Tell is Show, Too

Some say show don't tell. And yes, this makes for a better story. There are stories that tell, and are famous, but for the most part it's better to show. It makes the story like a movie. 

Then there's that little loophole, sometimes it's ok to tell. 

Sure, ok. I mean, if there are stories that are pretty popular with telling in it, then why not? 

But I was thinking. 

So yeah, it's cool to put "telling" in your story, but is it technically still telling and not a different form of showing? 

Allow me to explain. 

There are ways of writing a scene that you aren't writing directions for a character, moving around chess pieces as I like to say. What the passages insinuate is something you see in your head. 

Off the bat I'll try to show examples. 

Instead of saying he picked up the fork, you can say the metal felt cold, hard, he jabbed at the beans, trying to get three on the tongs. They tasted yadda yadda. 

Perhaps a bad example, but I'm in a Cafe and tapping out my thoughts, so roll with it. 

So, theoretically, you see the second part more than just saying he picked up the fork (and ate his beans). Right? 

Well, all those parts were telling something. I told you the metal was cold, he jabbed at the beans, but it was showing you something. It read more entertaining than just saying simply what he did. 

Does this make sense or am I just nuts, let me know in the comments. 

But if you look at passages that read faster and put the story in your mind like a movie, you see that, yes, there are telling passages, but they are telling you in a show sort of way. 

Talk next time. 

WCM