LESSON The Art of Showing Versus Telling

fatalrendezvous

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This is something that I see a lot of writers struggle with, myself included.

"Show. Don't Tell."

This is a common phrase in the writing industry. We hear it all the time. But, I'm not sure we really, truly understand it. With good reason - it's hard! It's one of the most difficult concepts for writers and storytellers to grasp. When we do understand it though, it becomes an incredibly powerful tool. Being able to apply showing, not telling in our writing elevates us. Being able to know when to show and when to tell demonstrates mastery. Because, in fact, there ARE some situations where it IS better to tell than to show!

What is the difference between showing and telling?

It's easier to explain telling first, and then to explain showing.

Telling is exactly what it sounds like. When we tell, we are being matter-of-fact and concise. Telling is great for condensing long periods of storytelling into quick segments. You might use this to provide context, or to briefly remind a reader of something that happened previously. You could use telling to gloss over unimportant or boring portions of a story just so that the reader knows what happened without needing to re-hash the exact details or specifics to them. In some cases, we even use telling to disguise elements of a story that we don't want the readers to know happened just yet.

In this sense, telling does have its uses - so it's not always true that we need to show and not tell.

BUT! If you're in the middle of describing a story, which as roleplayers we most often are, telling rather than showing is usually bad! Why?

Because as writers, it's our job to evoke, not to explain; to demonstrate, not to inform.

This is where showing comes in.

Showing is the subtle art of being specific enough to help a reader form their own conclusions about something, rather than requiring us to force it upon them in a heavy-handed manner. It involves imagery, appealing to the senses - taste, touch, sight, smell, sound. It can involve using metaphor or simile. It involves being specific and descriptive. Showing can practically turn a story into music, because when you illustrate scenes that are vivid, they stick. They flow. Nobody wants to read an instruction manual. We want to read art!

Showing is descriptive, it's demonstrative. It paints a picture for the reader, allowing the readers to draw their own conclusions.

What do you mean letting the readers draw their own conclusions?

Consider this scenario: Two dudes are angry with each other and are about to get into a fight. Let's call them Alan (A) and Ben (B).

Here is an example of STRICT telling without showing:

Alan punched Ben.

Not a very interesting sentence, right? It's the kind of thing you would say to someone if they were to ask "Hey, what happened over there?" - you would reply matter-of-factly, Alan punched Ben. That's telling.

Here is a slightly better sentence:

Alan angrily threw a punch at Ben, blackening his eye.

Now, this is a decent sentence. It shows a little bit more, but it's still not really showing. It still tells us that Alan was angry. It still tells us that Ben got a black eye. Keep in mind, if this is your story and you're trying to move a narrative along, it's OKAY to use sentences like these occasionally, if Alan and Ben fighting isn't important to your story. But if these are your two primary characters, maybe two former best friends disagreeing over something critical, and the fight is the culmination of this growing tension you've been writing about since the beginning of the story, then you need to really sell it!

In an instance like that, you gotta really show. Show the reader through active language how angry Alan is. Describe the things that demonstrate his anger, rather than simply saying "he's angry." Explain the movements he makes, and the reactions they elicit. The reader is smart enough to understand that a punch just occurred. You don't have to tell it. Show it:

Alan fumed, his jaw clenched tight and muscles tense. His brown eyes narrowed, and for a few moments they had a laser focus; Ben had crossed the line the last time. Tightening his hand into a fist, Alan coiled back and released a vicious snarl as his fist cannoned forward. A sickening crunch resounded across the alleyway as knuckles impacted against flesh and cheek bone. Ben was hurled back, grasping at his face, groaning in agony and disdain. He slowly pulled his trembling hands off his eye, expecting to see them covered in blood. They were dry; but where Alan's fist had landed, Ben's otherwise fair skin had turned a darkening, throbbing purple.

If you check the writing, it's clear Alan punched Ben. It's clear it probably hurt like hell, and Ben's probably gonna have a black eye for weeks. This is what I mean when I talk about letting the readers draw their own conclusions. The writing doesn't have to explicitly tell you those things - you can infer them just from reading.

