How to Show, Not Tell: Using Character Actions to Bring Your Fiction to Life

From Edie: Zena Dell Lowe shares how to show, not tell by using character actions and visual imagery to reveal emotions, strengthen fiction, and engage readers.

How to Show, Not Tell: Using Character Actions to Bring Your Fiction to Life

by Zena Dell Lowe @ZenaDellLowe

How to Get the Story Out of the Character's Head and Onto the Page

If you're a novelist, you're accustomed to filtering everything through your character's thoughts. Every detail—the world, the events, the emotional beats—comes to the audience filtered through the character's mind. It's their perspective that shapes the narrative.

In screenwriting, however, there's no such luxury. A screenplay doesn't allow you to tell the audience what a character is thinking or feeling. Instead, everything must be shown through action, behavior, and visual imagery.

This distinction is a gift for storytellers of all mediums because it forces us to be active in our storytelling. It pushes us to "show, don't tell." And here's the kicker: novelists can and should adopt this discipline too. It'll make your writing stronger, tighter, and more engaging.

So how do we make the leap? How do we take those thoughts and emotions swirling inside our characters and transform them into actions—into something tangible the audience can observe and feel?

The Power of Visual Imagery

In storytelling, actions speak louder than words. If you want to show that a character is sad, don't simply write, "She was sad." Instead, think about what sadness looks like. How does it manifest in behavior? Imagine a scene where your character is sitting in the dark, eating ice cream straight from the carton, still wearing yesterday's clothes, curtains drawn. She's watching a funny cartoon, but she's not laughing. That's sadness—shown, not told.

Let's say you want to convey that a character is depressed after a significant loss. Instead of saying, "He felt empty and hopeless," show him lying in bed at 2 PM with his eyes open, hearing the doorbell but not responding. The blinds are slatted, and dust motes float in the dim light. The audience doesn't need to be told he's depressed; they can see it.

Actions and visuals make emotions visceral. They invite the audience to participate in the story rather than passively absorb it. And that participation creates a deeper emotional connection.

Actions Reveal Goals

If you want to reveal what's motivating a character, start with what they do rather than what they think. For example, instead of writing a long inner monologue about how a character is determined to turn their life around, show them setting an alarm for 5 AM, waking up before sunrise, and going for a run. Maybe they're gulping down raw eggs or scribbling affirmations on sticky notes. Through these actions, we understand their motivation without a single word of internal dialogue.

The same principle works for interpersonal dynamics. Let's say you have two characters forming a friendship. Instead of having them think about how much they like each other, craft a sequence of interactions that demonstrates their growing bond.

In the first scene, they might exchange knowing glances and giggle over a shared inside joke. In the next, they're sneaking out of a boring study group to grab fast food. By the third scene, they're racing their bikes down a hill, shrieking with laughter, arms flung out like they've known each other for years.

The progression is clear, organic, and most importantly, shown.

The Danger of Passive Characters

Even in a novel, where internal thoughts are permissible, challenge yourself to replace reflection with action whenever possible. If your character is thinking about their mother's limited opportunities growing up, ask yourself: how can I show this? Maybe the character stumbles upon an old photo of her mother as a teenager, wearing a hand-me-down dress and standing outside a one-room schoolhouse. The photo tells the story without a single thought or word.

When too much of your story happens inside your character's head, they risk becoming passive. Passive characters observe. Active characters engage. And engaged characters drive your story forward.

Imagine a novel where the protagonist spends most of their time reflecting, reminiscing, or daydreaming. It might be beautifully written, but it's not dynamic. Now imagine that same character doing instead of thinking.

Rather than simply reflecting on the most recent argument she had with her mother, she marches over to her mom's house to confront her.

Instead of reminiscing about a lost love, she looks him up online. Finds his updated Facebook status: single. Books a plane ticket that night.

Action creates momentum, and momentum keeps your audience hooked.

A Challenge for You

Look at your current project and identify a moment where you've told the audience what a character is thinking or feeling. Then rewrite that moment to show the same emotion or idea through action or visual imagery.

If you've written, "She thought about how unfair it was that her brother always got more attention," try this instead:

"She paused at the hallway table, staring at the trophies. Each plaque bore her brother's name, polished to a shine. Her own ribbon, frayed and faded, was crammed into a drawer beneath them."

See the difference? The second version conveys the same idea, but it invites the audience to experience the emotion themselves rather than simply being told what to feel.

Why This Matters

We trust what people do more than what they say—in life and in fiction. When you prioritize action and imagery over exposition, your audience doesn't just understand your character's inner world; they feel it, because they're the ones piecing it together.

This principle applies to both screenwriting and novel-writing, and it's a skill every storyteller can benefit from mastering. So as you revise, keep asking yourself: How can I show this? Make it a mantra. The more you show, the more your audience will see, feel, and remember.

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How to Show, Not Tell: Using Character Actions to Bring Your Fiction to Life from @ZeanDellLowe on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Zena has worked professionally in the entertainment industry for over 20 years as a writer, producer, director, actress, and story consultant. Zena also teaches advanced classes on writing all over the country. As a writer, Zena has won numerous awards for her work. She also has several feature film projects in development through her independent production company, Mission Ranch Films. In addition to her work as a filmmaker, Zena launched The Storyteller’s Mission with Zena Dell Lowe, a podcast designed to serve the whole artist, not just focus on craft. In 2021, Zena launched The Storyteller’s Mission Online Platform, where she offers advanced classes and other key services to writers. Zena loves story and loves to support storytellers. Her passion is to equip artists of all levels to achieve excellence at their craft, so that they will truly have everything they need to change the world for the better through story.

To find out more about Zena or her current courses and projects, check out her websites at WWW.MISSIONRANCHFILMS.COM and WWW.THESTORYTELLERSMISSION.COM