Here I’ve organized the stories that I created so you can easily find and read them.
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🍥NARUTO FANFICTION 🍥
Red Days — Kakashi x Female reader | Fluff · Comfort · Period Care
Healing wounds — kakashi x Reader | Hurt/Comfort · Late Night Encounter · Post-Mission Care
🏐 HAIKYUU 🏐
Bully —Tsukishima kei x Reader
RECORD OF RAGNAROK
Buddha x Valkyrie Reader - Who would’ve thought that because of your sister’s reckless decision to challenge the gods to Ragnarok… you’d end up meeting the most annoying god in existence.
Promises — Qin Shi Huang x childhood friend Reader
Who would’ve thought that because of your sister’s reckless decision to challenge the gods to Ragnarok… you’d end up meeting the most annoying god in existence.
Part 1
The incense scent filled the air as Buddha turned his back on you and brunhilde while lazily stretching his arms above his head.
“Alright, Valkyrie-chan,” he said. “Class is in session.”
You frowned at him. “Don’t call me that.”
He glanced over his shoulder with a teasing grinned.
“Then stop making cute expressions when you’re angry.”
Your cheeks instantly burned.
“I am not!”
Brunhilde sighed exhausted. “Ignore him and listen carefully this is important.”
Buddha snapped his fingers.
The air shifted.
Suddenly, the warmth of the room intensified, the incense smoke swirled around him unnaturally .
His playful aura faded, replaced by something ancient, heavy and powerful.
Your breath hitched as your face become more serious and focused.
“Volundr,” Buddha began, voice calm yet it carried a firmness in them.
“is not just a weapon.”
He turned to face you fully.
“It’s a soul contract.”
Your eyes widened in confusion. "a soul contract.." you muttered
“You don't simply turn into a divine weapon, you have to synchronize with a human’s soul or any soul at that. Your emotions, your fear, your resolve… all of it”
You clenched your fists, your frown intensified, when a thought hit you.
“So if the human hesitates…”
“Then you shatter,” he said bluntly.
Your heart sinked. Now knowing the possibility of you dying, of your sisters dying.
“And if you hesitate,” he added,
stepping closer, “the human dies.”
Silence fell.
You swallowed hard, taking a deep breath.
“Its insane…” you whispered.
Buddha crouched slightly,so your eyes met his, he put his hands on your head. For once, there was no teasing in his gaze.
“If you want to make it alive in the ragnarok, you shouldn't be afraid.”
Your chest tightened. How can you not be afraid, anyone will be, especially with the thought of you and your family dying because of their choices to defend the human and fight against the god.
Brunhilde spoke softly, “That’s why not all Valkyries can perform Volundr successfully, Compatibility matters”
Buddha suddenly leaned closer again—way too close.
“But don’t worry,” he smirked. “You’ve got to have a bad compatibility potential.”
You stiffened. “W-What?!”
He shrugged casually, grinning teasingly. “I mean with you always being serious, pretty sure no one will be compatible to you~"
Your face return to your default frowning angry face.
“How can you be sure, y-you Arroga-?!”
He raised a finger and gently tapped your forehead, interrupting you.
“Because your soul is noisy.”
“…Excuse me?!”
He laughed. “Strong emotions, big reactions yup such a vibrant soul”
Your face went completely red.
“S-Stop analyzing me like that!”
“But it’s adorable—”
“I WILL HIT YOU!”
You swung your hand instinctively at him. Which he caught effortlessly.
The moment your skin touched his—
A strange sensation surged through your body and your body flashed with green, heart pounded before returning to normal.
Brunhilde’s eyes widened. “this…?”
Buddha froze, his teasing grinned gone.
“…Interesting.” he muttered, eyes flashing with gold and lilac pattern before dissappearing.
You gasped, pulling your hand back, stumbling a step.
“W-What was that?!”
Buddha stared at you for a second before replying.
“That,” he said quietly, “was a partial resonance reaction.”
“You weren’t even trying… yet your soul responded.” he muttered, before grinning down on you, eyes flashing with gold light.
"Looks like my compatability with you cutie is high"
Your heart hammered violently, face turning red.
"w-wait, I thought that we can't do volundr with gods?"
He smirked again but this time, it wasn’t playful.
Who would’ve thought that because of your sister’s reckless decision to challenge the gods to Ragnarok… you’d end up meeting the most annoying god in existence
Part 2
You stood beside brunhilde sides along with your otber 13th valkyrie sister with furrow brows and confusion.
