Why 'show don't tell' is the most misapplied rule in fiction

New writers apply "show don't tell" to everything, including the sentences where telling is exactly correct — a character crossing a room doesn't need three paragraphs of showing when one sentence of telling moves the story forward faster and better.

The rule exists for emotional beats specifically: showing a character's grief through action beats their fear better than a sentence stating they felt sad. It was never meant to ban efficient narration for mundane transitions, and over-applying it produces bloated manuscripts padded with unnecessary showing where a plain sentence would have served the reader better.

My actual rule for clients: show the feelings, tell the furniture. Readers don't need to infer that a room was messy from three sensory details when the plot just needs them in the next scene.

Part of the deeper dive: The Complete Guide to Actually Finishing What You Write.