<p>I'm having trouble and am wondering if anyone else has the same problem. When I write in a way that "shows not tells," I feel like all I can do is describe a specific moment but I can't find a way to "show" how it ultimately affected me. When I try to explain something, it always ends up as just "telling." The closest way I can think of to reconcile the two is to begin the essay "showing," and then "tell" what that means to me later on in the essay.</p>
<p>If what I just said makes any sense, what do you guys think? Is this how you've done it? What are the risks? How else can it be done? Thank you!</p>
<p>I know what you mean; I've been having the same problem. The best I can do is suggest "showing" your reactions to the moment your are describing.</p>
<p>Agreed. This is obviously an exaggerated example, but instead of saying, "I was sad and frustrated," which is telling, you can show it by saying, "Tears poured out of my eyes as I pounded my fists against the wall; I wondered why the world had been so cruel to me." Again. Exaggerated. But you get the idea.</p>
<p>It's not a sin to sometimes tell stuff, though...if people showed everything 100% of the time, writing would be crazy hard to read, and it would be difficult to pick out what's really important.</p>
<p>i think you should write it like a story, and leave it to the reader to draw their own conclusions instead of spelling it out for them. if that makes any sense...</p>