: 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,

@Samaraweera193

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All writing in print is (technically) telling. You can "show" in a movie or a play, but everything you're doing in a book is telling, if you want to get technical about it. A lot of times it is better to go with the more immersive choice, the one that puts you more in the head and the experience of the character, but not always.

In this case, one option is:

Visa squared his shoulders, knowing that Reino respected confidence.

You're "showing" Visa's actions, and telling his state of mind, and that's okay.

Another option is:

Visa squared his shoulders, and did his best to look confident in front of Reino.

This is a mixture of telling and showing about Visa's actions.

Another option is:

Visa squared his shoulders and puffed up his chest.

That's all "showing." It might be better, but isn't necessarily. You lose the direct info about him trying to impress his master, but you can arguably pick it up from context.

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