what is exposition in a narrative essay

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What Is Exposition? How to Use It in Writing, with Examples

by Fija Callaghan

Exposition in writing can make or break a story. Exposition that’s artfully placed throughout the narrative with just the right balance of discovery and suspense can elevate an average novel or short story into a bestseller. Exposition that’s used poorly, however, can drag down a brilliant idea and turn it into something unreadable.

It’s no exaggeration to say that managing exposition is one of the most difficult skills in writing—even experienced novelists often need a pumped-up playlist and an extra-strong cup of tea when tackling this precarious, necessary evil of storytelling.

But what is exposition, exactly, and how can you find the perfect balance? Let’s explore how to convey exposition in the best possible way to take your writing to the next level.

What is exposition in writing?

Exposition is a literary device that communicates key background information to your reader. This can be about your characters, the setting, important plot points, or historically significant events that contribute to your story. Exposition can be conveyed to the reader directly through narration or dialogue, or indirectly through clues in the characters’ environment.

For example, if your protagonist is a recently divorced woman, telling or showing the reader what led to the divorce before your book began is exposition. It’s something that isn’t actually happening in the plot, but that’s important for the reader to know. These background details helps the reader understand the character’s thoughts and choices later on.

In the classic story structure Freytag’s pyramid , exposition is listed as the very first stage of the plot. This is because most of the time, you need to try and get this necessary background information to your reader early on in the first chapter so that they can follow along with the rest of the plot.

However, exposition can happen at any time. In the above example, you might tell the reader that the woman has just been divorced at the start of your story, but you might choose not to reveal the reason for the divorce until closer to the end. It’s up to you to decide how much background information your reader needs to get oriented in your world and how much to withhold.

How much exposition does your story need?

Using narrative exposition is a double-edged sword: too much, and your novel gets bogged down with extraneous information. Too little, and your readers won’t know what’s going on.

The key is to include only as much background information as the reader needs to follow the plot. Unfortunately, this won’t be the same every time—that would make our job too easy!

Some stories, especially shorter ones, will need very little expository writing for the reader to understand what’s happening in front of them. Others, particularly genre fiction, will need a lot more.

If you’re setting your book in a landscape that’s unfamiliar to the average reader—things like fantasy, science fiction, and historical fiction—you’ll want to tell them as much as they need to understand your story’s world and why things happen there the way they do.

This means sharing important details like your magical or technological systems, any political structures that influence the plot, and any cultural or societal stigmas that will have an impact on your characters and the choices that they make. In historical fiction, providing historical context is important so the reader understands the limitations your main character is facing.

In character-driven fiction, you’ll often need to give your reader some essential details about the relationships between your characters, why they formed the way they did, and what each character wants out of those relationships, as well as their individual wants and needs. These are all things that will help your reader understand why the events of the novel unfold the way they do.

Exposition helps ground your readers in the world of your story. It helps them relate to your characters and feel more connected to their trials and triumphs as they follow them from beginning to end.

Direct vs. indirect exposition

You can introduce exposition into your story in two ways: directly and indirectly. Let’s look at the difference.

1. Direct exposition

Direct exposition is where you say something clearly to the reader, either through your narration or through expository dialogue. In direct exposition the narrative will usually be put on hold for a moment (or several) while you communicate some important piece of information. Most classic faerie tales and many stories from classic literature open like this. For example:

Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Little Red Riding Hood who lived with her mother in a cottage at the edge of a dark forest. Little Red’s grandmother lived on the opposite end of the forest, and every morning Red would cross the woods to bring her grandmother a basket of treats.

It certainly has a cozy, fireside quality to it, but it lacks immediacy. We feel as though we’re being told a story instead of living it. Direct exposition can also happen in the middle of a narrative. For example:

John stared down at the scrap of paper with the girl’s phone number on it. He hadn’t been on a date in more than two years, not since his last girlfriend left him for someone she originally thought was her cousin, but then turned out to just be her step-cousin and therefore completely unrelated to her. John’s friends had tried over the years to set him up with various co-workers and mutual acquaintances, but he’d never felt ready. The last one had been a model, and John’s friend Kevin couldn’t understand why…

Blah, blah, blah. I’ve almost forgotten there was a scrap of paper to begin with, i.e. the plot . Some of this might actually be important information for the reader to know, but heaping it all in a pile all at once takes us away from what’s really happening (this is sometimes called an “information dump”). Instead, try breaking it into small manageable bites and conveying some of it indirectly instead.

2. Indirect exposition

You’ve probably heard that old reliable adage, “ Show, don’t tell. ” Indirect exposition is what they’re talking about. Indirect exposition gives the reader enough clues through the narrative, dialogue, and setting for them to absorb the information you’re giving them without the need to state it outright. For example:

The morning sun was just reaching the tips of the fir trees as Little Red Riding Hood left her mother’s cottage. She adjusted the weight of the basket on her arm, making sure that the treats for her grandmother were safe, and started off down the path through the woods. Long shadows reached out to her.

This feels much more present and intimate. By gently working the expository information into the action of the narrative, the reader understands the same level of detail but feels like they’re right there alongside Little Red.

Indirect exposition is even more essential when you’re in the midst of your story. The goal is to convey key information to your reader while allowing the action to keep moving forward. For example:

John stared down at the scrap of paper with the phone number on it. That familiar feeling of dread curled up in the pit of his stomach, where it had been living since Charlotte left him two years ago. His fingers moved towards his phone, and he wondered how he was going to explain that he’d turned down Kevin’s friend from the Harper’s Bazaar shoot but took a chance on a strange girl he’d met at a bus stop.

Now we’ve covered all our important background information, but the story maintains its continuous forward momentum. Good exposition should heighten emotional stakes while giving insight into the character’s backstory.