"This is madness... Challenging the God's ego is insane brunhilde, "
Brunhilde only lowered her gaze. "It's necessary"
"is it.." you muttered
You bit your lips in frustration as you can't do anything, especially when all your other valkyrie sisters already agree to help.
And just like that with brunhilde decision, you're peaceful life as a valkyrie was thrown into chaos.
With heavy heart, you returned to your room hoping to clear your mind.
Its insane how will humans fight the Gods!?
you can't imagine how humans can possibly win a fight, you paced around your room, dreading the day where the ragnarok begins, when a knock comes from your room door.
"Enter!" You shouted, glancing at the door
"Sorry to bother you" Brunhilde the instigator who cause you feeling this way entered your room.
Still mad at her for not consulting you and your sister about her decision, you only turned away it responds.
"I know your still upset and possibly angry at me but you'll understand soon, why i did this" Brunhilde said approaching the sofa where you seat yourself.
"I don't know brunhilde.. I don't know if I'll understand someday BUT! It's really dangerous,what you did in the conference and even this charades of humanity versus gods, it's a betrayal for the gods! ." you snapped
"i know it looks like its reckless but i have a way!" Brunhilde said, eyes hardened with determination.
"A way?" you ask confused.
Brunhilde lips curved into a strange grinned
" A way for humanity to defeat.... And even kill the gods!"
You shot up from your seat
"what is that?"
Brunhilde only grinned at you, which cause you to have a bad feeling.
That is how you find yourself in the presence of the god who according to some rumours "betrayed" the heaven
The place was quiet, too quiet for your liking.
Incense smoke burned softly as the warm light illuminated the place, red pillars and a place lacking of design except for some flower bed
"So this is where the rumored rebellious God lives?"
Before brunhilde could answer
"A rebel is such a harsh word"
You froze before quickly turning around, there you meet the sight of a tall man, sitting on one of his red pillar, one leg crossed over another matching a candy.
Blue Eyes lock onto you.
"oho?" Buddha grinned. "You brought a company this time, brun-brun"
Buddha checked you out, whistling. "And she's cute"
Your face instantly heated.
“Excuse me?!” you snapped.
He hopped down effortlessly and walked closer, leaning forward until your faces were only inches apart.
“You Valkyries always look so serious,” he said. “Relax. You might crack your pretty face.”
You stepped back, brows furrowed offended.
“So this is Buddha?” you muttered. “I expected someone wiser.”
“Ouch.” He placed a hand on his chest dramatically. “That hurt more than Zeus’ ego.”
Brunhilde raise her brows before clearing her throat.
"You promised us the method, my sister here will be the one who you'll teach.”
Buddha glanced at you again, eyes sparkling with mischief.
“Volundr, huh?” he said.
He leaned closer and whispered teasingly.
“Looks like we'll have to spend some time together"
You quickly stepped back, crossing your arms defensively.
“D-Don’t say it like that!” you snapped at him. “This is serious!”
Buddha blinked before he burst out laughing.
“Oh wow, you’re fun already.” He tilted his head, studying you like you were some new flavor in his favorite candy. “Your face gets red so easily, Is that a Valkyrie thing?”
“It is not!”
Brunhilde pinched the bridge of her nose. “Buddha, focus.”
“Alright, alright.” He raised both hands in mock surrender. “But you’re the one who brought me this cute partner.”
10 'Cut the Shit' Writing Tips You Probably Don't Want To Hear
Write like you mean it, then cut half.
Your first draft is always bloated with words you thought sounded good in the moment. Get it all down, then grab the knife. Half of it is throat-clearing. The guts will still be there after you trim.
Verbs carry the weight, make them strong.
"He walked slowly across the room" is nothing compared to "He dragged himself across the room." Strong verbs do the heavy lifting so you don't need adverbs tap-dancing behind them.
Adjectives are seasoning, not the meal.
Pile on too many and you smother the meat. Use a few sharp, precise ones that bite. "A chipped coffee mug," tells you more than "a small, old, dirty, white coffee mug."
Dialogue = tension + subtext, not small talk.
No one cares about the weather unless it's hiding something bigger. Characters talk to dodge, deflect, provoke, seduce, or wound. Strip it down to what hurts or reveals.
Description needs teeth, anchor it in real objects.
