How to Show Not Tell: A Guide for Me by Me :D

This will be our example sentence: 

The cat sat.

First: Make sure to answer the 5 W’s. Who, What, When, Where, and Why. (No need to write an answer for all of them if you want to keep intrigue)

Who: Who is the cat? What kind of personality does it have? Does it have an owner?

What: What else is the cat doing? What can it see? What else is there?

When: When is the cat sitting? What kind of weather and time of day?

Where: Where is the cat sitting? What kind of setting? In a house? On a roof?

Why: Why is the cat sitting? Is it a lazy cat? Is it stalking something? Is it tired?

The soaked and scruffy white cat sat on the porch. It meowed at the door and waited for a response. Rain continued to pour down, much more than it was used to in the area. It kept looking up at the doorknob as it rested.

Second: Add “filler words” (extra bits to sentences to help get the message across clearly) and switch out repetitive and basic words for something else, either synonyms or a stronger word.

The soaked and scruffy white feline sat on the porch. It mewled at the entrance and waited for some kind of a response, any sort of jingle, footstep, or voice. Rain continued to pour down on the old cat, much more than it was habituated to in the area. It kept looking up at the doorknob as it rested, hoping to see that familiar face to take her in again.

Third: Separate the most important parts or parts that start talking about other topics and make them their own paragraphs. (Reorganize previous sentences if you have to).

The soaked and scruffy white feline sat on the porch. It mewled at the entrance and waited for some kind of a response, any sort of jingle, footstep, or voice. It kept looking up at the doorknob as it rested, hoping to see that familiar face to take her in again, her savior.

Rain continued to pour down on the old cat, much more than it was habituated to in the area. She had been a stray all her life but being helped out by these humans was a true blessing. All the others in this neighborhood refused to let a dirty animal learn it could depend on them. This home was her sanctuary in the abhorrent weather.