The Power of Showing versus Telling Showing vs

The Power of “Showing” versus “Telling”

Showing vs. Telling • "Telling" communicates facts • TELLING: All the kids knew that Lucinda was the meanest kid in the third grade. She was prissy and cute; she wore bows in her hair and shiny black shoes, and she thought that meant she could get away with anything. She never exactly scared me -- but for some reason she would always go out of her way to torment me. I wasn't one of the "cool" kids, and the few kids I knew were just the guys I played chess with during recess -- they weren't really friends. Plus, I was clumsy. So I was a good target. I was so miserable and lonely, I could hardly face going to class each day. That little girl made my life a living hell.

• "Showing" invites understanding • When she saw me, she stopped; her ponytail bobbed threateningly, and her eyes tracked me across the cafeteria. When the recess bell rang, I clutched my chess set and dashed to freedom, eager to win the daily tournament of outcasts. Of course, I tripped in front of the whole class. Tennis shoes and sandals stepped around me and over me as I scrambled after pawns and bishops. And there was Lucinda, waiting for me to notice her; she smiled, lifted her shiny patent-leather shoe, and slowly, carefully ground my white queen into the pavement.

Important Note • "Showing" involves more than a long list of adjectives. • Sometimes students misinterpret what I mean by "showing. " They put all kinds of adjectives in their writing, regardless of whether such details actually advance the story. • Instead, you should pick out only those details that matter.

How to know if you are SHOWING • Does the detail help establish or intensify the mood? • Does it define a character? • Does it clarify an action?

Practicing SHOWING • Dominant impressions are important to understand in order to SHOW an emotion or quality. • Writing so readers understand your dominant impression will help you understand how to SHOW instead of TELL

A reminder… The DOMINANT IMPRESSION of a piece is the single quality, mood or atmosphere the writer chooses to emphasize.

Directions • For each of the eight images: –Write the dominant impression of each image. –Write specific details from the picture that helps support that dominant impression.

Image 1

Image 2

Image 3

Image 4

Image 5

Image 6

Image 7

Image 8

Reflection • What is the difference between “telling” about a scene and “showing” a scene? • How would this have been different if I had told you about these pictures, rather than shown you? Would we have all seen the same picture in our heads? • What is the benefit of showing versus telling?