Find where you tell instead of show
AI highlights every sentence where you tell readers information instead of showing through action, dialogue, and detail. Turn telling into showing.
Find where you tell instead of show
River's Tell vs Show Highlighter identifies every sentence where you tell readers information instead of showing through scene, action, and detail. You paste your text. The AI highlights telling sentences with comments explaining how to show that information instead. Within minutes, you see exactly where your prose summarizes rather than immerses. Perfect for fiction writers who want to master the fundamental craft technique of showing.
Unlike vague advice to 'show don't tell,' we give you specific examples of your telling sentences and concrete suggestions for showing. The AI identifies explanations of emotion, summaries of character traits, and statements about relationships or situations. You get targeted comments showing how to convert each telling sentence into vivid scene work that lets readers experience rather than just learn. Each comment demonstrates the difference between reporting information and creating lived experience.
This tool is perfect for fiction writers in any genre who want to strengthen scene work and reader immersion. Use it during revision when you know your prose feels distant or summary. Use it to learn to recognize telling in your own drafts. Great for understanding which information needs showing and which benefits from efficient telling. The focused feedback helps you develop instincts for when to zoom in with scene detail.
Why Showing Creates Better Fiction
Showing creates experience. Telling delivers information. When you write 'Sarah was angry,' readers receive a fact. When you write 'Sarah's hands curled into fists, her jaw tight as she glared at him,' readers see and feel the anger. Showing allows readers to interpret and participate. Telling distances readers by explaining everything. Fiction should create the illusion of living through events, not reading a report about events. Show don't tell isn't about pretty writing. It's about reader immersion versus reader distance.
However, not everything needs showing. Showing takes more words and slows pacing. Use showing for important emotional moments, character development scenes, and plot turning points. Use telling for transitions, time passage, and information that's necessary but not central. The worst mistake is showing everything equally. That creates novels where buying coffee gets as much detail as breakup scenes. The art is choosing what deserves close-up treatment and what can be efficiently summarized. Show the moments that matter. Tell the connective tissue.
Common telling indicators include emotion statements ('she felt sad'), character trait explanations ('he was a kind person'), and relationship summaries ('they had always been close'). These report information without letting readers discover it through behavior and dialogue. Strong fiction reveals character through action and choice. It shows relationships through interaction patterns. It demonstrates emotion through physical reaction and dialogue. The difference between amateur and professional fiction often comes down to this single skill: showing important moments instead of explaining them.
What You Get
Every telling sentence highlighted with inline comments
Explanation of why each sentence tells rather than shows
Specific suggestions for how to show that information
Focused feedback on only show-don't-tell (no other issues)
Revision guidance that transforms reporting into immersive scene work
How It Works
- 1Paste your writingCopy 500-3000 words of your creative fiction or memoir
- 2AI identifies tellingOur AI finds every sentence that tells instead of shows in 2-3 minutes
- 3Review highlightsSee all telling sentences marked with comments showing how to revise
- 4Revise to showConvert important telling into vivid showing, keep efficient telling where appropriate
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I change every telling sentence to showing?
No. Use showing for important scenes and character moments. Use telling for transitions, background information, and moments that don't deserve extended treatment. Showing takes more words and slows pacing. If you show everything equally, important moments won't stand out and your pacing will drag. The tool identifies all telling. You decide which instances need converting to showing and which are fine as efficient summary. Important moments deserve showing. Connective tissue can tell.
What's wrong with writing 'she felt sad'?
It reports emotion rather than creating it. Readers don't feel sad because you told them the character is sad. They feel sad when they see her unable to get out of bed, staring at photos, or struggling to speak. Show the physical manifestations and readers will understand the emotion without you naming it. Telling creates distance. Showing creates empathy. The goal is reader emotional experience, not reader information. Show important feelings. You can tell minor ones when needed for efficiency.
How do I show instead of tell?
Replace statements with scene elements. Instead of 'he was nervous,' show: 'His knee bounced under the table. He couldn't meet her eyes.' Instead of 'they had been friends for years,' show: 'Sarah knew that half-smile. It meant he was about to make a terrible joke, just like in seventh grade.' Use dialogue, action, body language, and specific details. Let readers draw conclusions from what they observe. The comments on your telling sentences will provide specific suggestions for your exact situations.
What about character backstory or history?
Weave it into present action rather than stopping to explain. Instead of 'Her mother had been cold and distant throughout her childhood,' show: 'She recognized that tone. The same one her mother used when she'd forget to pick her up from school. Again.' Reveal backstory through character thoughts during current scenes, through dialogue references, or through how past experiences affect present behavior. Backstory as pure summary stops story momentum. Backstory woven into present scenes enriches without stalling.
Does this work for memoir and creative nonfiction?
Yes. The same showing principles apply to narrative nonfiction. Memoir should recreate scenes and moments, not just report what happened. Show the scene where you realized something rather than stating the realization. Use specific details and dialogue rather than summarizing events. Good memoir reads like fiction in its use of scene and showing. The difference is it's true. But the craft techniques for immersive writing are the same whether fiction or memoir.
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