The Art of Showing and Telling

We are often told to show, not tell. When we are told to ‘show’ it refers to using an emotion, description, a scene and dialogue to let the reader experience characters and the action rather than being told about them. But ‘telling’ has an important place too.

This workshop will explore the art of showing and telling, how to use these techniques, how they differ and when to show and when to tell. The skills taught in this workshop apply to fiction and non-fiction writing.

Learning outcomes

List five things students can expect to learn.

You will learn:

· How to ‘show’ through emotion, description, scenes and dialogue

· How to ‘tell’ in a way that is evocative and intriguing

· The importance of pace

· How showing slows the pace and telling speeds it up

· How to know which one to use at different points in your writing

Bio:

Sarah Vincent is a published author of fiction and non-fiction. Her memoir Death By Dim Sum was published by Penguin Random House in 2017 and by Audible in 2018. She previously worked at Writers Victoria and has taught creative writing at RMIT since 2018. She was a recipient of the 2024 Affirm Press Varuna Fellowship and her debut novel ‘Bloodstains are the New Black’ will be published by Affirm Press in 2027.