Show Less, Say More: How the Iceberg Method Elevates Your Fiction

As a fiction writing coach, I often hear writers wrestle with the “show, don’t tell” rule. It’s one of those phrases that’s been repeated so often in creative writing workshops that it feels like gospel. But here’s the truth: rigid rules rarely create great stories.

Smart storytelling comes from balance—knowing when to show, when to tell, and when to leave something out entirely. That last part, strategic omission, is where depth and lasting impact often emerge.

The Problem with Rigid Rules

“Show, don’t tell” is broken constantly, especially outside the U.S. Many contemporary international writers use exposition freely—and their work is celebrated. The difference? They weren’t trained to treat this rule as inviolable.

Your story matters more than any single rule. Sometimes the most powerful move you can make is deliberately breaking the conventions you’ve been taught to follow.

What the Rule Is Really About

The real problem isn’t that “telling” is bad—it’s that showing well is hard. Many writers never push themselves to show when it would enrich the story. Readers don’t just want to be informed about a world; they want to inhabit it.

Description isn’t decoration. It’s a craft skill that pulls your audience inside the texture of your story.

The True Challenge of Description

When I say “description,” I don’t just mean landscape details. I mean capturing:

• A character’s emotional state without spelling it out.

• The tension between two people in a room without saying, It was tense.

• The subtext humming beneath dialogue.

That’s where fiction transforms from reporting into art.

The Overcompensation Trap

Here’s the danger: when writers take “show, don’t tell” too literally, they overcompensate. They describe everything in such detail that readers lose track of what’s actually happening.

Sometimes the most effective storytelling is clean and direct: She walked across the room. No need to catalog every mahogany surface along the way.

Permission to Skip the Boring Parts

Writers often feel they need to narrate every transition: the walk to the store, the bus ride across town, the in-between moments. But you can just say, She went to the store. And then—boom—you’re there.

If that feels uncomfortable, add a placeholder like [transition needed] during drafting. Chances are you’ll delete it later. Your readers will thank you for skipping the detours.

Strategic Omission: The Power of What You Don’t Show

“Show, don’t tell” creates a false binary. Sometimes telling can actually obscure an event in a useful way.

Instead of dramatizing every detail of a fight, you might write simply: They got into an argument. That choice shifts the spotlight: not on the argument itself, but on its consequences.

This is the power of omission. Sometimes the most compelling story lives in what happens after.

Focus on Aftermath

You think you’re writing about the fight. But the deeper story might be about the silence that follows, the unresolved tension, the choices that ripple out long after the shouting stops.

This is the Iceberg Method in action. The visible tip (the fight) isn’t the real story. The submerged bulk—the emotional impact—is where the depth lies.

The Hemingway Connection

Hemingway’s iceberg theory reminds us: the most important parts of a story often live beneath the surface. Skipping the obvious drama allows you to explore the ripples it leaves behind.

When you trust readers to fill in the gaps, they become co-creators of meaning. That engagement is what makes a story linger.

A Balanced Approach to Experimentation

Of course, readers still love description. They want to see, feel, and understand the world of your book. The point isn’t to eliminate showing or telling, but to make deliberate choices about when each serves your narrative best.

When Consequences Matter More Than Events

Sophisticated storytelling often begins where the obvious drama ends:

• The conversation after the fight.

• The silence after the revelation.

• The ordinary Tuesday after everything changes.

The guiding question becomes not How do I make this scene dramatic? but What does this moment do to these people?

Beyond the Binary

Whether you’re working with a writing coach, diving into developmental editing, or revising on your own, remember this: showing and telling aren’t opposites—they’re tools.

Sometimes you’ll want sensory-rich detail. Sometimes you’ll want clean, efficient exposition. Sometimes, the smartest move is to leave space, trusting your readers to meet you in the silence.

The Iceberg Method isn’t about following rules—it’s about creating depth. Strategic omission, used with care, invites your readers into the hidden heart of your story.