Show, Don’t Tell: Revealing Character Through Action
By Olivia Salter
Anton Chekhov, one of the greatest short story writers, famously advised, “Be sure not to discuss your hero’s state of mind. Make it clear from his actions.” This principle is a cornerstone of effective storytelling, emphasizing the power of action over exposition. Rather than telling readers what a character feels, great writers show emotions through movement, dialogue, and choices.
The Power of Action in Storytelling
Readers connect with characters not by being told what they think, but by witnessing their struggles, reactions, and decisions. When a character clenches their fists, avoids eye contact, or hesitates before speaking, we infer nervousness, anger, or guilt. This technique engages readers, making them active participants in the story rather than passive recipients of information.
For example, instead of writing, Sarah was furious, a more compelling approach would be:
"Sarah slammed the door so hard the windows rattled. She paced the room, her hands shaking as she muttered under her breath."
Here, Sarah’s anger is not stated outright but felt through her actions. The reader experiences her emotions viscerally, rather than being told what she feels.
Trusting the Reader
Chekhov’s advice also highlights an important truth: readers are intelligent. When writers spell out a character’s emotions too explicitly, it can feel heavy-handed or patronizing. Subtlety allows readers to interpret emotions in a way that feels personal and immersive.
Consider this:
"Marcus sat in the corner of the café, his eyes fixed on the cup in front of him. He hadn’t touched his coffee in twenty minutes. When the waiter asked if he wanted a refill, he only shook his head, offering a tight smile before returning to his silence."
Without ever stating that Marcus is deep in thought, sad, or distracted, his behavior tells us everything. The reader senses his emotions without needing direct explanation.
Crafting Realistic Characters
Real people don’t constantly articulate their emotions, and well-written characters shouldn’t either. If a protagonist continuously narrates their thoughts and feelings, they risk sounding unnatural. Instead, their actions should reveal their internal world organically.
In dialogue, for example, instead of a character saying, "I'm nervous about the interview," they might:
- Fidget with their pen
- Repeatedly check the time
- Speak in clipped, hesitant sentences
These small but telling details bring authenticity to the scene, allowing readers to feel the character’s anxiety rather than being told about it.
Applying Chekhov’s Principle
To implement this technique in writing:
- Replace Telling with Showing – Instead of stating emotions, describe body language, actions, and sensory details.
- Use Subtext in Dialogue – What characters don’t say can be as revealing as what they do say.
- Let Actions Speak – How a character responds to a situation reveals their emotions and personality better than internal monologues.
- Engage the Senses – Show emotions through a character’s physical sensations (a lump in the throat, a racing heartbeat) rather than just thoughts.
The Impact on Reader Engagement
When writers rely on action rather than exposition, they pull readers deeper into the story. This technique encourages engagement because readers must interpret the characters’ emotions themselves, making the reading experience more interactive.
Consider the difference between these two passages:
- Ella was heartbroken when she read the letter. Tears streamed down her face as she thought about how much she had lost.
- Ella’s hands trembled as she unfolded the letter. Her eyes flicked over the words once, twice. She pressed a palm to her chest, as if to steady something inside her, then crumpled the paper into a tight ball and let it fall to the floor.
The second passage allows the reader to feel Ella’s heartbreak without the writer ever stating it directly. Her actions—trembling hands, rereading the letter, pressing her chest—convey her pain more powerfully than an outright declaration.
By using this approach, a writer fosters a deeper emotional connection between the reader and the character. The audience becomes an active participant, piecing together emotions based on behavior rather than simply absorbing explanations.
Examples from Literature
Many of the greatest authors have mastered this technique. Consider Ernest Hemingway’s Hills Like White Elephants, where an entire conversation about an unspoken topic (an abortion) is carried through subtext and body language. The man and woman never explicitly state what’s happening, but their dialogue, silences, and shifting tones make the situation clear.
Toni Morrison’s Beloved provides another example. Instead of directly stating Sethe’s trauma, Morrison lets readers feel it through Sethe’s fragmented thoughts, her quiet acts of resistance, and her complex relationship with her past.
In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee conveys Atticus Finch’s quiet strength not by having him boast about his principles, but through his calm demeanor, his refusal to retaliate when insulted, and the way he defends Tom Robinson despite community backlash.
Avoiding Common Pitfalls
Writers learning to apply Chekhov’s advice may initially struggle with striking the right balance. Here are some common pitfalls to avoid:
1. Over-explaining the Action
While showing is essential, overly detailed actions can become tedious. For example:
"John furrowed his brows, tightened his jaw, clenched his fists, and exhaled sharply through his nose as he slammed his hands onto the table."
This is excessive. A simple "John slammed his hands on the table" conveys the same anger without unnecessary embellishment.
2. Ignoring Internal Thoughts Entirely
Some writers misinterpret Chekhov’s advice as a ban on internal thoughts, but internal monologue can still be powerful if used strategically. The key is to pair internal reflection with action:
Her throat tightened. She wanted to scream, but instead, she simply nodded. No one needed to know how much this hurt.
Here, internal emotion complements the character’s restrained action, creating a layered effect.
3. Forgetting That Not All Actions Carry the Same Weight
Not every moment needs to be dramatized through action. If a character is simply deciding what to eat for lunch, an elaborate description of their indecision isn’t necessary. Save these techniques for emotionally significant moments.
Exercises to Practice "Show, Don’t Tell"
- Emotion Rewrite: Take a sentence that tells an emotion (e.g., She was nervous about her speech) and rewrite it using actions and sensory details.
- Silent Scene: Write a scene with two characters having a conversation, but one of them is holding back an important emotion. Use body language and dialogue subtext to show what they’re feeling without explicitly stating it.
- Observation Practice: Watch people in public spaces. Notice how they show emotions without words. A person checking their phone repeatedly, tapping their foot, or crossing their arms might be anxious, impatient, or defensive. Translate these observations into fiction.
In conclusion, Anton Chekhov’s advice—"Be sure not to discuss your hero’s state of mind. Make it clear from his actions"—is a timeless guideline for powerful storytelling. By revealing emotions through action, dialogue, and subtext, writers create immersive experiences that engage readers on a deeper level.
Instead of telling your audience what a character feels, let them see it. The result will be stories that resonate, linger, and feel true to life—because, after all, in real life, emotions are rarely spoken. They are shown.
By following Chekhov’s advice, writers create richer, more immersive stories where readers feel deeply connected to the characters. After all, fiction is not just about telling a story—it’s about making readers live it.
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