(This section has been drastically edited. You can view the old contents of this section below:)
Let me phrase it this way:

Let's say, hypothetically, that I were to tell you today that I am a highly trained and highly qualified professional assassin working for the government, and that I use my irresistible charm and quick wit to lure and subdue my targets. I might tell you that this is how I earned the moniker "Fatal Rendezvous." You might believe me, orrr... you might not.

If Fatal were a character in a story, that type of description might be the kind you see written in her bio. But it expressly tells the reader about Fatal, rather than showing the reader why those things are true. Granted, it tells it decently well - it's better than simply saying "Fatal is a really good assassin," but it still requires the reader to suspend disbelief. Just like you probably wouldn't believe me if I told you I was an assassin, don't expect your readers to take things at face value. Show them why those things are true instead.

But how can we show? Think about the specifics, the qualities that make her clearly such a badass. Show the reader, through her actions and how she presents herself, how awesome and how deadly she is. Use descriptors and setting-appropriate words to paint an image demonstrating her swiftness, her accuracy, her professionalism and possibly her sharp manner of dress. To show her charm you want to paint a picture of her attire, the sensuality of her movements, the attractiveness of her bodily features, her body language, etc.

You can still put the stuff in her bio, but if you don't show the reader how awesome the character is, the characters lose their luster and the narrative quickly falls flat.

Similarly, say you are on a dating website and are analyzing a person's profile. You can see a picture of them, sure, but everything else on the profile is simply stuff they are telling you. How do you know if that person is respectful, friendly, has a good sense of humor, is great with kids, and loves dogs? You can't KNOW because they've only told you. In order for you to believe it, they have to show you.

This applies for all aspects of your creative (and professional) writing. When you want to really draw your reader's attention to something, show how it happened, don't just tell the reader that it happened.

But how do I show rather than tell?

As roleplayers, we have a tendency to think from inside our character's head and to see from our character's eyes. In the above example with Alan and Ben, if Alan is our character, WE know he's angry, but your reader might not. Don't just give it to them at face value.

When you show rather than tell, you almost want to think about the scene from an outside perspective, almost as if it's a scene in a movie. What is Alan doing that demonstrates that he's angry? Mechanically, when he punches Ben, what is he doing with his body, or how is he doing it? What are the sounds, the sights? Showing involves detailing these things to paint a vivid picture for your reader.

Here are some signs you might be telling rather than showing:

1. You overuse forms of the verb "to be."
Words like is, are, was, were, am, had been, could have been, etc. These are words almost exclusively used for telling. If you notice something like "he was devastated by the news," remind yourself that this is explicitly telling. Describe the things that show his devastation. His body language, the way his body deflated into a defeated slump, his shoulders hunched forward and head down. Talk about the feelings he's experiencing, the weight of his chest sinking into the pit of his stomach, the helplessness as his dreams turn to ash and dust.

There are SOME exceptions, especially in the cases where you use metaphor or hyperbole to exaggerate something. Saying something like "his fist was a cannon" is not so bad, but just be aware whenever you notice forms of the verb "to be" in your writing.

2. You use the word "said."
I have no problem with "said" in everyday language. When you have a conversation with someone and you're recounting something you heard another person say, it's totally fine to use "said."

BUT IF YOU ARE WRITING, ELIMINATE "SAID" FROM YOUR VOCABULARY!

There are probably over a thousand different words you can use in place of "said" in your storytelling. Shouted. Sobbed. Cried. Rejoiced. Cheered. Snickered. Mumbled. Hissed.

Sometimes you don't even have to use it at all.

3. You overuse adverbs.
An occasional adverb is okay. Hurriedly, angrily, joyfully, sadly, slowly, purposefully, etc. Unlike with "said," I don't think adverbs should cease to exist in your writing, but if you overuse them, you are probably doing too much telling and not enough showing.

An adverb is exactly that - an adjective that describes a verb. If you're going to describe the verb in your writing, you may as well go the whole nine yards and describe the action itself. Rather than saying something like "he threw it angrily at the wall," we can be more descriptive and talk about how he hurled it, flung it, how it dented the drywall and how he huffed and turned his back on the damn thing to go do something else to clear his mind.

