Show Don't Tell Cards - Instructions

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About show don't tell

To get started, let’s go over the meaning of show don’t tell. There’s a general rule when it comes to stories: instead of telling your audience something, try showing them.

So, say one of the characters in a story is a super lazy dog. You could tell your audience this – you can have a character say, my dog is super lazy. Or you can show it to them by creating a scene or just a glimpse of the dog being super lazy.

For instance, maybe the dog presses a button that gets his personal robot assistant to bring his food bowl closer to his bed so he doesn’t have to get up.

By showing this lazy trait, you not only inform the audience that the dog is super lazy, you also entertain them along the way and maybe give them more insight into the character as well.

How to use the cards

In a nutshell: On each card, we describe a personality trait or quirk about a character (i.e., a dog is super lazy) and you come up with ideas for what the character can do that shows off this trait to the audience.

You can come up with something quite simple – something that would amount to a line or two in a book or a few seconds on a movie screen. Or you can think up a more elaborate scene. It’s up to you and your imagination.

Options for using these cards

• You can come up with a single great idea or strengthen your creative thinking skills by coming up with three or more different ideas.
• You can use these cards verbally, in large or small groups - or you can use them on your own. (Keep reading below for ideas.)
• If using verbally in groups: You can keep things casual by just shouting out ideas in a brainstorming session or you can have more guided/structured discussions.
• These cards can also be used as storytelling writing prompts. Choose how you’re going to show the trait/quirk, then transform your idea into a piece of writing. You can write a few lines, a scene or a full-on story.
• You can also transform your ideas into drawings. To do this, you’ll need to think about how you can distill your show-don’t-tell idea into a single snapshot.
• You can practice other forms of visual storytelling as well, such as creating a comic strip or a short video/film.

Tip!

To get the most out of these cards, prepare to fully unleash your imagination. There’s often something obvious or easy about showing off a trait. But try to be original and clever. Don’t be afraid to take a risk. Put some creative oomph into it – that’s what the best storytellers do.

However you choose to use our cards, just ensure you're thinking well and having fun!