Tell it well
Show, don't tell
Replace a statement about something with a detail that lets the audience see it for themselves.
- Time15 to 30 minutes
- People1 to 8 people
- Steps3
What it's for
"The old checkout was frustrating" is telling. "One customer tried to pay eleven times and then phoned us, furious" is showing. Details make the audience reach the conclusion themselves, and people believe what they work out more than what they are told.
Use it to edit any story, slide or case study: find each claim and ask what detail would prove it.
How to run it
Find the claims5 min
Every statement in your story that tells the audience what to think.
Find the detail12 min
For each claim, a number, a quote, an action or a moment that shows it.
Keep the best4 min3 votes each
Vote on the details that land hardest.
Tips
- Keep each showing note in line with the telling note it replaces.
- A real quote from a customer beats any adjective you could write.
Where it comes from
Often credited to Anton Chekhov. The famous line about the glint of light on broken glass is a paraphrase of advice in an 1886 letter to his brother Alexander, not his exact words.
Pairs well with
Start in the middle
Open on the most gripping moment, then go back to explain how you got there, so the audience is hooked from the first line.
Rule of three
Group your points, examples or reasons in threes, which audiences find easier to follow and remember than two or four.
Types of conflict
Check what your character is up against: another person, nature, themselves or the system, since conflict is what gives a story its pull.