-----

Unfortunately, I can't provide direct help on how you show versus tell in every specific circumstance.

It is one of the hardest parts of writing to show rather than to tell, because writing in and of itself is a medium designed for telling. I would go as far as to say that the pursuit of showing and telling is lifelong; even history's greatest writers could have improved it.

The best advice I can give you is this: re-read your posts, but read them analytically and critically. Go through and look for areas where you are telling, and where you are showing.

If you are telling rather than showing:
Ask yourself whether you should be showing. Is it important? Is it an interaction that you want to highlight? Is it a chance for you to showcase the environment or to flesh out the reader's understanding of the world? and determine how you can show. Normally this is as simple as elaborating, but can also involve a lot of other literary techniques like simile, metaphor, hyperbole, and personification. If you need help with those, there are a few other guides here that can help you, and there is a wealth of information available on the internet!

If you are showing rather than telling:
Ask yourself if the scene is necessary for showing. WHY are you showing? How important is it? Is it significant enough for you to devote your time (and your reader's time) to something that could probably be described in a few words? If it IS that important, how can you show better? What other types of descriptions can you use? What additional information can you include?

Conclusion

Don't be afraid to be critical of your own work! This is one of the best ways for you to grow as a writer. If you can assess your own work critically, find flaws within it, and take steps to fix those flaws, you are already on track.

Look to other writers who you feel do a good job (professional or otherwise - maybe they're on Iwaku!) and analyze their work as well. Pick apart posts that you really love. What makes them great? What makes them not great? What could they have improved?

Being able to turn the medium of writing into an art form is, like I've said, a lifelong journey. But it's never too soon to start.
 
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I need more guidance in this, I have been told I do both and sometimes write flat and other people say I need to give less descriptions, others say I need more. I think I have a style but I would like guidance how to build on it.
 
I think a lot of the problem here is also with our need to justify why the character is taking a specific action. When people write bios, particularly complex ones especially, I think we have a tendency to feel written in a corner, afraid that others will feel like some of actions a character takes might feel out of character if that character isn't following the framework made in a bio at *all* times.

Showing is a much better and organic way of developing a character. However telling allows one to explain details and motivations for an action across maybe one instance of that particular action. Showing takes multiple repetitions and slowly reveals over the course of time the intricacies and nuances of a character's motivation.

And to be fair, given the fail rate of RPs. Not a lot of people get the chance to actually do that with characters.

But this may also be part of why RPs fail. To much space wasted on telling and handing the character to the reader on a silver platter instead of letting readers develop interests in the character and letting them find out over time.
 
Firstly, I would like to commend @fatalrendezvous for this clear, concise, and thought provoking lesson that cracks the door to a super deep and complex art within the school of writing.

So, ya..

Well done Fatal *clap clap*

Secondly, I would like to expand upon this idea even further. I am not going to ask permission either #dwigurllll.

So here we go:

As explained by Fatal, showing is the art of explaining a character, society, or world through the actions of whichever of the former you are describing. Alternatively, telling is the art of describing the former by plainly presenting the facts to the reader.

Showing, on the majority, offers a better read by forcing the reader to think for themselves and come to conclusions based on the events they are shown. This simultaneously forces the reader to invest in story through both curiosity (are the readers conclusions correct?) and commitment(the reader has spent time and energy to learn about your world, therefor, they are invested in it).

Telling, on the majority, lacks those elements and will often leave the reader dissatisfied.

Now, this is all and good but how does this apply to Role Playing? As many veterans are aware, writing and role playing are not one in the same. Yes, we need to write to participate in this rp medium and while skill with literature helps 'one liner' rps that don't require cs's and that allow random jump-in's function just as well as 'Adept' rps that have high writing and cs standards. One might go as far as to say that 'one liner' rps do even better in this medium then the aforementioned 'Adept' rp's.