Direct exposition is okay in small doses, but try to relay information indirectly as much as you can. It will vastly improve the pacing of your plot and close the distance between your story and your reader.

4 ways to convey exposition in your story

There are a few different ways you can work background information into your writing. Let’s look at where exposition can show up in your story.

1. Narrative exposition

Narration makes up the bulk of your story. This is the description, the action tags, all the words you use to give the reader key details about what’s happening in any given moment. As you’re describing what’s happening, you can sneak in hints of what led up to that moment.

This might be by telling us what your character is feeling, how their bodies are reacting to what’s around them, memories that are dredged up in response to their surroundings, and questions they have about their environment.

For example, if you show your main character walking into an old house at the beginning of your story, you can say something like, “It was the first time she’d been back in her childhood home since her brother’s death.” (Direct exposition.)

Or, “If she unfocused her eyes, she could almost see her own ghost playing at the foot of the stairs, safe and warm in the belief that she and her brother would both have a chance to grow up.” (Indirect exposition.)

2. Dialogue exposition

Dialogue is conversation between two or more characters . You can use their conversation to convey background information to your reader, too. This might be through your characters talking about something that’s happened, one character explaining something to another, or from them discovering something new together.

If two characters are walking into the old house together, you could have one character say to the other, “I haven’t been back here since my brother died.” (Direct exposition.)

Or, “Here’s where my brother and I used to record our heights every year. If he had lived just another few months he probably would have been taller than me.” (Indirect exposition.)

3. Internal monologue exposition

An internal monologue is where your character is talking to themselves inside their thoughts. In first person perspective , this will usually be a part of the narration. In third person perspective , however, the character’s thoughts will be distinct from the rest of the story.

We all talk to ourselves and sort things out in our heads all the time. In a story, you can use this in the same way as dialogue to convey new information to the reader. It’s also where a character processes what they’re feeling about a given situation.

For example, if your first-person narrator is moving through their old house on their own, they might say to themselves, “I can’t believe Alan and I were ever this small. I thought that was going to be the year he outgrew me. If I’d known he wouldn’t have the chance I would have been a lot nicer to him.”

You can intersperse your characters’ thoughts and internal monologue with details that show how the setting is affecting your characters and how they’re reacting to it.

An internal monologue should always be indirect exposition ; the reason is that when we’re talking to ourselves, we don’t naturally convey information in a very direct way. We turn things over in our heads based on what we already know and consider only the details we need to process those things.

Your character wouldn’t say to themselves, “I haven’t been back here since my brother died”; they might say something like, “It feels like it’s been a lot less than twenty years. Everything still looks like home.”

When a character has an internal monologue that acts as an info dump and explains background information in a very obvious way, that’s often a sign of inexperienced writing. That’s why great exposition is such an art form!

4. Flashback exposition

Flashbacks are where instead of describing key plot points that have happened, your reader actually gets to see them happening. This can take the form of an isolated section of the story, such as a prologue or a separate chapter, or it can happen as a short deviation from the events happening in the present.

For example, you might say:

Sunshine streamed through the skylight and illuminated the bannister where Alan had been playing that day. She looked up and remembered how scared she had been, yelling at him to get down and stop messing around. His confidence had just made her more angry, and more scared. She tried not to show her fear, but Alan had always been able to see right through her. He laughed at her and climbed up onto the bannister, arms outstretched, balanced precariously on a thin strip of polished wood. The sunlight poured through the skylight and illuminated his hair like a renaissance painting just before he fell.

Flashbacks always need to be triggered by something—usually something sensory. Specific sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures are deeply linked to our memories, and you can use those sensory stimuli to reveal information to your reader.

In this example, the protagonist’s memory was triggered by the sight of sunlight on the wooden bannister. Through it she was able to show us what really happened.

All of these exposition methods can be useful in a story, but any of them will become cumbersome when used too extensively or exclusively. The best way to create exposition in your story is to use some or all of these methods together, building the backstory of your novel or short story piece by piece.

Pros and cons of using exposition

Exposition is an important literary device in your story, but it has to be used with finesse. Here are a few of the risks and rewards of using exposition in your writing.

Pro: It opens up new worlds

Exposition is a marvellous tool when it comes to building imaginary worlds in your story. Whether your story is set in a fantastical faerie tale kingdom, a distant colony in the farthest reaches of the galaxy, or an alternate version of Victorian-era London, exposition introduces your readers to the most minute details of what makes your story world special and unique.

Con: Too much can drag down your pacing

The tricky thing about exposition is that it can slow your plot way down. One of the biggest challenges in expository writing is taking the time to share necessary information with your readers, without losing sight of your main goal as a writer—which is to tell the story .

Using too much exposition at once, or using it clumsily, will slow down the action of your story and make your readers lose interest in the struggles your characters are facing.

Pro: It brings complexity to your characters

Great stories are built out of dynamic, multi-layered characters , and the best way to accomplish this is to give your characters dynamic, multi-layered lives. Exposition gives you a way to show the readers the sort of conflicts your characters have faced in the past, what their hopes and desires are, and what sort of experiences—good and bad—have made them into the people they are today. This makes them feel more real to the reader.

Con: It can distract from your story

Unfortunately, the temptation when using exposition can be to tell your readers too much, which pulls them away from the scene you’re showing in that moment. As a writer, it’s great for you to know what your protagonist had for breakfast every day when they were five years old. But does that time of their life influence the choices they’re making right now? If not, your readers don’t need to know about it.

It’s the same when you’re building fantastical worlds. Should you know how the people surviving together on a floating piece of space jetsam go to the bathroom? Yes, probably. Does the reader need to know? Only if it becomes relevant to the plot.