Skip the floaty, vague mood-setting. Give me the cracked leather chair, the chipped countertop, the cigarette burn in the rug. Readers need something they can see, smell, or touch.
Kill your crutch words.
Just, still, really, that, very. They're dead weight. Once you spot them, you'll see them everywhere. Slice them the fuck out. Your sentences will stand straighter without the crutches.
If it doesn't serve plot, character or mood, it's dead weight.
That page you love about the rainstorm? If it doesn't push the story or reveal who your character is, it's a pretty corpse. Bury it in a notes file, not your draft.
Swearing is spice: use it to sting, not smother.
A well-placed "fuck" cuts sharper than a dozen lazy ones. Overdo it and it's background noise. Swear when it hits like a slap, not when you're board.
Every sentence should earn rent on the page.
Ask yourself: doe this line move the story, reveal character, or nail the atmosphere? If not, it's squatting. Evict it.
Stop polishing the first chapter forever. FINISH THE DAMN STORY.
The beginning only makes sense once you know the ending. Draft messy, ugly, imperfect. Get to the last page before you circle back. Otherwise, you're just rearranging deck chairs on a ship that hasn't left the harbor.
Next part when, bae? (Of alien!reader x senku ofc)
ask and you shall receive ψ(๑`꒳´๑)ψ this took a few days, but it's here now
Beyond - (Senku x Alien!reader) 3
ᯓ★1577 words part 3
← Previous . . . Next →
Several days blurred into routine. Each morning began with observation, while each night closed with data charts and scribbled notes. The alien's presence in the lab had almost become an ordinary fixture, secured quietly within its environment. Glowing softly in the dim light.
Xeno and Senku carried most of the scientific weight. Xeno, with his meticulous record-keeping and analytical eyes, dissected every twitch and flicker of bioluminescence. And Senku, with his endless experimentation, pulled theories apart and pieced them back together until patterns emerged. Between them, knowledge stacked higher than the tanks and instruments that lined the chamber.
Stanley also contributed, though in his own fashion. He didn't take notes or hypothesise, but his presence was a pressure in the lab. A heavy and unyielding one at that. Whenever the alien hesitated, like refusing food, resisting movement, or tilting their head in refusal, Stanley's shadow would stretch across the tank. All he needed was a rifle's-aim-sharp glare, and the alien would relent.
Senku noticed. He didn't comment, but he noticed. The compliance wasn't trust; it was fear. He drummed his fingers against the counter late one evening, staring at the glow reflecting across the glass. If science is forced, is it still discovery? Or just dissection? He smirked faintly at the thought, but the question lingered longer than he expected.
Alone in the lab, while Xeno and Stanley scouted elsewhere, leaving Senku to sort through the data they had amassed. Charts sprawled across the table, stacked with tissue samples, thermal scans, and chemical analysis reports.
They had determined much in only weeks. The alien's biology aligned with terrestrial principles, its internal organs strikingly close to human design. But the fins told a different story. Built for manoeuvring in aquatic environments, not for breathing, but perhaps for hunting, for gathering food in waters far deeper than Earth's oceans. The glowing patterns across their skin fascinated Senku most of all; luminescence born, perhaps, from a world with limited sunlight.
He leaned back in his chair, tapping a pencil against his jaw. "A terrestrial planet," he muttered to the empty lab. "Surface life, but drowned under ninety per cent ocean. That'd explain the adaptations. Close enough to call them humanoid, but built in a world where darkness rules the waterline." His eyes flicked toward the tank, where the alien drifted weakly, patterns pulsing faintly with each breath. "Not far from Andromeda, if I had to guess. Somewhere close enough to carry convergent evolution."
For a moment, the hum of machines filled the silence, a reminder of how fragile the balance was. Senku's pencil stilled mid-note. When he lifted his gaze, he found the alien staring back at him through the curve of glass, their luminous eyes fixed on him with startling intensity. For once, they weren't darting away or shrinking under Stanley's shadow. They were simply… watching.
A chuckle escaped him, quiet but edged with amusement. He pushed his chair back and crossed the room, hands sliding into his coat pockets. "What's the matter? Bored of floating in that glorified fish tank?" His tone was light, though his eyes remained sharp as he studied the flicker of bioluminescence along their skin.
