Show, don't tell. Those three little words represent the most important rule in writing. Anton Chekhov, one the greatest short story authors in history, once said, "Don't tell me the moon is shining, show me the glint of light on broken glass." When you show how a character feels, you help readers imagine your story, and that will make your story seem much more real.
Each of the sentences below describes how the character Alicia felt. Click the sentence that actually shows how she felt.
| Alicia was really angry as she entered the house. | No, this sentence tells how Alicia felt when she entered the house. |
| Alicia stomped into the house and slammed the door. | Yes! This sentence shows how Alicia felt when she entered the house. |
Think you get the idea? Here's a chance to practice. For each of the sentence pairs below, drag the word shows to the sentence that shows what the character does, rather than tells.
|
Shows
|
Lori felt terrible that she had hurt Sarah's feelings.
Lori found that she could no longer look Sarah in the eye.
|
That is correct.
You should review this topic.
|
Shows
|
Wade sat alone at the end table, picking at his food.
Wade was terribly sad.
|
That is correct.
You should review this topic.
|
Shows
|
Kim practically danced on his bike pedals.
Kim felt elated as he pedaled along.
|
That is correct.
You should review this topic.
|
Shows
|
Jenna told Ted that she was annoyed with him.
Jenna chewed Ted out, her voice harsh.
|
That is correct.
You should review this topic.
|
Shows
|
I heard Gram in the kitchen muttering oaths under her breath as she slammed cabinet doors shut.
Gram was furious about the situation.
|
That is correct.
You should review this topic.
|
Shows
|
Susi was delighted to see Ben.
Laughing and crying, Susi hugged Ben.
|
That is correct.
You should review this topic.
Complete
