The main feedback I received from my Bulgarian editor and International Booker Prize winner Georgi Gospodinov, was “give us a story”, highlighting a phrase or a sentence. To make a story out of a single phrase? He knew I had a stint in media long before I started writing fiction, and I guess the journalist in me was still providing brief summaries, and drawing conclusions. I had to re-write a lot of parts in Four Minutes, showing, and telling a story.
Sometimes though, the impact of a single sentence of telling—like a brief reflection or insight—could be more powerful than an entire paragraph of description. The challenge was knowing when to lean on each technique.
As writers, we’re often told to “show, not tell,” (which can be annoying at times), but the truth is, both showing and telling have their place. The trick is knowing when to use each. Overuse of either can weaken your writing—too much telling can make it feel flat, while too much showing can bog it down. Finding the balance is key to keeping your writing engaging, dynamic, and clear.
Here are five ways to balance showing and telling, along with practical exercises.
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