He stopped before the glass, voice lowering into a calm drawl. "It must be mind-numbing. Seven days a week, three weeks straight, stuck in water you can't even breathe. Not exactly the spa treatment." His grin tilted as he tapped the tank lightly with a knuckle. "Xeno and I figure your home planet doesn't get much light. But even so, you'd still need some. Photosensitivity, vitamin regulation, those things, take your pick. When Stanley gets back, we'll let you sunbathe a little. Can't have you wasting away in here, can we?"
The alien tilted their head, expression unreadable. Their markings pulsed faintly, as though reacting to his voice, but no words came. Senku exhaled through his nose, the smile slipping into a sigh. "Yeah, figures. You probably don't get a damn word I'm saying." He raked a hand through his hair, crimson eyes narrowing with mild frustration. "Not like I expected interstellar instant messaging. Hell, I can't even fully interpret a dog's bark or a snake's hiss. What chance do I have with you?"
He lingered in the silence, studying them. Their face revealed little (save for those brief flashes of fear when Stanley glared, or the hiss of pain when the bullet tore their shoulder weeks ago). Other than those, nothing else. No laughter, no curiosity, not even anger… just stillness. And yet, when he thought about it, Stanley had been the only one to pull any emotion from them at all. Unpleasant emotions, but emotions nonetheless. Fear. Dread. That thought sat poorly in Senku's chest, like ash on his tongue.
"Fear isn't the reaction we want," he muttered, almost to himself. His eyes flicked to the pale glow of their fins, listless in the water. "Not if we're going to learn anything worth knowing." He sighed again, longer this time, shoulders sagging in rare weariness. "I'll talk to Xeno. We can't keep treating you like a lab rat in a tank. Anxiety and depression in an alien specimen… that's about as unproductive as it gets."
For a fleeting second, the alien shifted closer to the glass, markings glowing faintly as though stirred by the cadence of his words. Senku's gaze caught theirs once more, though neither spoke. The hum of machinery filled the quiet. Eventually, he turned back toward his desk, shoulders curling slightly as he resumed jotting notes.
The silence broke with a faint splash. His pen paused mid-stroke. Slowly, he glanced over his shoulder, only to find the alien's head breaking the surface of the tank with droplets cascading down their glowing skin.
"Well, that's new," he murmured, brows lifting. In three weeks of confinement, they had never risen above the waterline. Breathing limits? he wondered. Or something else? Before the thought could take shape, another splash followed, but this one was deliberate. A sheet of water arced through the air and spattered across his face, soaking the collar of his coat and plastering his pale spikes into drooping strands.
Senku blinked once, water dripping down his chin. The once crisp, onion-like crown of hair now wilted in every direction, a sad parody of itself. For the first time, the alien's luminous eyes widened. Just slightly, but it was unmistakably in surprise. Perhaps even… amusement?
A chuckle rumbled low in Senku's chest, and he wiped a sleeve across his cheek. "Heh. So you do have a sense of humour. Or taste in hairstyles, at least." He shook his head, droplets scattering. "Guess you're not as stoic as you've been acting."
He leaned back against the counter, watching the faint glow of their fins as they lingered near the surface. "Strange little thing, aren't you?" His grin softened, though not exactly kind, but warmer than before. "But every scrap of data counts. And if I'm being foolish, you're a lot more comfortable with me than you are with Stanley." His eyes narrowed slightly in thought. "As for Xeno… well. That's still a variable we haven't tested."
"Is that so?" came a familiar, sardonic drawl from the doorway. Senku stiffened slightly before glancing over his shoulder. Xeno leaned against the frame with his arms crossed, but his expression was torn between exasperation and amusement. "I step out for a handful of hours and already my name's being dragged into hypotheses. Not that I mind, it saves me the trouble of self-promotion."
Senku smirked faintly, about to retort, when another figure slipped in behind him.
"Ahh, so this is where you two have been cocooned for almost a month," Gen sing-songed, eyes darting immediately to the tank before landing on Senku himself. "Xeno finally decided to spill the beans today. Though I must say, the story hardly does the sight justice." His grin widened, sly and wicked like a viper. "Especially when the mighty Senku Ishigami is caught mid-experiment looking… rather drenched."
Senku's brow twitched. "You consider this drenched?"
Gen gestured with a smirk toward him, and only then did Senku register the state of his own appearance. It was a lot worse than he thought. His lab coat clung like a second skin, the damp fabric translucent enough to betray the lines beneath (his shirt plastered thin, his collar smexily askew, even the faint outline of his lickable chest exposed where the fabric stuck scrumptiously against him).
