Wright’s Writing Corner: Long Live Exposition

The beautiful and talented Mrs Wright wishes to share her tragic and joyful writing experiences, and describe a rather good idea on how to decide where to put one’s inevitable blocks of discursive information or exposition:

Last week, I had to move a large chuck of exposition. It was stuck in the middle of a rather active scene and more than one reader had complained it was awkward and dull.

I realized tat it had to be moved. But where? Ideally, I wanted it in a place where it would increase the readers interest, rather than bore them. But how to find such a place? I thought it was fascinating.

How could I tell when readers would agree with me, and when they would groan and pull out their hair?

In the end, I divided it into four pieces, putting each part into a place where it added to the scene rather than subtracting from it.

I wish I could tell you I did it gracefully.

But I can’t.

I dissolved into a puddle.

When I recovered from puddlehood, I had an insight that will, God willing, help me avoid the puddle fate in the future. It was about how to evaluate a passage to decide if a given piece of exposition would increase or decrease the reader’s interest. This insight revolved around the Japanese girls video game: Long Live the Queen.

For the rest of the exposition on exposition, click the link:

http://www.ljagilamplighter.com/2014/02/26/wrights-writing-corner-new-writing-tip-long-live-exposition/

 

Originally published at John C. Wright's Journal. Please leave any comments there.