It isn't even a 'might' or 'maybe'. I can say with absolute confidence that, in the majority, One-Liner/Jump-in Rp's will have longer life spans and more committed members then Adept rps. Aside from the usual 'laziness' excuse that many adept rpers use (I personally disagree with this 'laziness is the reason' idea). We can directly relate this to the 'No Show and Mo Tell Phenomenon' (as I have now dubbed it).

Note** I am, and will continue to, speak in generalities. I do not believe that all adept rp's will fail. I have personally experienced several adept rp's that have succeeded and outlived many a one liner rp. I am speaking from a majority standpoint based on my own personal opinion that has been formed based on a lifetime of participating in this medium of rp. #don'thatethethoerist

Ahem* back to it. The No Show and Mo Tell Phenomenon isn't really a phenomenon, we 'Adept' rper's have created a system that unintentionally cripples our chances of rp success. The main offender in this whole system would be the character sheet.

Why is that?

Because, the character Sheet is, by definition, nothing but a Tell. It completely illegitimizes a players right to building their character in a constructive and enjoyable way.

It has often been said, by many accomplished Writers, that character's write themselves. Entire book endings have been changed simply because a single character in a WIP novel decided to do his own thang without the author's permission. This abstract and ridiculous sounding idea is proof of 'show' in action. When you force your players to publicize the secret intricacies of their characters in a 'tell' and not a 'show' fashion, you simultaneously suck the fun out of writing for those characters. For everyone. The writer is afraid to experiment because their character is now defined and fully developed before the character has even had time to participate in the rp. The readers take little joy from reading post's about those characters because they already have a pretty good idea of what they will do, and if the character goes against that idea, the readers have a 100% justified reason to call out the writer for inaccurate representation of their character. This then increases the distress and slowly kills off interest until everyone leaves the rp.

I have seen this countless times, and have fallen victim to it myself countless more times.

So what do we do? While cs's do cause the illegitimization of the individual player and their freedom to participate and unveil their character in a 'Show' rather than 'Tell' manner, they are still extremely important in this medium, especially at advanced levels within it. For they offer clear definitions that are easily citable and helpful to both the GM and the players. (Who is Jimmy again? Oh, this 5 paragraph document tells me everything I need to know. Helpful.) Honestly the solution is rather simple however.

Take Cs's out of the public view. A character's cs should be a private document that is only seen by the creator of the character and the GM of the rp. Simultaneously, a GM should never include a player character for himself/herself in an rp they are Gming(This is an entirely separate discussion topic however, and I will not be covering the specifics behind it in this post.). How does this prevent loss of interest?

Well, it releases the writer from the shackles of a public cs. The writer is free to develop his/her player as he/she pleases. It also prevents other players from becoming bored with the other characters in an rp. Each character will evolve at a unique pace set by it's owner and creator. Interest will always self replenishing, because new things will always be uncovering and the players will be forced to have their characters adapt and respond to information as it is given to them.

However, there is an argument against this, but I am going to throw that out the window as well. Watch.


What if my character is a spymaster? or someone of fame? If I do not have a cs to communicate this through, how will I communicate it? How will I know if my character has any knowledge of the other characters in the rp? how will the other players know if their characters have any knowledge of my own character?

The safest way to avoid this problem is to avoid characters that bring this problem to the table. Assume that your character and all other characters know nothing of each other and you will very easily overcome this issue. Also, if you are unsure about something that has been 'shown' to you, a quick pm to the owner of the character will easily rectify that misunderstanding or lack there of.

If you absolutely NEED to play a spy master, someone famous, or some kind of character that will bring up this issue then take responsibility. A role playing group is a team, a good team can only exist in a system with good communication. Post in the OOC and inform your fellow players that your character is famous and let them in on what your character is famous for. Only you can know how much information is enough to clear up confusion without causing lack of interest do to too much 'telling'.

So in short, the OOC should be for Telling while the IC should be for Showing, but you should never Show what you have already Told and vise versa. It is up to you however, to properly balance what you Tell and what you Show.

Mind you, this is not an easy task. It is called High level RP'ing for a reason. You will only develop this skill through practice. However this skill is yours to develop. Never should a GM force you to Tell or Show. That goes against the player's right to write and will only plant seeds disinterest while stunting a players growth as a writer and rper.