Pro: It’s relatable

Exposition is a great way to address any questions or uncertainties that your reader may have. You can use exposition in dialogue as a “stand in” for the reader to help make sense of anything that might feel out of place.

This is a common tactic in mystery novels, where one character might not understand everything that’s happened, and so another character needs to explain it to them. In the classic Sherlock Holmes stories, Holmes often explains his thought process to Watson, who is usually just as confused as any of us would be.

This accomplishes the double duty of giving the reader important information and helps the different characters feel more believable and relatable.

Con: It can take you out of the moment

The biggest risk when it comes to clumsy exposition is that it can pull your reader out of your story. Readers will be most engaged with your writing when your characters feel intimate and present and real. Exposition, unfortunately, can detract from that intimacy.

For instance, you might say, “Sophie waved to her friend Julie as she entered the classroom. Julie had been her best friend for more than ten years, when they met on the playground back in primary school and Julie stood up to a bully who was making fun of Sophie’s ratty old clothes. Since then, they’d always done everything together.”

The problem? People don’t actually think like this. This isn’t what’s going through Sophie’s head in this moment. Clunky exposition can put an unnecessary distance between your reader and your characters.

Sometimes you’ll need to sneak in little asides of direct exposition in your story, and that’s okay. Just make sure you don’t pile them one on top of each other, and you don’t lose sight of your goal: to keep the story moving.

3 examples of exposition in literature

Exposition is all about communicating the most possible information in the least amount of words, while maintaining the forward motion of the story. Here are a few examples of exposition in literature that show whole worlds in just a few moments.

1. Pick-Up by Charles Willeford

It must have been around a quarter to eleven. A sailor came in and ordered a chilli dog and coffee. I sliced a bun, jerked a frank out of the boiling water, nested it, poured a half-dipper of chilli over the frank and sprinkled it liberally with chopped onions. I scribbled a check and put it by his plate. I wouldn’t have recommended the unpalatable mess to a starving animal.

Without directly stating it, this first paragraph tells us that we’re in a diner by the sea—probably somewhere in America. Right away we can tell that the point of view is from someone working in the diner, and the short, snappy quality of the sentences suggests a worker who has gone through these motions a thousand times before.

The final sentence shows us the narrator’s personality, his view of his job, and his begrudging acceptance of his place in it.

2. The Juvie Three by Gordon Korman

Gecko opens the dryer door and staggers back from a blast of arid heat that sears his skin and bakes the moisture out of his eyes, nose, and mouth. He reaches in, burning his fingers on the metal snaps of at least thirty orange jumpsuits. The industrial-size equipment in the laundry room of the Jerome Atchison Juvenile Detention Center must be powered by volcanic heat, accessed straight from the earth’s core, Gecko reflects, trying to blink some tears back to his eyes. Strange that it would be hard to cry in a place like this. It took all his strength to hold himself back from bawling on day one, when they marched him through the tall gates topped with razor wire.

Here the exposition smoothly and deftly establishes the setting. “Orange jumpsuits” is the first clue indirectly dropped in for the reader, followed by the name of the place that our story is taking place. Not only do we know that we’re in a prison, but the “Juvenile” sneakily tells us something very important about our character—the fact that they’re very young.

Using the heat and the reference to tears as a sensory point allows the author to drop in a brief, vivid flashback of the character’s arrival, which also suggests some more background on the character Gecko’s youth and vulnerability. Korman manages to say quite a lot in a very small space.

3. Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

Mike Bowman whistled cheerfully as he drove the Land Rover through the Cabo Blanco Biological Reserve, on the west coast of Costa Rica. It was a beautiful morning in July, and the road before him was spectacular: hugging the edge of a cliff, overlooking the jungle and the blue Pacific. According to the guidebooks, Cabo Blanco was unspoiled wilderness, almost a paradise. Seeing it now made Bowman feel as if the vacation was back on track.

This opening paragraph allows itself a moment to enjoy the view in peaceful harmony. It directly tells the reader where they are, but also manages to drop some subtle hints in along the way: a guidebook, suggesting that the character Mike is unfamiliar with the location, and the the idea that his vacation is “back on track,” which loads a lot of back story into a minuscule moment. It tells us that something has already gone wrong, but he’s feeling optimistic that things are going to get better.

Use exposition to sharpen your story

Exposition is an essential part of every narrative—not just in the beginning, but throughout its entire journey. By using exposition in writing you can give your readers a wider view of the world you’re creating; you can give your characters new depth and new facets; and you can broaden your core story to include a greater range of space and time.

While poorly written exposition risks dragging down your story’s plot, effective exposition takes your fiction writing to a whole new level and makes the humanity within it feel even more real.

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Definition of Exposition

It’s a hot day and I hate my wife.

Common Sources of Exposition in Writing

Common examples of exposition in well-known tales, methods of conveying exposition.

Dialogue between characters is an effective method to convey exposition. An exchange of words can introduce important background information in a natural and unforced way within a story. Dialogue is an indirect way of incorporating critical details in expository writing. Conversation and even argument allows a writer to illuminate backstory and context for the reader to achieve greater understanding of the narrative, plot, characters, etc, in a story or novel. However, it’s essential for writers to avoid overusing dialogue as a method of exposition since this can overwhelm and/or bore the reader in addition to appearing forced and unnatural.

Internal Monologue

Examples of exposition in literature, example 1:  sonny’s blues (james baldwin).

When he was about as old as the boys in my classes his face had been bright and open, there was a lot of copper in it; and he’d had wonderfully direct brown eyes, and a great gentleness and privacy. I wondered what he looked like now . He had been picked up, the evening before, in a raid on an apartment downtown, for peddling and using heroin.

