Sands Hall
SHOWING & TELLING: Storytelling Essentials
September 25, 2026
11 AM PDT | 12 PM MDT | 1 PM CDT | 2 PM EDT  

Writers are often told, “Show, don’t Tell!” What does this phrase actually mean? What’s so bad about Tell? Or so great about Show?

In this session, Sands Hall will address the vital difference between these two modes of storytelling. Having clarity about them will do wonders for your writing. We’ll examine the power inherent in something as simple as an object, and as important as a setting.  We’ll talk about the concrete (a rose bush) and the abstract (love) and how focusing on one can help include the other; which will lead to how powerful—and fun!—it can be to incorporate metaphor. We’ll also look at sensory perceptions, and briefly examine how all this helps with creating scenes. These elements help bring our writing alive. And that of course is what we want: to make our writing so specific and effective that our reader vividly—and emotionally—experiences our story.

All of this will be valuable on its own, and particularly if you plan to take a course offered by Linda Joy and Sands early in 2028: “THE WEAVE: Scene, Summary, and Reflection.”

You’ll come away from this session knowing:

• Why this idea, “Show, don’t tell, is so pervasive, and so important;
• The differences between these two forms of storytelling;
• Techniques and methods to ensure you are “showing” (and to know when you are telling);
• A greater understanding and delight in the use of imagery;
• The essentials of building scene, which will be valuable when you sign up for the course, THE WEAVE.

Bio
Sands Hall is the author of the award-winning memoir, Reclaiming My Decade Lost in Scientology (Counterpoint); Blackstone Audio produced the audio book, read by the author. Her novel, Catching Heaven, is a Willa Award finalist. Her prize-winning essays and stories have appeared in such journals as Alta Journal, New England Review, Iowa Review, and the Los Angeles Review of Books. A teacher and writing coach, Sands is also a theatre artist—director, playwright, actor—and a singer/songwriter. www.sandshall.com