Hello fans! Blaze here! So I had a few requests a looooong time ago about doing a few writing tips that centered around things like actual writing structure, word structure, and basic writing concepts like grammar and such that make for good writing rather then the other stuff that we usually focus on like plot, characters, setting, ect.

So I said ok! Let's start with the one everyone hears but sometimes can't entirely understand or replicate.

Show, Don't Tell.

This is something that gets thrown around alot. Your teachers in school used to tell you, every writing site and program tells you that this is key. But what does Show don't tell even mean?

The root of this phrase is all about description. This is asking you to stop stating things outright, and instead use description to allude to it. This works best with characters, where you can show character personality through description of actions or dialogue rather then simply telling the reader the character personality.

The best way to understand the concept is through example. So here's a few:

1.Telling: Dave was an arrogant bad-boy, and he knew it.

Showing: Dave strolled into the lunchroom, running a hand through his hair and pushing it back from where it hung obnoxiously in his face. He strode over to his friends with a wide, confident grin on his face and straddled the empty space on the table that they had left for him. He pulled out a cigarette and placed it between his teeth, shrugging his black leather jacket off of his body and slinging it over his shoulders. When one of the pretty girls at the table across from him waved, he winked and sent her a roguish grin.

Now, this example is a little bit overexaggerated. But this is the gist of it. We went from the simple, short statement of "Dave is arrogant" to a long, descriptive explanation of how bad-ass he truly is.

An easy way to work on the showing part is to use many descriptive adjectives, and to describe actions, like I said. He didn't just walk into the room; he strolled into the room. He didn't sit down; he confidently straddled the chair (or bench, my school had long benches in the lunchroom). He winks at girls, acts aloof, but he knows he is unbearably attractive and wanted by many.

I also then focused on his physical description. Dave was wearing a leather jacket- stereotypical bad-boy clothing, no? He smokes- I consider that arrogant, or at least a trait of someone overconfident enough to smoke in a full room of adolescents. He has obnoxious (well I call it obnoxious XD It fits his traits, anyways ) long hair that he can sexily push out of his line of sight.

Every description that I made paints our generic OC Dave as an overconfident, arrogant person, and Dave knows that about himself as well. You get a wonderful scene painted when you show these traits, and that makes for good writing. Also, everything is included- brief setting description, character personality, vague but satisfying outer traits (looks and clothing preference), and you even get a view into what the narrator thinks about the character. But more on that for a differenttip segment, no?

Here's a quick summary of what you shoud ask yourself when doing descriptions: What is the character's personality? What does he wear that would emphasize that personality trait? How would he move? How does he hold himself- slouching, confident stroll, ect? How does he sit down? How does he interact with other characters? What does he do near someone he finds attractive? What does he do near someone who is an authority figure?

Asking yourself questions like these before every scene that you write is crucial for the way your story comes out. This way, you get a better understanding of your characters, more things to write about and describe, and a better story overall.

Now of course, this IS a Warriors site. And I do have to tie this back to Warriors. So now comes the description of a Show, Don't Tell Warriors Style.

I can hear you asking- Blaze, these are cats. They don't have clothes, they don't do things that humans do. How do we include that sort of description? Well, hush. I'm getting there. Example first you impatient cats.

2. Telling: Mousefur was an old, snappy she-cat.

Showing: As Firepaw (random OC time!!) walked into the elder's den, he winced as he caught sight of Mousefur. The she-cat herself was nothing pleasant to look at; time had not been kind to her. Clumps of her fur had fallen off, leaving her pelt scraggly and patched. Her skin was taut over her body, which looked more like skin-and-bones then like the form of a cat. Her face was always set in a frown- one wrong move would set her whiskers twitching and her frail tail curling with displeasure. She expected things to be perfect, and became very displeased and angry when it was not- and it was for that reason that she had the reputation she did within their Clan.

So like I said, a bit of exageration. But in terms of description, a bit of exageration never does any harm. Here we have poor little Firepaw (who by the way also gets a great description from this one paragraph) confronted with the big, bad, evilly Yellowfang-like elder, who for all intents and purposes is a great big jerk.

Here the descriptions have to be a little bit different. In the Warriors world, the clothing description changes to pelt, body structure, and overall cat condition. Utilize descriptions of how scraggly or soft, shiny, well-groomed or unkempt a cat's pelt is. Show their strength with rippling muscles, or their frailty with their taut skin and shaking legs. If they are old or sick, chances are their pelt is falling off. Healthy cats have sleek, well groomed pelts.

Thankfully the Warriors cats do elude emotions in a similar way to humans. Obviously it's shown in different ways, but the concepts are most definitely the same. An arrogant cat has his nose just as high up as a human might. An old cat is weak, trembly, and frail just like a human. You just have to describe it in a more cat-like way. After all, you can't give the cat a cane to show that it's old. You need physical descriptions of how decrepit it is.

Emotions and personality traits for a cat cat be shown just as easily through body language, dialogue, and actions as you can for a human. In fact, it depends on it. An arrogant cat can strut around the clearing and bark orders at others and an old she-cat will wobble her way across the clearing and beg for the sunning rocks. A snappy cat can be grumpy and wear a permanent frown. Work with facial features and dialogue to portray what your character is feeling. Words like sullenly show her moodiness as she speaks.

Questions to consider when writing a Warriors description: What does my cat look like when he is experiencing this emotion? What does he do with his body? What do his actions and dialogue say about him? How can I describe his pelt/body structure/features in a way that will show this emotion? And of course you can use questions from earlier (except clothing ones) to describe them as well.

So I hope this helped! Showing and not Telling something in a scene can be hard to do, but all you need to do is flesh out the characters, what the scene demands of the characters, and how the characters will react as a result according to their personality. Then, describe that. Yeah, it sounds like alot of hard work .Writing tends to do that. XD

Comment down below with any other hints and helpful Show, Don't Tell tips you might have, and whatever Writing Tips segment that you want to see next!

~Blaze