In conclusion:

Gm's; Never force you player to show or tell, rely on them to efficiently balance what they show and what they tell. If they are struggling with this however, offer your assistance. It is your job to guide and develop you players and you can't do that if you don't offer help.

Players; Practice you Show and Tell's. Only you know the perfect balance for your character. Every character has a unique balance because every character is unique. Also, respect your fellow player's and their right to do this same thing. Never describe the reactions of other character's. Let them react individually. Finally, do not forget to communicate, you are never at fault simply if you are unsure about what you are being shown. Only your fellow players know what is going on in their character's mind. If you ask them to clarify, they should be more then willing, just as they would expect you too be.

Everyone; A Role playing group is a team, only through communication and the proper balance of Showing and Telling will it thrive and prosper. If you truly want your rp to prosper, then you will have to work hard at all of these things. Only you can make success in your rp's.
 
I need more guidance in this, I have been told I do both and sometimes write flat and other people say I need to give less descriptions, others say I need more. I think I have a style but I would like guidance how to build on it.
Feel free to clarify what you think your issues are in a pm, I would love to offer you advice.
 
One might go as far as to say that 'one liner' rps do even better in this medium then the aforementioned 'Adept' rp's.
I must object to your word choice here. One-liner RPs may last longer, they may have a higher number of posts, but they do not "do better" than adept RPs.

That's like saying that- because you can eat more if you go out in your backyard and shovel dirt down your throat compared to staying in the kitchen and spending three hours cooking a luxurious but small meal- that eating dirt results in you being "better fed."

Gm's; Never force you player to show or tell, rely on them to efficiently balance what they show and what they tell.
How, exactly, do you think that GMs are currently doing this and need this advice in order to stop? How would that even look, for a GM to force a player to show or to tell instead of letting them write with whatever balance they choose? I've never seen a GM say 'whoa whoa whoa, that backstory was too evocative, give me the police report-style simple fact-stating overview.'
 
I must object to your word choice here. One-liner RPs may last longer, they may have a higher number of posts, but they do not "do better" than adept RPs.

That's like saying that- because you can eat more if you go out in your backyard and shovel dirt down your throat compared to staying in the kitchen and spending three hours cooking a luxurious but small meal- that eating dirt results in you being "better fed."
By Do better my intention was to mean 'be more successful'. Not only that, but it seems to me that you are trying to say that one liner rp's are less valuable then adept rp's. Which is presumptuous and closed minded. One Liner Rp's are enjoyed by one type of role player while adept rps are enjoyed by another. Both can have depth and both are of equal value. At the end of the day, I was speaking generally and out of my own experience, as I stated in my post.
How, exactly, do you think that GMs are currently doing this and need this advice in order to stop? How would that even look, for a GM to force a player to show or to tell instead of letting them write with whatever balance they choose? I've never seen a GM say 'whoa whoa whoa, that backstory was too evocative, give me the police report-style simple fact-stating overview.'
You have taken this statement out of context. I am primarily using the extensiveness of Character sheets to describe this. In many adept rp's extensive and fleshed out public character sheets are a requirement and the character sheet medium is, in essence, a telling medium. By requiring players to post these sheets publicly and in such depth gm's are unintentionally forcing their players to showcase the majority of character development in a telling medium. ?I then, in my post, went on to say that maybe the reason one liner and jump in rps, on the average, see a longer life span, and more dedicated players is because of this.

Again this is a hypothesis formed by my own experiences in my 5 year long roleplaying career. I am not stating this as a fact, I am only saying 'huh, maybe this is why more in depth rps tend to die off.' You can disagree with that, and that is fine. Just keep in mind that if you wish to have an intelligent and constructive discussion about this I would request that you not just take snips of my statements and make them seem declarative in an out of context state :).

I hope I answered your questions, if not I'd love to continue this conversation in pm.
 
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Just keep in mind that if you wish to have an intelligent and constructive discussion about this I would request that you not just take snips of my statements and make them seem declarative in an out of context state :).
Yeah gee, quoting what you said, how dishonest of me. That was not out of context, it was literally what you said immediately after "In conclusion." You don't "went on to say" anything after your conclusion so saying that I'm taking you out of context is dishonest at best.