In Baldwin’s work of short fiction , the narrator provides necessary information about his brother Sonny so that the reader is able to understand the conflict and tenuous relationship portrayed in the story. Since the narration is in the first person, readers are offered exposition about the characters and events through the point of view of the protagonist . This establishes an intimacy in terms of the thoughts and feelings of the narrator. However, the expository information is also limited to the narrator’s knowledge, experience, and understanding within the story.

Example 2:  The Giver  (Lois Lowry)

“But why can’t everyone have the memories? I think it would seem a little easier if the memories were shared. You and I wouldn’t have to bear so much by ourselves, if everybody took a part.” The Giver sighed. “You’re right,” he said. “But then everyone would be burdened and pained. They don’t want that. And that’s the real reason The Receiver is so vital to them, and so honored. They selected me – and you – to lift that burden from themselves.”

In Lowry’s novel, the reader is provided limited expository information as the story and significance of this fictional world unfolds. This enhances the suspense of the plot as well as the novel’s unexpected twists in action. The above passage is an example of exposition through dialogue between the characters of Jonas and The Giver. As Jonas asks more questions of The Giver, the reader develops a greater connection to and understanding of this society and the behavior of its characters. Through expository dialogue, the reader also becomes “The Receiver” of important information and experiences a parallel journey to that of Jonas through the novel. As a result, the story’s meaning and impact is even stronger.

Example 3:  The Ocean at the End of the Lane  (Neil Gaiman)

I was sad that nobody had come to my birthday party, but happy that I had a Batman figure, and there was a birthday present waiting to be read, a boxed set of the Narnia books, which I took upstairs. I lay on the bed and lost myself in the stories. I liked that. Books were safer than other people anyway.

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Exposition Definition

What is exposition? Here’s a quick and simple definition:

Exposition is the description or explanation of background information within a work of literature. Exposition can cover characters and their relationship to one another, the setting or time and place of events, as well as any relevant ideas, details, or historical context.

Some additional key details about exposition:

• Writers can introduce exposition into a story in a variety of ways, but it appears across all genres and styles of storytelling.
• The individual pieces of background information that writers use to create exposition are known as expository details .
• The word exposition comes from the Latin word exponere , which means to put out, exhibit, or explain.
• Some people use the term "exposition" as if it's a bad thing, which awkwardly breaks up the flow of a story with chunks of background detail. It's important to understand that all literature involves some sort of exposition, and it can be done either well (such that as a reader you almost don't realize it's happening) or badly (such that it lamely messes up the pacing or energy of the story).

Exposition Pronunciation

Here's how to pronounce exposition: ek -spuh-zih-shun

Understanding Exposition

Classic fairy tales often use the words "once upon a time" to introduce expository details, like who the main characters are, where the story is set, and what the major conflict or problem of the story might be. Exposition isn't always quite that easy to spot, but some form of exposition appears in almost every work of literature, and readers typically rely on exposition and background information to give context to the main events of a story.

Exposition in Linear vs. Non-linear Narratives

In linear narratives (stories in which a writer describes events in the chronological order in which they occur), writers often include the bulk of the story's exposition near the beginning, then add additional expository details throughout the story—for example, each time a new character, setting, or key idea is introduced. In non-linear narratives (stories that include flashbacks or move backward and forward in time), writers are more likely to scatter expository details throughout the work. Writers can also build suspense by withholding expository details, and then revealing them later in a story.

Direct and Indirect Exposition

Though writers can use many different techniques to create exposition, it comes in two main forms: direct and indirect exposition.

• Direct exposition occurs when the narrator or a character briefly pauses or delays the action of the story to introduce expository details. For example, in the opening chapter of I Capture the Castle by Dodi Smith, the novel's narrator uses direct exposition when she describes her sister as "nearly twenty-one and very bitter with life."
• Indirect exposition occurs when the narrator or a character provides details that allow the reader to infer key background information and gradually assemble a fuller understanding of the world of the story. For example, if a narrator mentions that a woman is biting her fingernails and fidgeting with her purse, the reader can infer that the woman feels nervous.

It's helpful to understand the distinction between direct and indirect exposition, but bear in mind that most works of literature use a combination of both direct and indirect exposition to convey important information to the reader. Below, we'll take a look at some of the major techniques that writers use to create both direct and indirect exposition.

Prologue and Epilogue

Prologues and epilogues are two tools writers can use to create exposition, providing readers with information that allows them to better understand the story or themes of a work of literature.

• A prologue is a short introduction to a work of literature that provides context and background information for the story that follows, and which may briefly summarize the story's main events.
• An epilogue is a section at the end of a work of literature which may contextualize, reflect on, and/or briefly summarize the story's main events, or may give readers information about what happened to characters after the end of the main story.

Flashbacks and Memories

Writers who begin their story in media res (in the middle of the action) often use flashbacks and memories to convey important information about events that occurred before the beginning of the narrative. For example, in her dystopian novel The Handmaid's Tale , Margaret Atwood uses her narrator's memories to gradually explain how an ultra-conservative sect of Christianity overthrew the United States government and installed a repressive regime. The use of flashbacks in this case is an example of exposition in a nonlinear narrative.

Characters' Thoughts, Dialogue, and Monologue

Writers can also use characters' thoughts as an effective expository tool. Though this is similar to using a character's memories to fill in important information for the reader, a character's thoughts in the present moment can be used to indicate their opinions and worldview, relationships with other characters, and can even give readers important information about other characters. For example, if a writer wants to show that a character who is working as a cashier longs to be a musician, they might write something like, "Ellen gave the customer his change and sighed. If only I could find a practice space and a drummer, she thought. This could be the year we finally get the band back together."