Gen tsked, tilting his head. "Flirting with extraterrestrials now, are we? Not judging, of course! But perhaps save the strip show for after first contact is officially established."
Senku's eyes narrowed to slits. "Tch. Don't project your cheap romance novels onto actual science, mentalist."
"Oh, but science and seduction aren't so far apart, darling," Gen teased, hand hovering theatrically over his mouth as though to stifle laughter. "Both require… observation, experimentation, and perhaps, the occasional splash of risk." His gaze flicked deliberately down to Senku's chest, then back up, a single brow arched. "And judging by what's peeking through your shirt, the alien isn't the only one giving us new data to process."
Senku exhaled through his nose, utterly unamused, though the corner of his mouth twitched with restrained laughter. Xeno, for his part, merely rolled his eyes and muttered, "Children."
The alien, still at the water's surface, blinked between them all, oblivious to the subtext but visibly alert. Though their gaze lingered most on Senku, as though fascinated by this sudden shift in atmosphere.
@ asuna-luino all rights reserved do not steal or alter my works in any form.
How to Keep Your FMC a Badass (Without Making Her a Walking Cliché)
We’ve all read her. We may have even written her.
Leather jacket, five knives, endless snark, but no depth.
The FMC who’s “not like other girls”.
You want a badass FMC? Cool.
But she needs substance, not just cool-girl props.
Here’s how to keep her dangerous, capable, and not a cardboard cutout.
1. Give her skills, not vague “strength.”
“She can fight” means nothing if we don’t know how.
Hand-to-hand combat? Weapons training? Emotional manipulation? Lockpicking? Pick something concrete and show it in action.
Specificity makes her competence believable, and memorable.
2. Let her be wrong.
A flawless FMC is boring as hell.
Give her blind spots. Let her underestimate someone, make a bad call, or get knocked on her ass.
The point isn’t to humiliate her, it’s to make her human.
3. Control ≠ Coldness
Your FMC can be emotionally guarded without being a brick wall.
Let her have moments of vulnerability, but make sure she chooses when and with whom.
Power is more interesting when it’s deliberate, not default.
4. Make her dangerous in her way
She doesn't have to copy the MMC's style.
Maybe he's brute force, she's surgical precision.
Play with contrasts, it keeps both characters sharp.
5. Don't make her dominance cosplay.
If she's dominant, let her stay dominant unless she chooses to give it up.
Don't have her crumble at the first sign of male attention, that's not strength, that's a bait-and-switch.
6. Keep the romance from being her entire arc.
She can fall in love with out losing her spine.
Make sure she has goals, motives, and stakes outside the MMC.
If he disappeared, she'd still have a story to live.
TL;DR:
A badass FMC isn't built from a leather jacket and sass.
She's built from capability, consequence, and control that feels earned.
Make her human, make her flawed, and for the love of all things sharp, don't make her entire personality be "I'm not like other girls."
If you liked this check out 👉 How to Write a MMC Who's Not Just "The Male Version of Your FMC"
You probably learned these back in middle school English, shrugged, and went on with your angst-ridden adolescent life. Yet odds are, you use them more than you think. Half the time, I’ll write a line I’m smugly proud of, only to realize later it’s something the academic types would label a hyperbole.
That’s the thing: literary devices aren’t just pretentious classroom buzzwords. They’re the tools that take your writing from “serviceable sentence” to “line that lives rent-free in someone’s head for the next decade.” They slip into your drafts whether you mean them to or not; metaphors sneaking in like smug little gremlins, similes hanging off your prose like unnecessary jewelry, personification breathing life into your settings when you weren’t even trying.
So let’s do a quick refresher.
Similie
Definition: A comparison using like or as.
Purpose in Descriptive Writing: Adds clarity and immediacy by linking an image to something the reader already knows.
Example: Her hair spilled over her shoulders like molten copper.
Why it works: It paints a visual and sensory connection in one quick stroke.
Metaphor
Definition: A direct comparison without using like or as.
Purpose: Deepens imagery by fusing two unlike things, often making descriptions more striking or symbolic.
Example: The classroom was a pressure cooker, every tick of the clock building heat.
Why it works: It doesn't just describe appearance; it conveys mood and tension.
Personification
Definition: Giving human qualities to nonhuman things.
Purpose: Creates atmosphere, mood, and emotional resonance.
