show, don't tell
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English
[edit]Alternative forms
[edit]Pronunciation
[edit]Proverb
[edit]- Advice to writers: convey an impression by the way that events are described in the narrative, and not by explicitly stating facts.
- 1999, Kendall Haven, Write Right!: Creative Writing Using Storytelling Techniques, Bloomsbury, page 186:
- The second flaw is a flagrant violation of “show, don't tell.” Don't tell readers that she's sad and he's mad. Show the reader what they do. Worst of all, don't do both!
- 2015 October 21, Dana Barbuto, “Review: Aaron Sorkin makes ‘Steve Jobs’ work”, in Northwest Herald[1]:
- In “Steve Jobs,” Oscar-winning writer Aaron Sorkin “Sorkins” the hell out of an unconventional adaptation of Walter Isaacson’s best-selling biography by daring to break the cardinal rule of show don’t tell.
Translations
[edit]Advice
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