Show, don't tell is an admonition to fiction writers to write in a manner that allows the reader to experience the story through a character's action, words, thoughts, senses, and feelings rather than through the narrator's exposition, summarization, and description. -- From the Wikipedia page, Show, don't tell

Dungeons & Dragons players and DMs are storytellers. They arrive at the table bursting with creativity and ready to share the fruits of their labors.

Most of us dive right in with long explanations of our character's history, or local politics, or the details of an epic struggle to avert the end of the world. We want to get right to the good parts. William Goldman, the author of The Princess Bride -- a book familiar to most D&D players -- talked about his story being the "good parts" version. All the fights, and swashbuckling, without the mushy stuff. Of course the book is full of long-winded, but witty narration that is punctuated by momentary thrills (and one really epic duel.)

Why is it that we want to get to the good parts, but embark on all this extra narration? Well, I'd suggest it's because we're storytellers. We want to have our moment in the spotlight, our turn in front of the hearth. Meanwhile though, everyone else at the table wants to get to the good parts. They're digging into the chips and loudly rattling dice. They're ready to go!

Consider this possible solution to the dilemma: Role playing. I know, we're playing a role-playing game already! News flash: If you're telling your fellow players what your character is thinking, and why she's being chased by a city guard, you're breaking the rule: Show, don't tell.

Look for opportunities in the game to show that your character has a problem with authority. Or, a fear of heights. Or, a lust for broaches in the shape of owls. These things should be revealed gradually, at appropriate moments. Then they should be expanded upon. Strike the chord repeatedly, and pretty soon the other players start to recognize your "song". Look for the things that other players are showing you. Is there something you can riff on, building your own story and theirs at the same time?

As a DM, your job is trickier. You've likely got an epic tale planned. You're hoping that the players gathered around the table are the heroes you've envisioned to bring the epic to life. Bad news: They're not. Before you sigh, and throw your dice on the floor and walk off in a huff, consider this: They've got their own stories to tell. You have to entice them to play along with yours. You have to seed the environment with choices they won't be able to resist. Some of those seeds will come from your story, and some from theirs. You'll need some advance knowledge of their characters and stories. But, most importantly, you need to let them choose.

You want the characters to journey away from the fun and comfort of the big city and explore a local cave. (You want them to go there because the ogre in the cave has been hired by a nearby necromancer to steal bodies for his experiments, but that's another part of the story.) So, a dwarf walks into a bar (populated by those comfortable, fun-loving players) and slaps a grubby bag of coins atop the counter and demands a round for the house. Where did said dwarf get his loot? (The cave, of course. Perhaps while the ogre was away?) The party doesn't bite.

Staggering into the street after a comfortable day of fun, the players are accosted by a frantic child who's mum went missing while mushrooming in Farmer Blight's field. Where did mum go? (The cave of course, snatched by the ogre.) The player's don't bite. But, one of them recalls that "Farmer Blight" was a name he created when he wrote up the background for his character. Oh yeah, it was his crazy uncle!

Let's go see crazy Uncle Blight and see what he has to say about all this! (Now you've got them. Finally. If Farmer Blight can prove he didn't snatch mum before the ogre did. Which is of course what the city guard is alleging when you all show up at the farm, but that's another part of the story.)

If Gandalf had told Frodo up front that he was going to have to take the ring to Mordor and destroy it (and by the way, during the adventure, virtually all of the heroic compatriots you've met along the way will be killed or horribly wounded), Frodo would have told him to "piss off", tossed the ring at him, and fled the Shire.

"Help out an old man, Frodo. I'm off to do some research about that ring. It may be more than it seems. Keep it hidden. And meet me in Bree in a few months, OK?" Far more reasonable. Frodo is lured into the role of ringbearer. He shows the mighty heroes that he has the necessary qualities to be a hero himself. Let your players do the same.