Craft & Style
Show, Don't Tell
Detect "telling" language that names emotions instead of showing them through action, sensation, or dialogue.
What It Does
Scans for patterns where an emotion adjective follows a linking/perception verb — phrases like "was angry," "felt sad," or "seemed nervous." These are classic instances of telling the reader what a character feels instead of showing it.
Why It Matters
"Show, don't tell" is the most fundamental principle in fiction craft. Telling states a fact; showing lets the reader experience it. When you write "She was terrified," the reader registers the information but doesn't feel the terror. When you write "Her hands trembled, and the key scraped against the lock three times before it turned," the reader shares the experience.
What Gets Flagged
Emotion-Telling Phrases
Severity: Information
Example (flagged):
She was angry about the decision.
Why: "Was angry" tells the reader the emotion without engaging their senses or imagination.
Suggested revision:
She slammed the folder shut, the papers scattering across the conference table.
More examples of flagged patterns:
| Flagged | Why | Possible revision |
|---|---|---|
| "He felt sad" | Names the emotion directly | "His eyes burned. He turned toward the window." |
| "She seemed nervous" | Tells through perception verb | "She twisted her ring, first one way, then the other." |
| "They were excited" | Linking verb + emotion | "They crowded the doorway, voices overlapping." |
Configuration
No configuration options. This analyzer runs on all prose lines and skips dialogue.
Technical Details
- Source:
prose-craft - Scope: Line-level
- Method: Regex matching for linking verbs (was, were, felt, seemed, appeared, looked, became, grew) followed by emotion adjectives (angry, sad, happy, nervous, excited, afraid, etc.)