If you cannot take an acting class or get into a community theatre project, then do the next best thing: imagine it.

Imagine yourself as the character you are writing and pretend you are on stage. You feel grief, because your husband has just died. Do you tell the audience of your grief, describing the pain you feel? You can’t, because you’re acting and that isn’t in your lines. So, how do you communicate what you’re feeling to the audience? Through action, of course. But what kind? An expression, a sound, the way you stand, the way you walk, in body language? Describe those actions in written words.

And voilà! You have just shown your reader, instead of telling them.

This also applies to character personality. On stage, you don’t get to describe a person’s personality to the audience. But you can show it in your action, your tone, and your body language. For instance, say your character is a snob. You throw your nose in the air and behave as though everyone on stage is beneath you. You never once tell the audience that you are a snob (the word isn’t even mentioned), but the audience understands it anyway.

Again, sorry, but I wanted to add those two points. I simply couldn’t resist. Hope everybody is having fun and happy writing!

Not unless you want to be booed off the stage or in a satirical comedy.

No, if you are playing the part of your character, you SHOW you are heart-broken by falling to your knees, and allowing a single tear to drop. Then, as though that single tear broke a dam in your soul, you collapse forward and bury your face in your hands, and cry your heart out.

Thus, that should be what you write. Don’t stop the scene and talk at your audience! Share emotion with them through action, tone, and word choice (a benefit a writer gets that an actor does not as they have previously written lines to read).

That is why I believe all writers should try acting and all actors should try writing. The two careers feed off each other so crucially. All books have actors (also known as characters), and all actors have a story to tell (also known as a script). This isn’t the only benefit to be had from acting, but it is a highly useful one.

Anyway, hope somebody finds that useful. Just thought I’d share my opinion on the way show, don’t tell should be taught. Have a wonderful day everyone!

Thank you for the post. It helps me breathe life into the stuff I write.

But I do find this article extremely helpful!
Thanks!

The admonition to “Show don’t tell” is a guideline. It is not a law and it is not to be taken as one hundred percent absolute. Good writing needs some telling as well as showing. The narrative as well as the imagery are vital to crafting a well-rounded story. The key is in balance.