In theater and film, characters' thoughts are often represented through monologue or dialogue . The words that characters speak—either in dialogue or monologue—are often used to communicate both direct and indirect exposition, and can convey important background information to the reader. Dialogue and monologue are especially important expository tools for playwrights and screenwriters, because most plays and films rely solely on a combination of visual storytelling, dialogue, and monologue to introduce the world of the story and its characters.

Media and In-Universe Media

Non-fiction writers may quote media (such as books, newspapers, websites, text-messages, magazines, letters, or emails) in order to convey important information directly to readers. Similarly, fiction writers may use "in-universe media," meaning forms of media that exist within the world of a story, to contextualize key events or convey background information to the reader. For example, Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein tells the story of Dr. Frankenstein and his monster through the letters of a peripheral character who is recounting the story to his sister.

Sometimes, narrators use in-universe media to convey new information to the reader and to a character simultaneously. In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone , for instance, Harry and the reader discover that he has been accepted into Hogwarts at the same time: when he finally gets to read the letter of admission. And throughout the Harry Potter series, various information is conveyed, to both Harry and the reader, through articles from the wizarding newspaper, The Daily Prophet .

Exposition Examples

Exposition examples in literature.

All literature that involves a story includes some sort of exposition. If it didn't the characters would exist in a world without context, without histories or a setting.

Exposition in Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

Shakespeare opens Romeo and Juliet with a prologue delivered by a chorus. It begins as follows:

Two households, both alike in dignity In fair Verona, where we lay our scene From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.

With this prologue, Shakespeare uses direct exposition to convey important background information. He is telling the audience that the play is set in Verona and is about two feuding families who are of equal status and share equal blame for the feud and the deaths of civilians. The entire fourteen-line prologue, in fact, reveals even the fact that Romeo and Juliet will ultimately die: the entire plot, and the character's fate, is provided in the exposition of the prologue.

Exposition in Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Speak tells the story of a young girl named Melinda's first year of high school, as she grapples with depression after something terrible happens to her at a party. As she celebrates Christmas with her parents, Melinda tells the reader about her struggle to hide her secret:

I almost tell them right then and there. Tears flood my eyes. They noticed I’ve been trying to draw. They noticed. I try to swallow the snowball in my throat. This isn’t going to be easy. I’m sure they suspect I was at the party. Maybe they even heard about me calling the cops.

Melinda does not tell her friends, family, or even the reader what exactly happened to her until later in the novel, so Anderson uses a combination of direct and indirect exposition—including flashbacks and Melinda's thoughts—to gradually clue readers into why she feels so isolated and depressed. In this passage, the reader learns that whatever happened at the party caused Melinda to call the police.

Exposition in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen's narrator uses dialogue to introduce Mrs. and Mr. Bennet, their relationship, and their differing attitudes towards arranging marriages for their daughters:

"A single man of large fortune; four or five thousand a year. What a fine thing for our girls!” “How so? How can it affect them?” “My dear Mr. Bennet,” replied his wife, “how can you be so tiresome! You must know that I am thinking of his marrying one of them.” “Is that his design in settling here?” “Design! Nonsense, how can you talk so! But it is very likely that he may fall in love with one of them, and therefore you must visit him as soon as he comes.”

This conversation provides indirect exposition, showing readers—without explaining it directly—that Mrs. Bennet is preoccupied with arranging marriages for her daughters, and that Mr. Bennet has a deadpan sense of humor and enjoys teasing his wife.

Exposition in Howard's End by E.M. Forster

Forster begins Howard's End with a series of letters from Helen to her sister, Meg. Helen is staying with family friends at a house called Howard's End when she writes the letter that closes Chapter 1, which reads as follows:

Howard's End, Sunday. Dearest, dearest Meg, I do not know what you will say: Paul and I are in love, the younger son who only came here Wednesday.

Though Helen and Paul quickly break off their relationship, Helen's declaration of love gives readers (and Helen's sister) key information they would not have known otherwise, and sets the action of the novel in motion. This is an example of the use of "in-universe media" to create exposition.

Exposition in Pop Music

Songs often tell stories just as novels or other literature does. While not all songs tell stories that require exposition, those that do often contain exposition.

Exposition in We Are Never Getting Back Together by Taylor Swift

In the opening lines of "We Are Never Getting Back Together," Taylor Swift sings:

I remember when we broke up the first time Saying, "This is it, I've had enough," 'cause like We hadn't seen each other in a month When you said you needed space. (What?) Then you come around again and say, "Baby, I miss you and I swear I'm gonna change, trust me." Remember how that lasted for a day?

Swift draws from memories and uses dialogue to establish that she and the person she is addressing have broken up and gotten back together several times. This exposition provides context for the resolution she reaches in the chorus: to "never get back together."

Exposition in Hotline Bling by Drake

In the opening lines of "Hotline Bling," Drake sings:

You used to call me on my cellphone Late nights when you need my love

These lines, which form part of the song's chorus, establish that Drake is addressing a person with whom he used to have a relationship. They also provide context for the events and feelings that he describes throughout the song's verses.

What's the Function of Exposition in Literature?

Exposition locates readers in the world of the story: it establishes the "who, what, where, when," and sometimes "why" of a plot. Depending on a writer's goals and the style in which they are writing, they may place exposition at the beginning of a story, or they may introduce it gradually throughout the text, often with the aim of creating mystery or building suspense by withholding key details that contextualize important events and explain characters' world-views or motivations. This can have the advantage of encouraging the audience to keep reading or watching as the story unfolds.

In journalistic writing, it is common practice to open a story with a "lede," or a sentence that sums up the main event that the story is reporting on. Then, each time a new place, person, or idea is introduced throughout the story, the writer will offer a brief explanation. Journalists use this kind of direct exposition because news reporting is intended to give readers important information in a clear, direct, and succinct fashion.

