The document discusses the writing technique of "Show, Don't Tell" which means giving readers details about characters' actions, thoughts, senses and feelings rather than just describing them. It provides examples of showing traits like honesty and foolishness through a character's actions and dialogue rather than simply stating them. The document encourages writers to use sensory language, metaphors, specific details and other techniques to allow readers to experience a scene rather than just being told about it.

1. “Show, Don’t Tell”

2. “Show, Don’t Tell”
This is an old saying that means give the
readers actions, thoughts, senses, and
feelings rather than simple descriptions.
NO:
Mr. Smith was a
fat, grouchy old
man.
YES:
Mr. Smith heaved his
heavy frame out of the
armchair, and while
trying to reach for his
cane, grumbled,
“Suzan! Get yourself
over here now!”

3. “Show, Don’t Tell”
How do you do this?
Actionsspeak louder than words: show your
characters doing something, and let your reader decide
what kind of person the character is.
NO:
My father
was an
honest
man.
YES:
When the cashier handed my mom a hundred
dollar bill instead of a ten, she smiled, placed the
change in her wallet and walked over to tell dad
and I how lucky she had just been. Dad let out a
painful sigh, walked back to the cashier, and
removing a hundred dollar bill from his own wallet,
said, “you gave my wife too much change.”

4. Try It:
Describe an Action that shows that this
character, Pip, is foolish:
Pip
“Foolish” means that you are
lacking is good judgement (you
make dumb choices!)
Examples of other personality traits:
joyful - greedy - organized - compassionate
sociable - inconsiderate - mean - brave
loving - controlling - ambitious - shy - funny
clever - creative - wild - serious - loyal

5. “Show, Don’t Tell”
How do you do this?
Dialogueallows the reader
to experience a scene as if they were
there. Dialogue can teach your reader a
great deal about character, emotion and mood.
Instead of telling the reader your mom was angry, they
can hear it for themselves:
“Justin Michael,” mom bellowed, “Get in here this
instant!”

6. Try It:
Write Dialogue that shows that this character
is nervous about something:
Pip
I am so nervous!

7. “Show, Don’t Tell”
How do you do this?
Sensory Language.In order for
readers to fully experience what you’re writing about,
they need to be able to see, hear, taste, smell and
touch the world around them.
Try to use language that
incorporates several
senses, not just sight.
“Ugh, I hate when the sour
taste of sweat drips into my
mouth during practice.”

8. Try It:
Write Sensory Language that shows
this character meeting a human for the first time:
See
What does the human look like? What
does the setting look like?
Hear
What does Pip hear? What does the
human’s voice sound like?
Smell
What does the human smell like? What
other smells are in the room?
Taste
Should Pip be tasting the human?! Does
the human taste anything?
Touch
When the human shakes Pip’s hand for
the first time, what does it feel like?

9. “Show, Don’t Tell”
How do you do this?
Use a metaphor/simile.These
tools create an interesting or unexpected image for the
reader. If your protagonist is stealthy, you could use a
simile about a falling leaf: “She landed under the
window like a leaf that had fallen from a tree.”
“Our new puppy restlessly wandered around the
house, his nails clicking over the wood floor like tap-
dancing beetles.”

10. Try It:
Write a Simile that shows what it is like when
Pip’s battery is running low.
When my battery is
running low, it is like
______________________.
Complete the sentence by comparing
Pip’s experience to something else:

11. “Show, Don’t Tell”
How do you do this?
Be specific.Add more details to your story.
This will fill in the gaps in the reader’s understanding of
events. Think of what questions your reader will ask
about your writing.
NO:
Aiden went to
see a musical.
YES:
Because a friend told him that
“seeing a musical is the thing
to do in London,” Aiden found
himself standing inside the
front door of the Foxwoods
Theater…

12. Try It:
Add Specific Details to this sentence
about Pip’s first visit to Earth.
When Pip arrived on Earth, he
stepped out of his spaceship and
walked out into a field.
Hmm. This is not very specific. What
kind of space ship was it? Where did
the ship come from? What was Pip
thinking at this moment? What did the
field look like?

13. Warning!
“Show, don’t tell” is NOT about adding
as many adjectives as possible to your
sentences.
NO:
Emily slowly sat on the
scratched, worn-leather
couch that was situated
in the left corner of her
tiny, sparsely-decorated
living room.
NO:
The quick brown fox
jumps over the lazy dog.

14. Warning!
Rather than saying “show, don’t tell,” we
should say this:
“Show as much as you can, tell as little
as you can.”
Why? Because it’s impossible to “show”
all the time. Sometimes, you will need to
directly tell the reader what’s on your
mind.

15. Open your class writing journal.
Date it August 26, #2
Title: “‘Show, Don’t Tell’ Challenge”
Activity:
I will give you a character…and you must
SHOW readers what your character’s
personality is like using: description of
the character’s actions, dialogue,
sensory language, metaphor/simile,
or specific details.

16. Show, Don’t Tell:
Show readers
the
personality
of this
character