometimes novelists will dedicate multiple paragraphs towards playing a game of mental charades with the reader in hopes that they’re smart enough to read between the lines and pick up on what the author is putting down on the page. When it’s done well, it can make for an immersive experience. When it’s done like shit, it can feel as though the author is beating a dead horse and make me want to cave-in my skull.
Tell me the character was pissed off without telling me “The character was pissed off.” – *three paragraphs of highly descriptive prose later… “I get it, dude! The character was angry. Can we please move on with the flipping story?!” said the enraged reader.
In an age of diminishing attention spans, sometimes I think it’s actually more engaging for the reader to be told how a character feels (or what’s happening) rather than using so many words to achieve the same end through descriptive imagery, metaphor, simile, etc. For me, telling feels most effective when the author has focused their creativity in building context with clarity.
For instance, if someone has ever shared an anecdote with you and they took the time to set up the scenario and explain what went down with passion in their voice, but somewhere within their story they felt the need to tell you, “…and I was pissed!” You may have replied with something along the lines of, “well that goes without saying”, or because you were explicitly told how they felt, you may feel compelled to say, “I can imagine.”
In either case, it means that you were paying attention and you were fully invested in the context of their story. If you can reply, “I can imagine,” after being told that the MC felt “pissed”, it means that you as the reader were able to engage your own imagination in order to picture what that anger would look like based on the context that the storyteller has so effectively/creatively crafted. It’s an admission that you were able to put yourself in that character’s shoes and get an idea of what they were going through/experiencing – which is a sign of having a healthy degree of empathy and an active imagination.
Telling is Most Effective in Short Fiction
Telling versus showing may assume a higher degree of empathy from the reader, because there is less being expressed on the page in short fiction. However, effective telling allows the author to do more with less and get creative while staying within the scope of the format, and do so without having to add more words than necessary to provide the context that creates a complete story.
Too much telling and the prose will begin to feel more like a plot summary than a narrative.
So-&-so did this. Then So-&-so did that, but as it turns out So-&-so did not like that. So So-&-so decided it would be best to go back to this, and thus So-&-so felt better for doing so.
In poker, a “tell” is when a player does something that may tip others off to the strength of their hand. This could be a nervous tic, a behavioral shift, a facial expression, etc. The same goes for writing prose and using tell versus show. One telltale sign of a weak hand is when a writer tells the reader too much, and not just in terms of frequency, but I mean too much in terms of unnecessary information that’s irrelevant for developing the story (not to be confused with “overwritten prose” which means too much showing off via purple prose).
So-&-so and his date had a nice evening and now it was time for So-&-so to drive his date back home. So-&-so and his date approached his vehicle on the passenger’s side, and So-&-so had to unlock the door on the passenger’s side of the vehicle so that his date could get in. So-&-so reached into his right pocket with his right hand to retrieve his keys. So-&-so felt around in his right pocket with his right hand for his keys, but So-&-so also felt something else in his right pocket that didn’t feel like his keys. Suddenly So-&-so remembered that in his right pocket there was also a condom. Therefore, So-&-so was careful to make sure that he grabbed the keys to his vehicle, and not the condom, before So-&-so removed his right hand from his right pocket.
Pros of Telling
Using effective telling as a creative writer is a skill that comes in handy especially when drafting short fiction. Short story writers do not have the luxury, the privilege, or the benefit of falling back on an unrestrained word count to beat around the bush all frigging day. Okay? Sometimes novelists will dedicate multiple paragraphs towards playing a game of mental charades with the reader in hopes that they’re smart enough to read between the lines and pick up on what the author is putting down on the page. When it’s done well, it can make for an immersive experience. When it’s done like shit, it can feel as though the author is beating a dead horse and make me want to cave-in my skull.
Tell me the character was pissed off without telling me “The character was pissed off.” – *three paragraphs of highly descriptive prose later… “I get it, dude! The character was angry. Can we please move on with the flipping story?!” said the enraged reader.
In an age of diminishing attention spans, sometimes I think it’s actually more engaging for the reader to be told how a character feels (or what’s happening) rather than using so many words to achieve the same end through descriptive imagery, metaphor, simile, etc. For me, telling feels most effective when the author has focused their creativity in building context with clarity.
For instance, if someone has ever shared an anecdote with you and they took the time to set up the scenario and explain what went down with passion in their voice, but somewhere within their story they felt the need to tell you, “…and I was pissed!” You may have replied with something along the lines of, “well that goes without saying”, or because you were explicitly told how they felt, you may feel compelled to say, “I can imagine.”
In either case, it means that you were paying attention and you were fully invested in the context of their story. If you can reply, “I can imagine,” after being told that the MC felt “pissed”, it means that you as the reader were able to engage your own imagination in order to picture what that anger would look like based on the context that the storyteller has so effectively/creatively crafted. It’s an admission that you were able to put yourself in that character’s shoes and get an idea of what they were going through/experiencing – which is a sign of having a healthy degree of empathy and an active imagination.
Telling is Most Effective in Short Fiction
Telling versus showing may assume a higher degree of empathy from the reader, because there is less being expressed on the page in short fiction. However, effective telling allows the author to do more with less and get creative while staying within the scope of the format, and do so without having to add more words than necessary to provide the context that creates a complete story.