Other Helpful Exposition Resources

• A guide to writing exposition in literature: Award-winning author Rachel Simon offers a writer's perspective on how to use direct and indirect exposition.
• A guide to exposition in film: Advice on how to work exposition into film.
• 18 Genius Pieces of Movie Exposition : A list that gives good examples of the different ways that some directors worked exposition into their movies.

• Antimetabole
• Deus Ex Machina
• Falling Action
• Slant Rhyme
• Formal Verse
• Personification
• Juxtaposition

• Quizzes, saving guides, requests, plus so much more.

Exposition in Literature: Definition, Examples, and a Complete Guide for Writers

by Joe Bunting | 0 comments

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How do good stories start? In the middle of the action? With a slow buildup to the action? What would you say really is  the literary definition of exposition, and how can knowing it help you write better stories?

Exposition is a literary term that deals with how to start a story .

In this article, I’ll define exposition, talk about how it fits into the dramatic structure, give examples of exposition from popular novels, plays, and films, and then give a few tips on how to use the exposition best in your writing.

Let’s get started.

Note : this article contains an excerpt from my #1 best-selling book The Write Structure , which is about the hidden structures behind bestselling and award-winning stories. If you want to learn more about how to write a great story, by mastering storytelling musts like the exposition literary definition, you can get the book for a limited time low price. Click here to get The Write Structure ($5.99).

Exposition Literary Definition

The exposition is a set of scenes in a story that are meant to introduce the audience to the characters, world, and tone of the story. It is relatively short, and no major changes occur during these opening scenes.

While we will focus on how exposition works in a narrative in this article, the term is also used in music, marketing ( expo), and academic, expository essays, where it relates to a comprehensive argumentation for a theory or idea.

Origin of the Term Exposition

The word exposition originates from two Latin words expōnere , meaning “to display,” and expositio meaning “a setting forth.”

The combination is helpful to understanding to what is happening in the exposition of a story: the setting forth of a display, like how an author brings forward the pieces of a story, including the characters, the setting, and the key details of the plot before the story truly begins.

The music world gives us clues as to what is happening in an exposition, too. An exposition is the first section of a fugue or sonata form during which the main melodic themes are introduced for first time. In the same way, in a story, the exposition can be the place where the theme and the main ideas are first stated.

Synonyms for exposition in storytelling include introduction (used by Freytag) and sometimes hook.

Knowing the origins of the exposition literary definition can help you purposefully use exposition in scenes structuring your story.

Where Exposition Fits in the Dramatic Structure

At The Write Practice , we talk about the six elements that make up dramatic structure. They are:

• Inciting Incident
• Rising Action/Progressive Complications

In dramatic structure, the exposition occurs at the beginning of the story and is meant to set up the inciting incident, which is a moment where the action kicks off in the story.

How Long Is the Exposition in Most Stories?

Since stories are about change and values in conflict, the exposition, which contains no change, is necessarily quite short.

Most exposition is just two or three scenes, and in some cases, as short as half a scene.

For example, in  The Hobbit , there are just a couple of pages of exposition before Gandalf shows up and invites Bilbo on an adventure.

Think about how this works well in the story as you recall the exposition literary definition—how it establishes the Shire, the tone for the novel, and the quaint setting that will drastically shift once Bilbo leaves home.

Exposition Examples

Here are a few examples of exposition in literature:

Example: The Exposition in Romeo and Juliet

In Romeo and Juliet , the exposition is actually fairly long, even longer depending on where you put the inciting incident (Freytag puts it earlier than I would, but then, Freytag has a different way of thinking about story structure ):

• Servants of the two leading families in the city, the Montagues and Capulets, feud in the streets.
• Romeo, a young son of the Montagues, is depressed after being rejected by a woman, and his friends attempt to cheer him up.
• Juliet, the daughter of the Capulets, chafes at her parents setting her up with a man.
• Romeo’s friends convince him to attend a party at the Capulets’ house.

At this party, Romeo meets Juliet, and falls in love at first sight, creating the inciting incident. This is when the main action of the play begins.

But it isn’t until the fifth scene that the inciting incident occurs, which makes this one of the longer examples of exposition.

Note: Gustav Freytag argues that the invitation to the Capulets’ party is actually the inciting incident, which would make the exposition a bit shorter, just three scenes. I get this, from a certain perspective, since it’s the party that throws the two families together irrevocably, but I think that event is dwarfed by instant attraction between the two lovers.

Exposition Length : four scenes

Example: The Exposition in  Gravity

In contrast, the film  Gravity , about an astronaut attempting to survive a disaster in space, has an exposition that is quite short.

The story begins with Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) and astronaut Matt Kowalksi (George Clooney) who are on a spacewalk on the Hubble Space Telescope.

But their spacewalk is interrupted when a missile strike causes a chain reaction of space debris that threatens to destroy much of the spacecraft around the planet.

This missile strike and the space debris chain reaction occurs right at the end of the first scene, meaning the exposition is less than a scene long.

Exposition Length : less than one scene

6 Tips for a Great Exposition

Now that we've looked at some great examples, let's explore how to do it in your story. If you’re writing a novel, screenplay, or other narrative, thinking about the exposition literary definition and how it works in storytelling can help you write a strong opening with these six tips.

1. Begin With Your Story’s Core Value

As we’ve talked about in our discussion of story arcs , every story has a core value scale that it moves on, and when you begin a story, your very first scene should be about the core value of your story.