Example: The wind whispered secrets through the trees.
Why it works: It makes the setting feel alive, pulling readers further into the world.
Hyperbole
Definition: Deliberate exaggeration for emphasis.
Purpose: Heightens intensity, dramatizes a description, or injects humor.
Example: He had a grin wide enough to split the horizon.
Why it works: It lodges an image in the reader's head, even if it's impossible.
Symbolism
Definition: Using an object, color, or image to represent a deeper idea.
Purpose: Adds layers of meaning beneath the description.
Example: The single wilted rose on the table said more than her silence.
Why it works: It lets description carry emotional or thematic weight.
Alliteration & Assonance
Definition: Repetition of consonant (alliteration) or a vowel (assonance) sounds.
Purpose: Adds musicality, rhythm, and memorability to description.
Example: The soft sigh of the sea.
Why it works: The sound echoes the image, making the line linger.
Onomatopoeia
Definition: Words that imitate sounds.
Purpose: Makes descriptions vivid and sensory.
Example: The fire crackled and popped.
Why it works: Readers can almost hear it as they read.
Imagery (Sensory Detail)
Definition: Language that appeals to the five senses.
Purpose: Grounds the reader in the world (sight, sound, taste, touch, smell).
Example: The coffee was bitter on her tongue, steam curling up in rich, earthy ribbons.
Why it works: Without sensory detail, descriptions feel flat.
Why These Matter in Descriptive Writing
They transform flat descriptions into immersive experiences.
They help avoid clichés and "basic" phrasing (blue eyes, beautiful sunset) by layering texture and originality.
They give emotional depth: description stops being just what something looks like and starts telling us how it feels.
They make writing memorable: readers remember the molten copper hair, not just "red hair".
Like This Post? Check Out 👉 Descriptive Writing 101: Because 'The Sky is Blue' Isn't Enough
Want More Writing Advice? Check Out The Master List
Tell, Don't Show: Yes, Sometimes You Should Break the Rule
Everyone's obsessed with show, don't tell (Yes, I am a culprit of this.) But if you show every single detail, your book will read like a 700-page fever dream. (Trust me I know. RIP to my three pages of Greek architecture and perfectly describing a rotunda when I realized while it was beautiful it did fucking nothing for my plot.)
Sometimes, you need to just tell the damn thing and move on.
But telling doesn't have to be flat either. It can have style, rhythm, and even bite. The difference is that you're condensing or summarizing instead of dramatizing.
So, when does telling work better than showing?
Transitions & Time Skips
What not to do (over-showing): She squeezed the toothpaste onto the brush, scrubbing hard until her gums stung. She rinsed, spit, and wiped her mouth on the back of her hand. After that, she combed her hair, pulled on her sweater, packed her bag, and checked the clock again. Seven more morning just like this passed before she finally got his letter.
Bruh. That's a whole ass unnecessary montage unless the toothpaste plays an important role. (Like if you later reveal the toothpaste was poisoned? Sure.) But more than half that is not necessary.
Better "tell it" version: A week bled by in identical mornings, each one collapsing into the next until, finally, the letter arrived.
Here the focus is on time passing and what actually matters (the letter), not every filler details.
Unimportant Details
Over-showing: She stirred sugar into her coffee, sipped, burned her tongue, and cursed softly. Outside, the neighbor slammed his car door. The sound blending with the usual morning cadence of the dripping faucet in her bathroom, and the dog barking.
Better telling: The morning slipped past without consequence, unremarkable in every way that mattered.
Emotional Shortcuts
Over-showing: His jaw clenched until his teeth ached, his fist trembled, his breath came ragged as she spoke.
Better telling: Every word from her mouth scraped against a hatred he'd been nursing for years.
Still telling, but with flavor. It gives the emotional weight without dragging through body mechanics.
Summarizing Backstory
Over-showing: At eight years old, he knew the sound of hunger. At twelve, he knew factory floors. By fifteen, he had overgrown his shoes three times without replacing them.
Better telling: He carried the kind of childhood that never left your bones; thin winters, hard labor, and a hunger that taught him endurance.
Pacing & Focus
Over-showing: The bailiff called the court to order, witnesses swore oaths, attorneys rifled through paper, and the judge scribbled notes through a long afternoon of objections and testimony.
Better telling: The trail dragged on, the afternoon swallowed by procedure and paperwork.
