The Handy ‘Show, Don’t Tell‘

Worksheet
www.ridethepen.com/show-dont-tell/

If you wonder how you can show something, always ask yourself:
How do I notice she is quick/he is happy/it is big…?

1. Use Details
No: It was a spooky house. Yes: The house had dark windows,
shattered lanterns, a doorway covered in cobwebs, and an overgrown
path leading up to it.
2. Signs You are Telling
Adjectives (big, old, high…) and any form of the word “to be.” E.g. “she
was beautiful, he was impatient…”
3. Use Nouns and Verbs
Nouns and verbs force you to describe.
No: He was a grumpy man (adjective). Yes: He rarely talked, and when
he saw the kids playing, he just let out a grunt.
4. Use Senses
No: It was a lush garden. Yes: It was a garden with wild red and orange
flowers, and a thick, sweet smell.
5. Dialogue Lines are Always Showing
That’s because they are reflecting what’s happening in the scene,
moment-by-moment; it’s the character talking, not the author.
6. Be Careful with Dialogue Tags; They Often Tell
It is better to express the way a character is talking with the dialogue line
and with body language; No: …she said jokingly. Yes: …she laughed
and slapped his arm.
 Examples
A. Show, don’t tell descriptions
Don’t do it like this: Tessa was a lovely lady.
Do it like this: In came Tessa. She nodded politely in all directions, and
it seemed like she acknowledged every single person with a warm smile,
directed at them personally.

B. Show, don’t tell emotions

Don’t do it like this: Roger was bored.
Do it like this: Roger’s foot was tapping a steady rhythm onto the
ground, and later he started doodling on a sheet of paper. It seemed to
him like the hour would never pass.

C. Show, don’t tell activities

Don’t do it like this: Henrietta ate a lot that day.
Do it like this: That day, Henrietta ate chicken with vegetable risotto, a
huge bowl of mixed salad, fries, and three slices of that chocolate biscuit
cake she just couldn’t resist.

D. Show, don’t tell setting/mood

Don’t do it like this: The waterfall looked majestic.
Do it like this: The waterfall was 300 feet/100 meters high, and the
cascade dropped down from the sharp cliff with roaring thunder.
 ‘Show, Don’t Tell’ Exercises

The following snippets are telling the reader in an ugly way. Re-write
them, so they show instead:

The tour guide looked trustworthy.

Mandy was a frail girl.
Charley looked like a violent guy.
Harry was clumsy.

The inside of the bus was very comfortable.

It was a big, shabby dog.
The pajamas were cheesy.

Michael felt intimidated. All the other guests seemed to know each other.
Andy felt tired after playing soccer for two hours.

Ryan went to complain at the register.

Adrian tiptoed around the house to not wake anybody up.
Laura dived deep into the water.

The mansion looked uninhabited.

The lake was peaceful.
The hospital was hectic.
Mini-scenes:
Rita was a math teacher. She always made the lessons fun for the kids.
When she taught, the kids were actually interested in learning math.

Mark was a backpacker, and it was his first time in Paris. He was excited
when he stepped up the many steps to the top of the Eiffel Tower. The
view up there was breathtaking.

The restaurant was really crowded. Uncle Albert and Aunt Jeanny had
been waiting for a table for twenty minutes, and were starting to get
impatient. It was a really upscale restaurant.

Have fun!
And if you want, send me your exercise to alex@ridethepen.com

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