Jan 4, 2015 / Advanced

“The glint of light on broken glass”

Inspiration on how to show, not tell.

Not only did Chekhov dispense great writing advice, he was a sharp dresser, too.

Not only did Chekhov dispense great writing advice, he was a snappy dresser, too.

In college, my writing professors shared a constant refrain: “show, don’t tell.” I had a hard time grasping this nuance of writerly advice until I discovered a quote by Anton Chekhov — a Russian physician considered to be one of the greatest short story writers of all time:

Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.
–Anton Chekhov

For me, reading this quote made “showing” “click.” Not only does showing make writing far more interesting to read, it’s free of that boring clunkiness — that perceptible weight telling hangs on innocent passages of text that make them drag for the reader.

Often these “showing” parts make you swoon and sweep you off your feet. Consider this passage from one of my favorite novels of all-time: The Shipping News by Annie Proulx, a master of showing detail.

Here’s how Proulx describes Petal Bear, the main character’s abusive, philandering wife:

Grey eyes close together, curly hair the color of oak. The fluorescent light made her as pale as candle wax. Her eyelids gleamed with some dusky unguent. A metallic thread in her rose sweater…While she remained a curious equation that attracted many mathematicians.

The dusky unguent, that metallic sweater thread signifying “tacky.” The skin palor that cannotes someone almost unhuman. The curious number of “mathematicians” attracted to her as though she was an equation. All these incredible details paint a clear picture in your mind and these pieces scream: floozie.

When you’re working on your writing projects this year — no matter whether you write poetry, fiction, or nonfiction — remember Anton Chekhov’s light glinting off broken glass. Write well!

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  2. I absolutely love the quote you provided. I’ve heard the “show, don’t tell” concept before, but until today, I couldn’t fully grasp the difference. Thank you so much for “showing” us the way.
    Happy Monday!

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  4. You could not have picked a better quote … Chekhov was the man before there was a “He’s the Man.”

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  5. One of my personal writing heroes, Hemingway, was a master of doing this with only a sentence or two. I’m not that good yet, but it was through him that I was introduced to the concept… along with giving a few hints and letting the reader paint the scene.

    Doing so let’s that reader invest themselves in the story.

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  9. I’ll be honest. This is, ironically, clunky writing, with poor construction among its ailments. To illustrate: “Not only does showing make writing far more interesting to read, it’s free of that boring clunkiness — that perceptible weight telling hangs on innocent passages of text that make them drag for the reader.” Had to reread that last leg a few times.

    Sometimes one simple word — in this case, “that” — can introduce clarity. “… that perceptible weight *that* telling hangs on innocent passages of text that make them drag for the reader.” Still an awkward, clunky, repetitive sentence but minor helpful improvement anyhow.

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  11. It is a good advice, but I am still struggling with how I can actually “show” that sort of imagery with my writing project. I know what the quote is trying to tell me, but all I am doing in my writing project is adding more details to the imagery I am trying to show.

    I probably need a peer review with someone with my writing because I am not sure myself if I am doing it right or not.

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  21. Exactly the words I have been searching for. Teachers have always told me “Why tell the world when you could show them?” Always baffled me. Thank you for making this seem more easier.

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  28. This article is very impressive. In addition, this is one of my favorite authors. The amazing part is all his narratives are very short and neat. I have read most of his creative activities in the language of origin. If you read one of his narratives, you feel as if he has just written them.

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