Exposition is an important element of storytelling, and it plays a particularly important role in literature.
However – I often hate exposition and find myself glazing over when I come across it in a book. I have to admit it’s sometimes necessary, so what’s the difference between effective exposition and boring info-dumping?
Let’s dive in.
What is exposition?
Exposition is the act of providing background information or context to the reader. It helps the reader understand the characters, setting, and plot, and it can help establish the mood and tone.
Given the importance of world-building, sci-fi and fantasy writers often use exposition to explain how things work in the book’s universe, or to fill readers in on relevant history.
Put simply, exposition is quite literally when an author explains some vital information directly on the page.
What is info-dumping?
Information dumping is a type of long-form exposition. It usually consists of long passages of explanatory information that is often not relevant to the plot, let alone the scene a reader is trying to get into.
If there’s a high-octane action sequence or some fun witty banter happening on page, an info-dump might interrupt the excitement to provide several long paragraphs explaining a small detail about what we just saw or heard, rather than letting us stay in the exciting part.
It would be like if our protagonist is about to face off with their nemesis, and instead of immediately seeing this interaction play out, we must first slough through a page describing how their fantasy city removes trash.
It has often readers going, “Who cares?!”
Effective exposition is almost invisible.
In my personal opinion, anyway.
I prefer to piece together information as I read, and as details become important. If it’s not important right now, I don’t want to read about it.
That being said, here are some of the methods authors have used to deliver pertinent information that kept me hooked and didn’t make my brain immediately start wandering away:
- Dialogue
- I like this one because not only do we get to understand something important about their world or history, but we also get to see it the context of that character’s opinion, and we get to understand their personality better
- If it’s done poorly, though, it’s possible to end up with a book that is mostly dialogue, which is annoying in its own way (*ahem* Kingdom of the Feared)
- Flashbacks
- Take this one with a grain of salt. I’m not a huge fan of flashbacks, especially if they don’t actually add much value to the current plot. They can sometimes kill the momentum. But sometimes they can add just the right bit of information at just the right time if done well
- The effectiveness of flashbacks may also depend on the story’s context. For example, in a case where a character has amnesia and suddenly gets their memories back, flashbacks can be super effective
- Magical Spectator Mode
- This is a name I just came up with to describe those scenes we sometimes see in fantasy or sci-fi where magic is used to show the main character something, usually in the form of a vision, as if dropping them directly into a memory or scene from history
- Think the Pensieve in Harry Potter
- Short and sweet explanation
- If a thing must be explained, doing so in a sentence or two isn’t too bad. But, if every other paragraph includes one such explanation, it can be death by a thousand cuts
I have often found myself very engaged with these types of scenes, and even intrigued by the history. Sometimes I even have follow up questions and just have to keep reading so I can answer them.
When history is just explained in rote, even when relevant, I’m less interested.
Sometimes, it’s best to let readers infer.
Outside of world-building, I most often see exposition as setup. And it’s boring.
If my first introduction to a story is the writer explaining to me what’s happening in the very first scene, why the characters are having the conversation they’re having, why they are where they are, etc – I often decide to put it down unless I have good reason to keep on. It’s just not a great first impression.
Readers are pretty smart, if you ask me. If a writer weaves the right details in as they go, they can count on readers to pick up on what’s happening and why.
That’s preferable to assuming we don’t get it, and hand-feeding us the details.
All this to say: unnecessary exposition is a turn-off.
It’s important for authors to strike the right balance when it comes to exposition. Too much exposition can slow down the pace of the story and make it feel heavy-handed, while too little can leave the reader feeling lost and confused.
The best authors are able to find a balance between the two, using exposition to provide context and enrich the story without overwhelming the reader.
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