How Telling Slips Into Your Narrative
I’m almost 100% positive that you’ve heard the writing advice “show, don’t tell” before. It’s one of the most annoying bits of writing advice out there.
But why?
Because it’s ambiguous and the amount of telling almost always depends on the book you’re writing.
The amount of Telling ‘Allowed’ Depends on Narrative Distance
Narrative distance describes the space between the novel’s narrator and the reader.
The closer and deeper connected we are to the narrator, the narrative distance is minuscule. You’ll often feel as if you’re experiencing the story as the narrator or at least seeing everything through their eyes.
The further away we feel from the narrator, like we’re looking at the story world from above, the narrative distance is wider.
So, think of telling as a sliding scale.
Closer narratives, like first person and third person limited, are less forgiving when telling slips in. The deeper the character's point-of-view and the closer the narrative distance, the more we need to show.
Do You Explain Too Much?
Whenever you stop to explain why a character is doing what they’re doing, or how something came to be, that’s likely telling.
Explaining things to your readers takes away your story’s tension and comes from the fear that readers won’t understand what you’re saying.
Remember: Readers are smarter than we think.
Anytime a writer feels the need to explain (or overexplain), they haven’t laid enough groundwork for that reason to be clear.
Flat Description Is Also Telling
If you’re using description to explain what something or someplace looks like that can come off as telling to the reader. Especially when it’s not filtered through your character’s perspective.
Think of how we take in our surroundings in real life. We rarely see or notice things that aren’t relevant to us. That’s why eyewitnesses aren’t the best type of witnesses—we don’t take in everything.
Here’s an example:
Telling: The grass was green.
Showing: The grass was the exact same color as his eyes.
What’s the difference here? We’re filtering the color of the grass through a character who has a crush on a male character with green eyes. It provides context.
Sneaky Character Interiority
Yes, telling can even slip into your character’s internal thoughts.
Usually, this happens when a character is thinking about what they’re about to do or going to do next.
Example:
She knew she’d have to walk the dog tonight.
He realized she’d never go on a date with him, but he had to ask.
Let your characters do the thing you want them to do without prefacing it.
The good news about interiority telling? It’s the easiest fix—all you have to do is cut it out.
Sometimes Telling is Okay
Telling is a valid technique, especially when you think showing will drag down the pacing of your story, eliminate tension, or simply bore your readers.
If showing will detract from the scene or draw attention away from what’s important, then opt for telling.
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