--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When should you show more than tell?…" description: "\"“When should you show more than tell? Great writing is balanced! You do not want to be a show-all, or a tell-all. And remember we are storytellers. Bal..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/398/mark-o-brien-25384_tell_when-should-you-show-more-than-tell-grea_141369.jpg" --- # When should you show more than tell? Great writing is… ![“When should you show more than tell? Great writing is balanced! You do not want to be a show-all, or a tell-all. And remember we are storytellers. Balance is the key! And let your ear be the guide. Is it too heavy, or too light? Or is it just right?” quote by Mark O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/398/mark-o-brien-25384_tell_when-should-you-show-more-than-tell-grea_141369.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/398/mark-o-brien-25384_tell_when-should-you-show-more-than-tell-grea_141369.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/398/mark-o-brien-25384_tell_when-should-you-show-more-than-tell-grea_141369.jpg) > ““When should you show more than tell? Great writing is balanced! You do not want to be a show-all, or a tell-all. And remember we are storytellers. Balance is the key! And let your ear be the guide. Is it too heavy, or too light? Or is it just right?”” [Mark O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-o-brien/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Effective storytelling requires a balance between showing details and telling information, letting intuition guide pacing and intensity. **In simple terms:** Balance showing and telling for engaging stories. Key Takeaway Find the right mix of detail and summary. Themes writing storytelling balance tone intuition Mood thoughtful instructive Type advice instructional When to use this quote - novel writing - screenplay - teaching writing - editing Key Concepts show vs tell narrative pacing reader engagement Questions to Reflect On - How do you decide when to show or tell? - What cues tell you the pacing is off? A Different Perspective Too much description can overwhelm; too little can confuse. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Storytellers Balance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storytellers-balance-1597221/) [Tell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tell/) [Tell Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tell-great-669497/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing Balanced](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-balanced-1597220/) ## Related quotes > [“Writing a balanced, beautiful novel, where plot and character and setting and pacing and narrative structure and imagery and, above all, story work in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-griffith/writing-a-balanced-beautiful-novel-where-plot-and-character-and/) [Nicola Griffith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-griffith/) > [“Read Kiss and Tell a great read”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-aubrey/read-kiss-and-tell-a-great-read/) [Lou Aubrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-aubrey/) > [“To tell a great story, you really do have to step through the box that the world has put around you; you have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/to-tell-a-great-story-you-really-do-have-to-step-through-the-box-that/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [When I meet people who say - which they do all of the time - 'I must just tell you, my great aunt had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/when-i-meet-people-who-say-which-they-do-all-of-the-time-i-must-just/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“You want a competitive edge? 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Strange but true.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-o-brien/the-more-you-read-within-a-balanced-life-the-more-time-you-have/) [Mark O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-o-brien/) > [“There are so many negative people in this world, so replacing the crap with positive quotes steers our minds to success!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-o-brien/there-are-so-many-negative-people-in-this-world-so-replacing-the-crap/) [Mark O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-o-brien/) > [“Pride, oh pride—a friend from the past, a bodyguard of the present, and an enemy of the future. 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It's up to us to choose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-o-brien/life-s-choices-are-wild-and-free-but-sustaining-and-elevating-or/) [Mark O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-o-brien/) [Explore all 23 Mark O'Brien quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-o-brien/) ## More Tell quotes > [You've got to tell your money what to do or it will leave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-ramsey/you-ve-got-to-tell-your-money-what-to-do-or-it-will-leave/) [Dave Ramsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-ramsey/) > [If we accept being talked to any kind of a way, then we are telling ourselves we are not quite worth the best. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/if-we-accept-being-talked-to-any-kind-of-a-way-then-we-are-telling/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [Rule number something or other -- never tell anybody anything unless you're going to get something better in return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-paretsky/rule-number-something-or-other-never-tell-anybody-anything-unless-you/) [Sara Paretsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-paretsky/) > [It's a great story for us whenever an entrepreneur makes a crazy amount of money and we get to tell the world about it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-lacy/it-s-a-great-story-for-us-whenever-an-entrepreneur-makes-a-crazy/) [Sarah Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-lacy/) > [You want me to do something... tell me I can't do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/you-want-me-to-do-something-tell-me-i-can-t-do-it/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [We can never tell what is in store for us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/we-can-never-tell-what-is-in-store-for-us/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [If You Don't Tell Yourself You Are Beautiful, Who Is?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ms-freshie/if-you-don-t-tell-yourself-you-are-beautiful-who-is/) [Ms\_Freshie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ms-freshie/) > [I always want to surprise audiences and tell stories that are entertaining and challenging at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-hechinger/i-always-want-to-surprise-audiences-and-tell-stories-that-are/) [Fred Hechinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-hechinger/) > [My work is a love for me; I'd do it for free, but don't tell my bosses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chick-hearn/my-work-is-a-love-for-me-i-d-do-it-for-free-but-don-t-tell-my-bosses/) [Chick Hearn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chick-hearn/) > [“No one has any right to tell you that the way you perceive yourself is wrong. Because by doing so, they also discourage the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/no-one-has-any-right-to-tell-you-that-the-way-you-perceive-yourself/) [Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/) > [You can never tell when a commercial space venture will suddenly become viable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/you-can-never-tell-when-a-commercial-space-venture-will-suddenly/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [I've had people call me and tell me, 'You've given me courage.' 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