You haven't, and seem unwilling, to answer my question. Just because a complex character sheet is a requirement is never in any way a GM forcing a player to stick to one side of the show vs. tell divide. A player can very well include a lengthy background that shows who their character is and how they got that way and what they're like now, without ever laying out in explicit detail facts about their character.

You seem to be blaming the medium for the shortcomings of some of those who operate within it.
Which is presumptuous and closed minded.




Okay, so after a private message exchange with an unnamed member who I won't directly quote, we got down to the heart of the issue. At its core, the problem was a desire to get to know a character organically throughout the development of the RP and not all at once up front in the form of a character sheet.

And as I replied, that's an completely reasonable stance and a good discussion to be having, but it has absolutely nothing to do with the matter of Show vs. Tell, and that by dragging it into this it merely muddies the waters on this topic.

Character sheets can be done using Show, or using Tell, and I've never seen it specified which- it is always up to the player. Character sheets themselves having nothing to do with that divide and should not be called into question based on this paradigm.
 
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Gorgeous guide, Fatal - I've always had a struggle in this area when it comes to RP, cause I like to be REALLY REALLY clear about what I'm writing. It's all a balance, certainly, because TOO much description can be a little difficult to trudge through, as well. I appreciate that you've managed to find a way to put that balance into words :)
 
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Nice read. And reading your example of 'irresistible charm', 'quick wit', and 'very clever' are characteristics I often despise. People often use this, but their characters doesn't reflect the attitudes they show. Like, it is not really charming if a character goes to hit on another on first meeting and without any chitchat, that is cheating. The only possibility one could charm that way is if magic is involved.

Usually I avoid these characteristics and instead do something like 'avid reader' and 'observant' instead. As if my character is really witty? That is up to the reader and RP partner to decides.
 
Nice read. And reading your example of 'irresistible charm', 'quick wit', and 'very clever' are characteristics I often despise. People often use this, but their characters doesn't reflect the attitudes they show.
Exactly. There is a certain element of knowledge involved, too - I hate to say this, but a person who doesn't have an ounce of charisma in their bones isn't going to write a very charismatic character very well, simply because they can't create the genuine sense of interest and engagement.

I have no problem with someone using characteristics or descriptions like that, as long as they can back them up in writing.
 
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I usually don't have much of a problem showing and not telling in roleplay, save for my reliance on metaphors to help detail how something looks if I can't think up of the wording to actually explain something. I never knew some people had such a negative thought on character sheets, though and that's telling and not showing. I guess I just focus so hard on there being a framework with which to base your showing, and to make sure that the players can actually plot together without stepping on each other's toes or something along those lines.

I don't know, it seems like no matter what conclusion I reach the answer's always wrong.
 
I feel those who have a history in combat roleplay have a tendency to tell too often. There is power in being able let go of your rigid view of the world. Readers will come to different conclusions to you about the placement of items and characters in the environment, basing these things on what they have seen or have experience in.

We sometimes tell things in order to make them more specific. We also tell things because showing takes more time and words to get out the same concept. If you write things in a way that allows the reader to decide the geometery of a scene, you may just save yourself a lot of effort and showing can be become as fast a telling. A lot of the time it will be easier than telling, since you only need to provide half the cues!​
 
So here is an interesting conundrum. Does this mean we can't have a clever or charming character if we in real life are neither charming nor clever? Also at what point does giving descriptive detail become defining the story for other people or obnoxiously slow?
 
So here is an interesting conundrum. Does this mean we can't have a clever or charming character if we in real life are neither charming nor clever? Also at what point does giving descriptive detail become defining the story for other people or obnoxiously slow?
I know this is a SUPER late response to your post, but that is a very good question and I want to answer it!

I suppose it's a bit of a stretch for me to say that a person who isn't charismatic in real life can't write a charismatic character. That's not entirely true. But a person who doesn't understand how charisma works is going to have a very difficult time writing a charismatic character.

