: Re: Is straight-up writing someone's opinions telling? When I first learned about the "show don't tell" guideline, I believe it applied to everything. I have now learned there are many grey areas,

@Sims2267584

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I'll add to Galastel answer about the general limits of the "show don't tell" paradigm. You are indeed allowed to tell when its more natural to do so; the catch being that while there are guidelines (and we'll be more than happy to give you some) the ultimate decision on what feels better is up to you.

In your particular case, this

He [Visa] squared his shoulders, Reino respected confidence

works better than this

He squared his shoulders. Reino's forehead wrinkled as his eyebrows rose, looking at his apprentice's new posture.

This by the simple fact that the PoV is following Visa. Visa knows something about Reino and acts accordingly. So, you're telling something about Visa's beliefs rather than actual truth. Sure, you could go into a lengthy explanation or a flashback, showing how Visa knows that Reino respects confidence ... but would it serve your narrative?
Probably not.

Showing and telling are tools, not different from a first person narrator opposed to a third person one. You have to keep them in the toolbox, but deciding which one to pick in a given situation is up to you.

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