show, don’t tell! – Lauren's Online Journal

Tell: the boy was sad
show: Squeezing his eyes tight against the tears that were threatening to spill. Brian’s vision blurred, and his shin connected with the hard metal handle of the lawnmower. in the silence that followed, his sobs were lost in the already damp grass. His fingernails left marks in his palms as he slowly uncurled his fists, pushing his palms against the damp grass. His body felt like lead.
Tell: The dog wanted to go for a walk
Show: His bark echoed through the house as soon as I opened the door. I sunk to my knees, as he squashed his soft face into my hand. He shook his tail at me, and bounced away. His body disappeared behind the couch and only the white tip of his tail was in vision. Returning with his lead in his mouth, he dropped it into my knee and looked up at me with pleading eyes.
Tell: the temperature fell and the ice reflected the sun.
A shiver went down my spine, as I closed the door behind me, trapping the warm air inside. My hands fumbled to find the zip on my puffer jacket, and my attention elsewhere, my foot lost contact with the concrete and connected with a patch of shining ice.