If you understand the things which make a person charismatic or charming, or if you understand the ways in which a person can be clever, the ways they behave, the ways they think, react, talk, then yes you can still write a character this way and have it be convincing.

Ultimately the important thing about showing versus telling is the way you phrase, the way you describe. There's a lot that goes into that - word choice, pacing, etc.

The best way to prevent it from becoming obnoxiously slow is to figure out what details are actually important for you to spend your time (and your reader's time) describing to them. How important is it? Do you want/need for it to make an impact on your reader? For example, in a regular scene, you don't need to go into excessive detail describing what a character is wearing. You can tell that.

Dark blue jeans, a loose-fitting grey shirt, and a worn and faded red baseball cap with her ponytail pulled through the back.

Something like that is sufficient for telling. In fact, for telling, that might even be too much.

But if that character is getting married, for example, THEN you show. You talk about the way her hair cascades down across the ornate ivory-colored laces of her gown, the way her footsteps seem to allow her to glide effortlessly despite the obstructive layers of clothing. You talk about her stunning smile, and the exact shade of her eyes when they're misted over with emotion.

Like I mentioned, knowing when to show and when to tell is crucial.
 
I usually don't have much of a problem showing and not telling in roleplay, save for my reliance on metaphors to help detail how something looks if I can't think up of the wording to actually explain something. I never knew some people had such a negative thought on character sheets, though and that's telling and not showing. I guess I just focus so hard on there being a framework with which to base your showing, and to make sure that the players can actually plot together without stepping on each other's toes or something along those lines.

I don't know, it seems like no matter what conclusion I reach the answer's always wrong.

(Sorry ahead of time, this got super long, but I hope it helps you out since you seem to be struggling with a few things. If not, then you can take whatever from this. ^-^ Anyone else that reads this, I hope it helps and this certainly isn't the "right" way or the "only" way. Just an idea if anyone feels lost within the whole show/tell when it comes to within rps and character sheets.)

My rule of thumb for character sheets in general is to explain facts and show personality through backstory. The facts are all the things that involve species detail if need be and general society norms that they might have grown up with if it's not obvious. That's the 'structure', the 'framework' that I put around my characters. If I have a character based in feudal Japan, I don't have to put more than that since people can easily look up or deduce what feudal Japan was like. If I have a character based in a fictional place in a fictional world, I will set up similarities that people can understand if there are any. So if the kingdom is a mix of ancient Rome and ancient Egypt, I'll put that and expand by saying that the people live in a desert (like Egypt) but are also very militaristic (like Rome). That already brings certain things to mind without me having to go into too much detail. The further away from reality or the established world that the character is thrust into, the more expansions are needed to flesh out the world the character originates from. These are hard facts that can't be debated or explained away. This also helps start the process of thought. A person in a desert will value water and maybe not metal because it's hot. Their clothes would be a certain way because of the temperature. A militaristic society values certain traits so their view of others and themselves will be colored by that. Once I get the framework down, I go into how they grew up starting where they were born (or created). I put a small detail of parentage. Then I go from there. Vagueness at the start to show that they were too young to remember a lot of these details outside of the facts. As I go along, I get more detailed. By the time their teenagers, they have more memories of what happened to them. If I have it where they have always clung to their mother as a child, then people can infer some emotional feedback if their mother approved/disapproved of something they did as a teenager. I don't have to say "they felt sad" or "they felt mad". Why? Because when that topic does come up in the rp, I have my character show the remembered emotion(s) through their reaction of remembering it and possibly how they try to hide it. I have a character that hides pretty much every emotion behind anger to a point that I found a youtube video that talked about Jack Nicholson and all the ways he portrayed anger and showed it to a friend of mine and they immediately thought of my character because of all the ways he hides all his emotions behind anger. I hide the nuance within a tell. Like playing poker. Did I really tell you everything? Or do you just think I did? My major rule of thumb and something I think a lot of people don't seem to understand is that a character sheet is a snapshot! It only ever displays how a character is at the beginning of an rp. It will not always stay the same because people change, characters change.

