Become an Exposition Ninja with 4 Sneaky Steps

by David H. Safford,  @DavidHSafford

Few elements of our craft vex us more than exposition.

Perhaps this is because the rules aren’t written in stone.

To you, the writer, it feels necessary to share everything that you’ve dreamt up about a character and his/her world.

But to the reader, there may be mass confusion about things you never dreamed would be unclear.

This is why so many conversations with early readers or critique partners can drift toward the defensive. We, the writers, have assumptions about what the reader should understand, or “get.”

Yet our readers often have much different experiences than we expect, and this is horribly frustrating.

To pave a smooth road for our readers – and to become proper Exposition Ninjas – we need to understand the purpose of exposition, otherwise we won’t know why we’re using it. Effective stories always handle exposition purposefully.

The Purpose of Exposition is to enhance three things: The characters’ goals, stakes, and consequences.

That’s it.

Any “backstory” that doesn’t provide depth for these three elements (character goals, stakes, consequences) is fluff that should be cut immediately.

One of the biggest mistakes that authors make is beginning their story or novel by “setting the scene.”

And while setting is important, it’s not essential.

What is essential is conflict. Risk. Stakes.

The stuff that matters.

And if you don’t begin with the things that matter, your reader won’t stick around.

So what do we do?

Here is some Exposition Ninja training that will sharpen your skills as you deal with this terribly tricky aspect of story-telling.

1. Wait For It.

This bears repeating. So many authors fill their first 1—10 pages (or more, God help them) with background information because they think it’s “necessary” for the story to start.

This is completely wrong.

The story starts because characters make choices to pursue their goals. The background can come later.

Try not to let “classic” books be your guide here. Some classics don’t follow this rule and get away with it (Lord of the Rings comes to mind). But we judge these works with a biased scale and they gain new readers on the basis of “classic” status and Hollywood films.

You don’t have that benefit.

Odds are you are trying to climb up the Amazon rankings and you’re going to need a killer beginning to get people to buy your book. You can still be artful while getting to the point. Most great writers learn how.

So can you.

2. Space It Out.

A page-long block of blatant exposition is an excuse for the reader to skip ahead.

My wife admitted to doing this while reading my novel, so I begged her to flag the pages for me so I could break the “mega” paragraphs up.

Exposition needs to be delivered in short, controlled bursts.

That’s what your early drafts are for – to weed out the rambling, devolving fluff and identify the 1-2 key details that are necessary.

Remember that readers are interested in dialogue, action, and relevant information – not a lengthy history lesson.

Of course, many books include history lessons that detail their settings and cultures.

However, most of them wait until these history lessons matter.

And when I say they matter, I mean they matter to the characters – more specifically, to the characters’ goals, the stakes they are putting up for it, and the consequences of their choices.

If it takes a short history lesson to explain why Bob’s choice was so risky, then do it.

But not until Bob is beginning to make the choice or facing consequences of it.

3. Legitimize It

This is a tough pill to swallow, but it is an important pill nonetheless.

If the expositional information doesn’t affect the character’s pursuit of his/her goal, then it doesn’t matter.

Readers love to see characters wrestle with the world of the story. They love choices and consequences. The exposition’s purpose is to enhance the goals, stakes and consequences of a character.

If the background information is only there because “it’s interesting,” then I have news for you: What’s “interesting” for you is not necessarily interesting for everyone else.

Always keep in mind that people who are reading your book will keep reading it because they are interested in your characters and the painful choices they make in order to get their goals.

The rest is just set-dressing. Without the stakes, the rest falls away.

So connect that “interesting” stuff to character pursuits. Otherwise, it’s only fluff.

4. Hide It

Here’s the thing with exposition: No one wants to “see” it.

Think of exposition as the tunnels under Disney World, bad CGI animation, or the inside of a Chinese take-out kitchen.

You don’t want to see it. No one really wants the magic ruined.

So it is with exposition.

It needs to be carefully and precisely hidden throughout the story. The moment it peeks out and gets caught is the moment the reader wakes up from the dream of your story.

The story loses its “magic.”

So hide that exposition in places that communicate the information to the reader, but the reader doesn’t expect it.

Hide It In Dialogue.

Slip the most important bits of exposition into a character’s dialogue. Keep these bits both short and pertinent to the conflict and stakes. It’s also important to distribute information evenly amongst characters, lest certain characters become “exposition machines,” spewing information without mattering to the story.

Hide It In Brief Scene Description.

When characters enter a new setting, you will likely want to paint a picture of that world. Tuck the most important expositional details into the observations of these characters, focusing on ones that connect to character goals, flaws, and insecurities. Let the readers observe with the characters, not through the eyes of a narrator.

Hide It In Choices.

When a character makes a high-stakes choice, this affects the characters and world around him/her. Rather than explaining all the details before-hand, reveal the relevant exposition after a character has made a decision, and leave it to the reader to judge the impact of that choice.

A Ninja Always Attacks

Ninjas are masters of the sneak attack.

And exposition is, in a way, a sneaky offensive initiated by the author.

Think of exposition this way: Since it is literally “back-story,” exposition could be represented by a backwards arrow: ß

But your story doesn’t move backwards, at least in terms of characters pursuing goals.

Your story needs to move forward.

Its characters move forward with choices that affect the future – represented by a forwards arrow: à

While the stuff of exposition, past choices and details, affect the present, they aren’t quite as important as the actions of the present. Expositional details need to be selected with extreme care and placed in the story with great precision.

You want your story moving forward, à, not backward, ß.

Always be moving forward. Just like a ninja.

If you take a step back (reveal some exposition), it must actually be a part of a forward attack (advancing a character’s actions and choices).

Master this, my young apprentices, and Exposition Ninjas shall you be!

What do you think? What skills have helped you become an Exposition Ninja? Respond in the comments below!

4 tips for subtle exposition from @DavidHSafford:
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David H. Safford is the author of The Bean of Life, the story of a man who decides to save the world with coffee.

Read a free preview or get an early-access copy here before the September 20th launch. When he’s not drinking a whole pot of coffee, David loves singing Disney songs with his daughter and helping other writers tell their stories.

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