Because stories also need pace and orientation, selective telling remains vital. Summary compresses uneventful hours; exposition frames stakes; a swift “they drove north” spares us ten dull miles. The craft lies in alternation: tell to move, show to matter. As a working guideline, show at moments of moral choice, emotional turn, or sensory novelty; tell when bridging time, handling routine, or clarifying context. In this rhythm, Chekhov’s injunction is not a ban but a compass. Aim the light at one charged surface, and let readers deduce the rest—until the moon itself seems to shine from the shard. [...]
