Hello everyone! I'm Brandon McNulty, the author of popular novels "Bad Parts" and "Entry Wounds". Today, we'll explore how to make your narrative exposition not only informative but also intriguing. I'm here to reveal that exposition doesn't have to be boring; it can be as enchanting as your narrative! So, let's get started.
Understanding Narrative Exposition
narrative exposition—it is the foundational device in storytelling that delivers critical information the audience needs to understand the story. It’s all about inserting key background information into the narrative to bring the audience up to speed. This information often touches on character motivations, relationships, backstories, or setting specifications such as its history, geography, political systems, and more. It could also unfold the rules of your story world, the workings of the magic systems, and why the characters are in conflict.
Exposition matters for a trifecta of reasons.
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Clarity: The audience needs to grasp what's going on.
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Engagement: The audience should connect with the story and characters.
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Immersion: The audience should feel welcomed and immersed in the story world.
Remember, balance is key in narration. Delivering just enough exposition can preserve interest while overdoing it can put readers to sleep.
Decoding the Three Types of Exposition
The way you integrate exposition can affect how your audience perceives it, and these are the three common types:
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Hands-On Exposition: This involves weaving the exposition subtly into the story—a method the TV show Arcane beautifully demonstrates.
As opposed to dishing out a boring explanation of the world's structure, the show leads us through an adventure with a band of thieves that, while running from their crime, gives us our first look at the city and its underworld.
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Natural Dialogue: To avoid disingenuous expository dialogue, you must craft scenarios where characters genuinely need to discuss information, whether it is a desperate medicinal query, argument that reveals past indiscretions, or intimate conversations that divulge more about each other's characters.
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Info Dumps & Flashbacks: This involves a heavy delivery of expository details that can potentially bore the audience. However, when done right—like in Jurassic Park and Terminator—info dumps can feel natural and even dramatic. Flashbacks, too, can work effectively, but misuse can disrupt the momentum of the narrative.
Five Tips for Writing Great Exposition
To leave a lasting impression on your audience, here are five great tips:
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Make Your Audience Want the Exposition:
Most of the time, the audience will want to know the backstory or origin of a peculiar situation or feature about a character. Delivering this info can be an exciting revelation.
As the movie Suicide Squad demonstrates, providing exposition right after raising questions leaves a better impact.
"This is the deal. You're going somewhere very bad...to do something that'll get you killed. But until that happens, you're my problem."
Amanda Waller's line brilliantly teases Deadshot's backstory after showing him in action. This dialogue hooked the audience enough to crave his origin story that arrived later.
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Use Exposition to Reveal Character:
Exposition presents a great opportunity to showcase more of who the characters are beyond their actions. Their opinions and feelings about the details can inform their personalities and relationships.
In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Dumbledore's exposition regarding Voldemort's backstory provides insights into Dumbledore's wisdom and compassion as a mentor-figure to Harry.
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Make Exposition Dramatic:
Moments of high tension, conflict, or action pair well with exposition to heighten its impact. The audience becomes even more invested when exposition arrives at a narrative climax.
For instance, Neo learning about the Matrix while dodging bullets made for an iconic exposition scene. The life-threatening stakes created an urgency that kept viewers hooked.
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Use Novel Exposition Tactics:
You can relay exposition in many creative ways beyond dialogue and narration. Unconventional tactics like metaphors, songs, symbolic visions, twisted nursery rhymes, and more can make exposition exciting.
In Disney's Frozen, the troll king uses a visual metaphor to explain Elsa's powers, making the exposition imaginative and memorable.
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Keep It Short:
Be concise with exposition. Summarize history briefly instead of elaborating every detail. Reveal just enough for readers to fill in the gaps with their imagination.
Vague exposition creates mystique that pulls audiences in, making them eager to learn more gradually through the story. The less you explain, the more curious they become.
Exposition Dos and Don'ts
To help you master exposition, here are some key dos and don'ts:
DO:
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Spread exposition across the narrative instead of frontloading it.
Keep dialogue natural, not just for exposition.
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Make exposition engaging by pairing it with action or conflict.
Use exposition to reveal more about characters.
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Try unconventional exposition tactics like symbols, songs, visions, etc.
Keep it short and sweet. Vagueness breeds interest.
DON'T:
Info dump too much exposition all at once.
Use awkward, unnatural dialogue just to convey exposition.
Reveal details too directly through bland narration.
Over-explain history, systems, relationships, etc.
Miss the chance to use exposition to develop characters.
Exposition Exercise
Let's apply these exposition tips through a fun exercise:
You're writing a fantasy adventure set in a new world. The main character Isla, a headstrong teenage girl, has embarked on a quest to find her missing mother who disappeared mysteriously 10 years ago. Isla was raised by her grandmother who refused to discuss her mother's past.
Now, Isla has discovered an enchanted compass that once belonged to her mother. It seems drawn to a distant, uncharted island surrounded by treacherous waters. After stealing a boat, Isla has set sail alone in search of this island and clues to unlock her mother's secrets. She has just passed through a mystical barrier of fog when suddenly the compass needle starts spinning uncontrollably. Up ahead, the fog parts to reveal the mysterious island coastline.
Your task: Draft a short passage describing Isla's arrival at the island that provides some key exposition on:
The history/significance of this island location
More details about Isla's missing mother
Clues into why Isla's grandmother hid the truth
Use creative exposition techniques to make this info intriguing while keeping true to Isla's voice and perspective. Approximately 150 words.
This exercise challenges you to deliver engaging exposition that raises new questions for readers, reveals more about the main character, and builds out the story world - all in a limited word count through the eyes of the protagonist. Experiment with different exposition approaches and see what works!
The Art of Exposition
And there you have it - a comprehensive guide to writing effective narrative exposition. Remember, exposition forms the very foundation on which your story world and characters are built in the audience's minds. Mastering the art of delivering it compellingly allows you to transport readers into the story, making the exposition almost invisible. With practice and the right techniques, you can turn the "boring bits" into an engaging journey!
I hope these tips help you write exposition that intrigues audiences. Feel free to ask any questions in the comments.
