/lit/ - Literature

>>4460017

You can't really take 'show, don't tell' too literally when it comes to narratives. It's more about two different kinds of 'telling'.
If you're simply informing the reader of the emotions that are supposed to be there, you're only telling. If you "tell" them about the things that will naturally bring forth those emotions, you're "showing". Don't simply tell them the room is scary, tell them what makes it scary and allow them to feel scared themselves.
Blatant exposition can be perfectly atmospheric and emotional if it's written well.