There are traditionally six value scales:

• Life vs. Death
• Life vs. a Fate Worse than Death
• Love vs. Hate
• Accomplishment vs. Failure
• Maturity vs. Naiveté
• Right vs. Wrong

Stories rise and fall on the scale of these values. A love story might begin in the middle of the love vs. hate scale, rise during the meet cute, fall during a breakup, and end high on the love scale.

In your exposition, part of a writer’s job is to establish what scale your story is moving on. Your story may play with several of these values, but your core value must be presented from the very first scene.

Are you telling an adventure story on the life vs. death scale? Then begin with your first life vs. death moment.

Are you telling a performance story about a team competing to win a major tournament? Then begin with a scene that deals with accomplishment and failure.

Are you telling a story about good and evil? Well, show the audience a moment when good confronts evil right at the start.

Your exposition is not just about introducing your setting and your main characters' background information. It’s also about introducing the values at play in your story.

Then, when you start with these values and keep them in mind throughout the rest of your story, you’ll find the story comes together.

2. Include Conflict

Just because there’s no major change doesn’t mean there’s no conflict or choice in the opening.

Stories can feel slow and boring during the exposition, even when they’re written by great authors. But they can really drag when inexperienced authors make the mistake of thinking the exposition is just to introduce characters, provide backstory, and develop their world.

No. Please, dear writer, do not do this.

The exposition is still part of the story, and all story relies on conflict and choice to create plot movement.

Otherwise your reader will read five pages of your story and then put it down in boredom.

Your exposition must still be a good story.

How do you actually do that though? How do you make sure your exposition has conflict and choice so that it can develop the plot?

Here’s how: just as a story has the six elements of dramatic structure, so every scene must incorporate them as well. It is these six elements within every scene that will keep your story moving.

For more help writing scenes, see my article The Definitive Guide to Scene Structure .

That means every scene, even a scene in the exposition, must have exposition, an inciting incident, rising action, a crisis, a climax, and a denouement.

For example, let’s look at the opening scene in Romeo and Juliet , in which the servants from the Montagues and Capulets feud on the streets.

We could outline the scene like this:

• Exposition: Two Capulet servants talk about their hatred of the Montagues.
• Inciting Incident: Two Montague servants come onstage and a verbal feud begins.
• Rising Complication: Benvolio, a Montague, tries to stop the fight, but Tybalt, a Capulet, insults him.
• Crisis: Benvolio must choose whether to fight and break the peace or allow himself to be called a coward.
• Climax: Tybalt and Benvolio fight until their fight is broken up by armed citizens.
• Denouement: The Prince declares that anyone who breaks the peace will be executed.

See how, even though this is just a scene in the exposition, it still contains all the elements of dramatic structure?

So, too, any scene in your exposition should have this dramatic structure, or else risk feeling like boring info-dumping.

3. Introduce Most of Your Characters

First impressions matter. How you introduce your characters is how they will be remembered by the reader throughout the story. Take care to introduce them with the exact impression you want the reader to take away.

You can introduce them through narrative, description, or internal monologue (a character's thoughts), but the best way to first  introduce a character is through dialogue and action.

Also be sure to introduce all or at least most  of the important characters in your story in the exposition.

While you can introduce characters throughout the first act of your story (it’s usually not a good idea to introduce them afterward) it’s your exposition’s job to introduce most of your cast.

This is a lesson I learned the hard way in my memoir Crowdsourcing Paris , when I introduced a pivotal character all the way at the end of act two.

When a beta reader gave me feedback that I needed to introduce the character earlier, I did a massive facepalm. I should have known better! So I moved up the character’s introduction, and it made the story flow much better.

4. Establish the Point of View (POV)

Establish your point of view in the exposition, and then don’t change it.

The point of view is the perspective from which you tell the story. It will determine how your readers receive information, which is crucial to how they experience the plot.

The main options are third person limited, third person omniscient, and first person.

Just like understanding the exposition literary definition is crucial to storytelling, so is understanding the definition and application of point of view. For more on this, you can read our ultimate point of view guide here .

5. Save the Cat

One tried and true method of introducing a central character in the best possible light is to have them “ save the cat ,” a screenwriting term popularized by Blake Snyder in his book of the same name. The term refers to a character who does a selfless, or at least admirable, act to prove they are “worth rooting for” and endear themselves to the reader early on in the story.

The term comes from Roxanne , the 1987 film starring Steve Martin and Darryl Hannah. In the beginning of the film, Martin, who has a strangely long nose, literally saves a cat from a tree, thus making sure you love him despite his strange appearance.

The admirable act, of course, does not have to be saving a cat.

Here are some examples of this device in popular stories:

• Aladdin . After stealing a loaf of bread and escaping the police, Aladdin offers his share to two hungry-looking children, proving that he’s a thief with character.
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone . If being an orphan and bullied by the uncle, aunt, and cousin he lives with isn’t enough for readers to bond with Harry, he also befriends and then saves a snake from humiliating captivity. (“Save the snake” is a less catchy guideline, but it works!)
• Pride and Prejudice . Elizabeth Bennet is first singled out as worth rooting for by her father, when he compares her to her sisters, saying, “Lizzy has something more of quickness than her sisters.” Then later, we cheer for her when she’s insulted by Mr. Darcy and instead of getting angry, she laughs it off.
• The Hobbit . Bilbo Baggins, like many of us, both longs for adventure (because of his Took ancestry, as Tolkien explains) and is very uncomfortable with it. This inner turmoil makes him the perfect “everyman” hero thrown into the midst of a very tumultuous situation involving dwarves and dragons. He is like us, and we always want to root for ourselves.

While a selfless or admirable act is not required, it is important to somehow develop a bond with your characters early on, and this technique is one of the best, most efficient ways to do it.

6. Build to the Inciting Incident Quickly

As we showed in our example, the exposition isn’t meant to be long: as short as half a scene and as long as four.