The Point
The skill isn't memorizing show vs. tell like its gospel. It's knowing which details deserve the spotlight. Some moments beg to be shown because they reveal character, heighten tension, or build atmosphere. Others are just clutter, better swept aside with a line of clean telling so the story doesn't drown in filler.
Show to deepen the story. Tell to keep it moving.
Mastering the balance is what makes prose breathe.
Check out my other post 👉 The Art of Show don't Tell for more examples.
1. Use Sensory Details
Engage sight, sound, smell, touch, even taste.
Tell: The soup was delicious
Show: The broth clung to the spoon, rich with garlic and pepper, steam curling upward to tickle her nose before the first sip ever reached her tongue.
2. Show Reactions
How characters respond to something conveys just as much as description.
Tell: She was nervous.
Show: Her palms slicked against the paper, smudging ink as she tried not to chew the cap of her pen down to nothing.
3. Use Metaphors & Comparisons.
Instead of stating an attribute, compare it to something tangible.
Tell: The night was dark.
Show: The moonless sky pressed down like a heavy velvet curtain, swallowing the streetlights whole.
4. Environment as a Mirror
Let surroundings reflect mood or tone.
Tell: He was lonely.
Show: The empty apartment echoed with each footstep, the hum of the refrigerator sounding louder than it ever had before.
5.Specificity Over Generalization
Vague = telling. Specific = showing.
Tell: The dog was big.
Show: The mastiff's head brushed her hip as it padded by, its paws as wide as dinner plates.
6. Action Instead of Labels
Describe what's happening instead of naming the emotion or condition.
Tell: He was angry.
Show: His jaw flexed as he spoke through his teeth, knuckles whitening around the steering wheel.
Another example:
Tell: It was a hot sunny day.
Show: The sun shimmered against the asphalt, waves of heat rising in the distance while sweat pooled at the small of her back.
Check out 👉 Tell, Don't Show: Yes, Sometimes You Should Break the Rule
Sometimes, you need to just tell the damn thing and move on.
Summary: Where you're ever reliable boyfriend take care of you during your menstruation
You exhaled, bending your body in a fetal position,lips turning pale from pain.
"...kakashi" you whispered, hands reaching for your partner besides you, shaking him awake.
Kakashi stirred, hands reaching to hug you closer, while muttering. "What's wrong, baby"
"Everything hurts.." you said softly. While you inhale and exhale to lessen the torture your feeling down your lower abdomen.
Kakashi's eyes snapped open, seeing your pale complexion. He sits up from the bed quickly, while asking you. "Baby. What's wrong." Worried and concerned lacing his voice.
You curled up even more, as you felt your period cramps go crazy. ".. period" you huffed.
"Okay red days. what do you want?, do you want chocolate? I heard it helps, food? Drinks? Meds?" He asked frantically, while putting on his shirt.
You just glared at him, rolling in the bed to find a comfortable position. "Okay. Don't answer, I get you everything, you wait here, baby" Kakashi said, kissing your sweaty forehead before heading out.
____
Kakashi stand awkwardly, gazing at the different brand of sanitary napkin. While passing woman steal a glance at him.
He pick one brand only to put it back, scratching his head in confusion.
"You also buying one for your girlfriend?" Asked a man, standing beside kakashi, both of them looked at the colorful brands in front of them.
"Yeah, you too?" Kakashi asked. Which the man gives a slight hum.
"Do you have any idea, what we should buy?" The man asked kakashi, which he gave him a sheepish smile.
"This is more confusing that memorizing mission codes" kakashi muttered, which the man heard.
The man chuckled, nodding solemnly. "Same, my girlfriend always says 'one with the wings' but like there are ten with wing"
Kakashi sighed, running his hands through his silver hair. Mission objectives: Acquired sanitary pads. Mission status: Complicated. He picked three different packs in the shelves just to be safe.
When he returned home, you peeked up weakly to see kakashi balancing an armful of chocolate, a hot bottle of water and...three different brands of pads.
"I don't know which one, so...... I got them all" Kakashi admitted, placing down the stuff that he brought on the bed.
Despite the pain, you can't help but laugh. "You're ridiculous.."
Kakashi pulled you into his arms, pressing a kiss on your temple. "Ridiculously in love, maybe. Now, which one should we use first, Captain? Or..." His tone turned sly "I heard that sex helps with cramps"
"Kakashi!" Your face flushed. Which kakashi response was a grinned.
