Showing or Telling — What Makes a Story Stronger?

Two Ways Stories Speak in Literature; Mimesis & Diegesis (1)

In creative writing, how the story reaches the audience is just as vital as how it is told.

I'll explain.

There are two important narrative modes that writers use to deliver their stories: Mimesis and Diegesis.

– Mimesis simply means showing as the story unfolds through action, dialogue, and scene. This allows readers to experience the moment in real time and feel like they're part of it.

It is also the representation of aspects of the real world, especially human actions, in literature and art.

– Diegesis simply means telling, the narrator summarizes events, explains emotions, and reports what happened technically – like a bored journalist reading daily news out of routine.

For example:

Mimesis:

“Don’t go,” she whispered, holding his sleeve.

Diegesis:

She begged him not to leave.

Another example – Mimesis:

...Flames licked the walls like hungry serpents, devouring the only home he'd ever known.

The boy's small hands trembled as he fumbled with the door latch, coughing through the thick smoke that had formed so quickly like it has been waiting for just the slightest friction to flare up.

"H..help!" he shouted, voice breaking and choking as he hastily made to open the door. 

"Mother—!" He called out but got no answer, only the crackle of wood and the increased roar of the blaze.

The latch finally disengaged from the door frame, the door creaked open, and a rush of cold air brushed his face. 

He gasped, desperately taking in the fresh air and stepping forward… when suddenly, a push slammed the door shut from the other side, throwing him back into the room!

Diegesis version 

A fire broke out in the boy’s home, spreading quickly through the walls and filling the room with thick smoke. 

Frightened and struggling to breathe, he rushed to the door, calling out for his mother, but got no response. 

The flames intensified, and in panic, he managed to open the latch. 

As the door finally gave way and fresh air reached him, he attempted to escape. 

But, before he could step out, the door was suddenly forced shut again, pushing him back into the burning room and leaving him trapped inside.

~ Both express the same idea, but one is an active scene, while the other is a passive one.

Mimesis immerses the reader in the moment, it's like adult immersion baptism but diegesis just takes the reader through the moment, it's like infant baptism where water is just sprinkled on your head.

Both are important for certain moments in a story.

Writing moves between showing and telling, detailed scenes and summarized ones, immersion and brevity.

Good writing isn’t just showing or just telling. It’s knowing when to plunge readers underwater and when to let them catch their breath.

Princess Ella