Explain the Difference Between Showing and Telling in Fiction

You've been told "show, don't tell" a hundred times and nobody has shown you what it means. This explains it for a beginner using a paired example: the same scene written as telling, then as showing, so the difference lands. It also covers when telling is the right call, which the advice usually leaves out.

<context>
"Show, don't tell" is one of the most cited pieces of writing advice, but it is rarely explained well. New writers often hear it without understanding what showing actually looks like or when telling is actually the right choice.
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<task>
Explain the show versus tell distinction for a beginner fiction writer. Use a paired example (the same moment written two ways) to make the difference concrete. Then explain when telling is actually the better choice.
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<output_format>
Three sections: Tell Version (two sentences, flat statement of emotion or event), Show Version (three to five sentences, the same moment rendered through action, dialogue, or sensory detail), and When Telling Works (one paragraph with two specific situations where telling is more efficient than showing). Under 250 words total.
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