I think that's another thing that affects people's ability to balance show vs tell and that's character development. Yeah, your character can start off as a heartless killer but the experiences within the rp will change that character. That's why I will always allow people to update their character sheets and put in major life changes that happen within the rp to show why something might not be the same or possibly why the character treats another character in a certain way. Maybe that heartless killer lost a sibling and met a character that reminded them so much of that sibling. Over time, maybe they learned to let go of that trauma and grew close to that other character. Maybe that other character helped to soften them. That's fine. Can it still take awhile for someone who appears shady or has no connection to anyone they know and trust to be close to said character? Yes, but that doesn't mean that it will take as long as it used to. I've noticed a lot of people get stuck on the "My character is ___" as a hard fact that can never and should never change, instead of "My character is ____ right now" or "My character might appear to be ____" or something along those lines. I always tell people to have their character have a motivation, a general vague motivation. That could be something as "being the best". This is the same 'angry' character I mentioned before. He always wants to be the best and that shows itself in many different ways that explore many different emotions and actions. When in military mode, he's a brilliant strategist, tactics helped by me reading The Art of War and using that knowledge to flavor him. When in friend mode, he defines being a great friend as being loyal and listening to your friend's needs and since he's "the best listener", he should always be able to fulfill his friend's needs. When in boyfriend mode, even though he's a womanizer when single, he knows that the best boyfriend doesn't dare cheat on his partner and makes sure that his partner is happy and feels supported in anything and everything they do. Yeah, he sounds like an arrogant jerk because he boasts all the time but people can see the layers to his basic motivation and all the incarnations through his actions. And what happens when he feels like he wasn't the best? He hides his shame in anger and even has moments where he pushes people away because who would want anything less than the best? A stated told motivation can be shown in various ways. Of course, that motivation can change overtime and through interactions.

As far as using a lot of metaphors, the best thing to do if you see that as a topic to improve on is look up various forms of figure of speech and read good examples of those different forms of writing. Research/reading helps with showing off a character in more ways than just the character sheet. I personally like to put my headspace in the same as my character. How do they see the world and how do they see a certain object. Maybe they infuse some personality to a defiant strand of hair. Maybe they describe it as looking smug. Maybe their thoughts are very sarcastic so when they are looking at that strand of hair, their thoughts a like "Yeah, I always wanted the Eiffel Tower on the top of my head". The best way to get better in that department is to read and find your own voice and style. I end up making people laugh because my angry character can come off as being a giant buffoon of a man child all by his train of thought and the hilarious faces he ends up making because of it. People can see the hilarious goofball underneath in a given situation by the way I have his train of thought be distinctly his. Like how manly he thinks he is or wants to think he is. Classifying hugs a "manly" or not. His frustrations when he thinks about why people say indigo instead of blue because that color is clearly blue. There are even moments when I put sounds like "Bam!" or "Boom!" to show how he's mentally stamping approval or some sort of finality onto things like he has a mental military stamp, even if the situation isn't as clear cut. I wouldn't worry too much when detailing things, as long as it's true to how the character might detail them. If a character would use a ton of metaphors, then use a ton of metaphors. ^-^

That's my best advice for all that. It'll take time but it'll come to you. I've been rping for about 18 years now (on various other sites) so I will definitely tell you that it doesn't happen overnight but as long as you keep trying, you'll be fine. If you have a coherent backstory that you don't change every 5 seconds with a character that has strengths and weaknesses, of which they have a hard time overcoming, and your character evolves overtime even if they don't overcome said weaknesses, then you're on the right track and don't let anyone tell you that you're doing it "wrong". I believe that any well defined character can be incorporated into any rp as long as everyone is willing to work together and find common ground. Everyone has to place the bricks to build the bridge and be willing to explore the ups and downs and all the rest of the chaos that comes with character growth and development. Showing vs telling isn't always about not doing one over the other. Sometimes it's using one for the other or even using both to show a deeper layer. As long as you're willing to keep trying, you're doing something right. I hope this helps. It's certainly not the only way to go about things or the "right" way to go about things but it's an idea for people who need some place to start. ^-^
 
I made some updates and revisions to this guide! Hopefully this should now be much clearer than it was before.
 
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