This is possibly the hardest tool to master in writing. We tell people in real life. The author needs to show people the setting, the actions, the movement in the world created on the pages.
Examples are the easiest way to clarify the difference between Show and Tell.
Tell: He sat down.
Show: He plopped onto the sofa, one leg hanging over the arm, the other on the cushions.
Show with feelings: He plopped onto the sofa, one leg hanging over the arm, the other right on the freshly cleaned cushions with his boots dripping mud.
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Tell: She was upset.
Show: Tears rolled down her cheeks.Her hands clenched into fists.
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Tell: The room was magnificent with high vaulted ceilings, burgundy curtains pulled back by ties around the windows and woodwork around the doors that had a dark stain to contrast with walls lined with paintings..
Show: The room felt like something from the past with a ceiling that reached for the sky. The windows were embraced by burgundy from head to toe with a golden belt to show off their chalice form. The doorways showed the labour of love by the artisans who embossed their frames with intricate detail, bold and dark to complement the soothing walls that supported the marvels of artists from around the world.
This is a hard one - similes and metaphors help paint what the eyes see.
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