This post is all about how to write exposition in fiction.
Every story, regardless of genre, will need some amount of exposition. Figuring out how to write exposition effectively can be a challenge.
It can be easy to overload readers with information which can bog down your story’s pacing. However, having too little exposition can leave readers confused. It’s important to find a balance of giving exposition in the right amount, and at the right time, to keep readers engaged.
Here are some tips and strategies for how to write exposition in fiction.
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What is exposition?
Simply put, exposition is giving your reader information. In fantasy or science fiction, this can include information about the magic system, cultures, and politics in the world.
In the contemporary genre, you don’t have to worry about giving exposition for most of those things, but may still need to explain aspects such as character backstories at certain points.
Essentially, any explanation that needs to be given for the reader to fully understand the story is exposition.
Why exposition matters
In genres like fantasy and science fiction, readers have to become familiar with a new world, culture, magic system etc. While stories in non-speculative genres don’t have that barrier to entry, they will still require some explanation towards characters and past events.
Writing exposition in an engaging way will help your reader to understand what is happening in your novel, so that they are able to follow along without getting frustrated. However, it can be difficult to give exposition effectively.
The biggest mistake writers make with exposition
Info dumping is the biggest stumbling block writers make with exposition. It’s when the writer tells the reader every piece of information they know about a given topic related to the story all at once.
It can halt the story’s pacing, making it feel more like an owner’s manual than a novel. In turn, it can make readers bored or overwhelmed by all the information they have to take in at once.
In order to prevent info dumping in your novel, here are some tips in providing exposition in a more natural way.
HOW TO WRITE EXPOSITION IN FICTION:
Only explain what readers need to know… right now
The last thing most people want to read are long paragraphs explaining everything. Instead, sprinkle in bits of exposition as it comes up.
For example, your readers don’t need to know a character’s full backstory right as it’s introduced. It can come later on when it’s more relevant to the scene. This will help space out the exposition readers get.
Let readers wonder
Clarity is good so readers don’t get frustrated that they can’t keep track of what’s going on. However, being too clear can destroy any sense of mystery, which can deflate tension.
It’s better to let readers be curious about something in your story before you reveal the answer. Not only will this add intrigue, but it will also make readers feel way more rewarded for sticking through until the end.
For example, your story might have a protagonist who always wears a family heirloom necklace, because it was the only item she got in the will after her mother died. You might be tempted to tell your readers the significance of the item right away. But letting your characters wonder why the heirloom is important to the protagonist may encourage them to keep turning the page.
Hide exposition inside conflict and action
Tip four
There are certain parts of your story that should just be told to the reader for the sake of clarity and maintaining the pace of your scene. Then there are aspects that should be shown for the same reason, as well as creating intrigue and tension.
So you should integrate exposition within the conflict and action of your story.
Using the example from earlier, you could have another character want to buy the protagonist’s heirloom off of her. Then they get into an argument when she rejects the offer.
Now you have an opportunity to show the reader how important the necklace is to her, and depending on how the scene ends, you could have the protagonist tell the character why it’s important.
This is a great way to show AND tell at the same time. With it, you can give exposition in a scene without disrupting the pacing or tension of it.
If you want to learn more about how to balance showing and telling in your writing for a more compelling story, join the Show and Tell Masterclass.
Reveal backstory through character decisions and reactions
This tip goes hand in hand with the tip to sprinkle things in. Leaving little hints that lead up to a reveal will not only make it more engaging, but will prevent the exposition from being told in large chunks.
Someone refusing to sell a necklace that was a family heirloom is a way to give exposition through a character’s actions. The character who wanted to buy the necklace may react aggressively to that decision, which also shows how this heirloom may hold value in more than just sentiment.
Only reveal information through dialogue when it’s natural to do so
Giving exposition through dialogue is generally better to do than through narration, as it can help the scene move forward. However you still have to make the conversation sound natural.
People rarely just outright explain things to other people, so when it happens in fiction it feels unnatural. It also doesn’t make sense for a character to explain something that the protagonist should already know.
You can avoid unnatural dialogue by making your protagonist ignorant of something so that they need an explanation. Or you could find a way to bring up the information naturally within the character’s conversations.
Trust readers to connect the dots
Similar to the tip on letting readers wonder about aspects of your story, it’s important to not overexplain. There can be an anxiety that readers won’t understand parts of your story or what you’re trying to do with it, and so you want to lay it all out so there’s no question.
But all that will do is flatten your story. It may also leave readers feeling insulted that you couldn’t trust them to figure things out themselves.
Cut, cut, cut
If the reader’s understanding of the story won’t change if they don’t know a piece of information, it’s better to just cut it. This will keep the amount of exposition down to only the most essential bits of information.
Sometimes your readers don’t need all the details about something, so instead of giving full exposition, you can imply or hint at it instead. That way your readers still get the information without it being dumped on them.
Long sections of exposition aren’t always bad
Sometimes long expositions are necessary for certain parts of your story. To prevent it from becoming an info dump however, it’s important to make the exposition engaging.
The previous tips can be used to help make longer sections of exposition more engaging. For example, you can have the exposition delivered through dialogue by one character, but have it alongside responses by other characters, narration, and character actions.
That way, the exposition is delivered as a scene in the story, rather than one long paragraph of uninterrupted dialogue or narration.
This post was all about how to write exposition in fiction.
By: Renee Merke
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