✍️Creative Writing·15 min·Sample Lesson

Show, Don't Tell: Making Words Come Alive

Imagine a friend says, "The dog was sad." Now imagine they say, "The dog put its nose on the floor and made a little whine." Which one made you SEE the dog? The second one! That little trick is called SHOW, DON'T TELL. Instead of just telling us a feeling, you show us what it looks like. Good writers do this all the time to make their stories come alive.

What You'll Learn

- What it means to "show" instead of just "tell" - How to use your five senses to add details - How to turn a plain sentence into a story sentence

Telling Words vs. Showing Words

A TELLING sentence gives you the fact fast: "It was cold." A SHOWING sentence lets you feel it: "My fingers turned pink and my breath made little clouds." Both are okay! But showing pulls your reader right into the story, like they are standing next to you.

Use Your Five Senses

When you write, ask: What did I SEE? HEAR? SMELL? TASTE? TOUCH? Even one sense detail makes your writing pop, like adding sprinkles to ice cream.

A Quick Example

TELLING: "The pizza was good." SHOWING: "The cheese stretched into long strings, and the warm crust crunched when I took a bite." See how the second one made your mouth water? That is the power of showing!

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Which sentence SHOWS instead of tells?

Match each TELLING sentence to a SHOWING sentence that means the same thing.

Terms

She was happy.

The room was messy.

He was scared.

It was hot.

Definitions

Toys and socks covered every inch of floor.

She jumped up and clapped her hands.

His knees shook and he hid under the blanket.

Sweat dripped down my nose.

Drag terms onto their definitions, or click a term then click a definition to match.

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What is a good question to ask to help you SHOW?

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Turn a Telling Into a Showing

1. Start with this telling sentence: "The playground was fun." 2. Close your eyes and picture a playground. What do you SEE (a red slide?), HEAR (kids laughing?), or FEEL (warm sun?). 3. Write ONE new sentence that SHOWS the fun using at least one sense detail. 4. Draw a little picture next to it. Share your showing sentence with a grown-up and see if they can guess the feeling!

Flashcards — click each card to reveal the answer

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