Show, Don't Tell: The Ultimate Fix for Overused Filter Words
You've heard it a thousand times: "Show, don't tell." It's the most common advice in writing, and also the most misunderstood.
But when it comes to filter words—the saws, heard, thoughts, and felts that clutter your prose—show, don't tell isn't just advice. It's the solution.
What's the difference between showing and telling?
Telling is when you tell the reader what's happening. "She was angry." "He was scared." "The room was cold."
Showing is when you let the reader experience what's happening. "Her jaw locked, and her knuckles turned white." "His heart pounded, and his palms were slick with sweat." "She could see her breath in the air."
Telling is exposition. Showing is immersion.
Why is showing better?
Because showing creates a deeper emotional connection. When you tell the reader that a character is angry, the reader understands it intellectually. When you show the reader the physical signs of anger, the reader feels it. They're in the character's body, experiencing what the character is experiencing.
Showing also eliminates filter words. "She felt angry" is a filter word construction. "Her jaw locked" is showing. "He saw the car coming" is a filter word construction. "The car barreled toward him" is showing. "She thought about leaving" is a filter word construction. "She glanced at the door" is showing.
How to show instead of tell.
Here's a simple framework. When you find a filter word—when you see "felt," "saw," "heard," "thought," "noticed," "watched"—ask yourself: what does this look like? What does this sound like? What does this feel like?
Example 1: She felt angry.
What does anger look like? What does it feel like? Maybe:
- Her face flushed
- Her hands shook
- Her jaw tightened
- Her breathing quickened
- She clenched her fists
Instead of "She felt angry," write: "Her face flushed, and her hands clenched into fists at her sides."
Example 2: He saw the car approaching.
What does the car look like? What does it sound like? Maybe:
- The headlights cut through the darkness
- The engine roared
- The tires crunched on the gravel
Instead of "He saw the car approaching," write: "Headlights cut through the darkness, and the engine roared."
Example 3: She thought about leaving.
What does thinking look like? What does it feel like? Maybe:
- She glanced at the door
- She shifted her weight
- She bit her lip
- She took a step back
Instead of "She thought about leaving," write: "She glanced at the door, then at him, then at the door again."
Example 4: He noticed the smell.
What does the smell smell like? Maybe:
- The stench of rot filled his nostrils
- The acrid smell burned his throat
- The sweet, cloying odor made him gag
Instead of "He noticed the smell," write: "The stench of rot filled his nostrils."
The sensory detail approach.
Showing is about sensory detail. It's about engaging the reader's senses—sight, sound, smell, taste, touch. When you show, you're not telling the reader what's happening. You're letting them experience it.
This is why filter words are so bad. They create distance. They tell the reader that the character is experiencing something, rather than letting the reader experience it.
When is telling okay?
Telling isn't always bad. Sometimes you need to tell. Sometimes you need to summarize. Sometimes you need to move the story forward quickly.
But telling should be a choice, not a default. If you're telling because it's easier, because you didn't notice you were doing it, that's a problem. If you're telling because you need to convey information quickly, that's fine.
How to practice showing.
The best way to practice showing is to write without filter words. Take a scene and rewrite it, eliminating every "felt," "saw," "heard," and "thought." Replace them with sensory detail, action, and physical cues.
At first, it will feel awkward. You'll feel like you're writing too much. You'll feel like you're over-describing. But with practice, it will become second nature. You'll start to see the world through your characters' senses, and you'll naturally show rather than tell.
The bottom line.
Show, don't tell is the ultimate fix for overused filter words. It's not easy, and it takes practice, but it's worth it. When you show, you create a deeper emotional connection. When you show, you eliminate filter words. When you show, your prose comes alive.
Run your manuscript through Word Census. Find your filter words. Then show, don't tell.