Storytelling and Exposition · 7:24am Dec 17th, 2014
OK, so I was finally working on that story I've been promising for... way too long. As I was shaping the world of my story, I realized I had a lot I needed to explain to the reader. A lot was different in this world, a lot of things taken for granted were no longer constants. My initial plan was to have a character explain this, to inform the audience as is done quite often.
But then I stopped and thought about it. Who really likes reading exposition spit out at them? I mean, I still have this picture to illustrate that point.
So, what would have been 500 words or so of raw exposition dialogue, quickly evolved into almost an entire chapter, showing two characters as they explore a vastly different environment and find how it differs from everything they understand. Sure, it dragged it out, but I think that it works well in this case. But why? A normal criticism is for people to 'tighten up'. Don't waste words saying the same thing over and over again. Why, then, would taking a five hundred word bit and making it ten fold larger be a GOOD thing?
I realized the answer to this when I was replaying one of my favorite Steam games. A lovely little title called 'Bastion'. Now, I'm not going to spoil anything about the game, but I highly recommend ANY author to play this game. This game is a fantastic example of how to properly weave exposition and world building into the narrative in an unobtrusive game. Not that I think Bastion's style would work well in fanfiction, but it works wonders in an interactive medium, like a game. The action doesn't stop so the game can tell you something, everything is presented as you play. But it isn't presented factually, it is told by a narrator, a character, who is just as biased as anyone else. It's just another part of the story, and it adds atmosphere to the experience.
Writing has to do that too. The information that a reader needs to enjoy and understand the story needs to be portrayed, that is true. However, this information has to be delivered carefully. It is always better to deliver exposition slowly and naturally than to force it down someone's throat for the sake of pushing the plot forward. If you have a character explaining something, ask why. Are they explaining it because one of the characters asked about it or started a conversation close to it? Or are they explaining it so the READER knows? If it is the latter, rewrite.
I see this issue a lot in fanfiction, where the author just piles exposition into the story, and it is terrible writing style. It shows a lack of desire to actually flesh out the world you created, you just want to give the reader the Cliff's Notes so you can get to the plot. That isn't to say that everything has to be explained cut and dry. Also in Bastion, mentioned above, you never get a real perfect view of the world of the game. You get bits and pieces over the course of the game, but a lot of huge pieces are never explained or dealt with. It leaves a huge sense of wonder and mystery as you explore the world. Remember, there is a fine balance between the reader knowing enough to enjoy your world, and still maintaining that feeling of mystery and adventure that many stories need. The reader should discover things like the characters do, slowly and in broken pieces. As the story progresses some of those pieces may fit together, but the world should never be an open and shut book. That sense of mystery is what keeps your readers coming back.
This is mostly coming from the fact that I am, for the first time, writing an Adventure story. It's a tricky little balancing act, for certain, but maintaining the balance between momentum and mystery is the key to success. Give the readers enough to whet their appetite, to get them interested, but leave questions dangling at the end of every chapter.
See you next time;
-Lumino
Well said. My favorite games are the ones with a great and engaging story.
It's worth mentioning that this is not the same as leaving a cliffhanger.
2658958 Indeed, sir. Cliffhangers get bored and route if you do them too much. You cannot constantly leave the reader with suspense and expect it to hold the same emotional weight.
Like anything else in writing, it must be done sparingly. You can have a cutoff point that raises questions without it being a Cliffhanger. That's just a good transition period. An example of that is, for Avatar fans, the end of the episode 'The Southern Raiders'.
Zuko: "You were right about what Katara needed. Violence wasn't the answer."
Aang: "It never is."
Zuko: "Then I have a question for you. What are you going to do when you face my father?"
-Episode End-
It raises a very important question, getting the viewer thinking about what would happen in the future, but it is certainly not a cliffhanger. The distinction is important.
-Lumino