Post #2004526
2026-03-25 18:45 UTC
@NicolasConstant Oh, absolutely. As a reader, I also like when the author gives me space to notice things on my own and to figure them out. I try to provide this as an author too, but that "show, don't tell" used to send me spiraling. Where does showing stop and telling start, if all the action is always only writing? I was relieved to discover the original quote :)
Replies (1)
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@NicolasConstant@cosocial.ca 2026-03-25 20:09
@iwritelike surely knowing the roots of some idea is useful. 🙂 On my side, I always saw this advice in a very basic way: the "tell" being a bit like how a political activist would talk to you "those are the good guys, those are the bad guys". The "show" is more like creating a believable situation that would illustrate those good and bad guys but without you stating it directly. So that the reader may (and should) converge to the same conclusion by themselves.