The point here is to get to the point: the inciting incident .

The inciting incident is when the story will begin moving, and a story that doesn’t move doesn’t make for a good story.

So don’t dawdle.

Do what you need to do to set up the inciting incident, and then move on.

Some Books Don’t Start With the Exposition

Just because great writers understand the exposition literary definition and how to use it in stories doesn't mean all stories have an exposition.

In some stories, especially action, thriller, or horror stories, it’s appropriate to begin with a short scene of heightened tension.

There are several ways to handle this:

In Medias Res

In medias res , meaning “in the middle” in Latin, is a literary technique to start a story in the middle of the action. This begins the story with a heightened level of suspense at the expense of clarity for the sake of the reader.

The audience, who doesn’t after all know the characters who are caught up in the action, can easily feel distant or even confused. However, in certain stories and genres this is well worth it for the sake of an immediate shot of action.

A good example of a story that starts in medias res is almost every film in the  Mission Impossible  franchise.

Flash Forward

Similarly, a story that starts with a flash forward (as opposed to a flashback) begins not in the exposition but in the climax—not a full climax but a shortened glimpse of the climax. Then, in the middle of the crisis of that scene, you pull away from the scene and flash back to the start of the story, the exposition.

A good example of this technique is  Fight Club  by Chuck Palahniuk (both the novel and film versions).

There are drawbacks to beginning with a moment deep in the action of the story, whether in medias res or a flash forward. You can miss the opportunity to build a bond between your audience and your characters. You also risk confusing and disorienting the audience.

The writers who do it the best draw the audience out of the action as quickly as they drew them in, soon beginning normal exposition.

What is always true of successful stories is you have to get through the exposition at some point, even if it’s not in the first scene.

Good Stories Start With Clear Choices

If you want to write a great story, you don’t start too fast with a climactic moment. You also don’t want to start too slow with no choices or conflict.

No, you want to start with strong exposition, using crisis choices to introduce characters in a way your reader can root for them, not giving away too much information, not creating much movement.

Instead, you want to set the foundation of all the story that is going to happen in the future, starting with your inciting incident.

Understanding the exposition literary definition and studying examples of stories (like the ones covered in this post) that include exposition with purpose will help you apply exposition (well) in your own story,

So get started, and have fun!

What are your favorite opening scenes or exposition scenes in film or novels? Share in the comments.  

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Now that you've read this post, how well do you understand the exposition literary definition? Let’s put the exposition to use with the following creative writing exercise :

Use the following story structure as a creative writing prompt to write an exposition of your own.

• Exposition: ___________ (Fill in the blank.)
• Inciting incident: A master thief shares the plan for the greatest heist of his/her career with his/her team.
• Rising action: The team plans the heist.
• Crisis: Best bad choice. Risk losing the heist for the sake of the team, or choose to save the team and give up the profit from the heist?
• Climax: The master thief gives up the profit, saving his/her team.
• Resolution: Missing out on the heist, or appearing to, was all part of the thief’s plan, and he/she shares the profits with his/her team.

Start by outlining the missing exposition in a single sentence. Then set your timer for fifteen minutes and write your exposition as quickly as you can.

When your time is up, post your practice (and your exposition sentence)in the Pro Practice Workshop for feedback. And if you post, be sure to leave feedback on a few pieces by other writers.

Happy writing!

Joe Bunting

Joe Bunting is an author and the leader of The Write Practice community. He is also the author of the new book Crowdsourcing Paris , a real life adventure story set in France. It was a #1 New Release on Amazon. Follow him on Instagram (@jhbunting).

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• Literary Terms
• Definition & Examples
• When & How to Build the Exposition

I. What is Exposition?

The exposition of a story is the first paragraph or paragraphs in which the characters , setting (time and place), and basic information is introduced. A lot of movies show the exposition by panning over the city or countryside and showing the main character doing something such as walking, working, or waking up. These scenes allow the readers to understand where the story is taking place and who’s in it.

II. Examples of Exposition

Expositions are the place to show the reader a little bit of the location and what kind of time is involved in the story, along with some of the major characters.

Tommy kicked angrily at the rocks in front of him as he walked to the little store up the road. The gravel road was quiet, with only the dust from his feet rising up from the ground. The Texas spring was hotter and drier than normal, causing a slight drought. Tommy wished he still had his bike, but he had broken the frame last fall when he and his friends did some trick rides. “Man, that was some fun, though!” he remembered with a smile.

His smile went back to a frown as his thoughts returned to why he was walking on this hot Saturday morning. His sister Rachel was home from college for the weekend, so he didn’t understand why HE had to go get the milk. She could have driven in her car. It was always, “Rachel’s busy. Rachel needs to study.” Today it was, “Rachel’s tired from her drive home last night.” Whatever! He had work to do, too. What about how busy he was? Everyone treated him like he was a little kid. But he had his 10 th grade exams coming up in two weeks. He was busy, too!

In this example, we see the protagonist, Tommy, battling some inner conflict as he deals with issues with his older sister. The setting is in Texas, somewhere out in the country; he’s in high school, and it is spring. There is also a slight drought going on, which may or may not affect the story as it progresses. From his reflection on what happened to his bike, we get the idea that he’s a little adventurous and active. These two paragraphs give us a good opening to understanding the protagonist and the setting.

III. Methods of Exposition

A. backstory/prologue.

Some books or stories will have a “Prologue” before the first chapter or a scene showing something from the past. This prologue or backstory sets the story by giving a description of events that have affected or lead the main character up to the present time in the story. It will also show other characters and perhaps the antagonist.

b. Inner Monologue/Flashback

The story may start with the character in his or her present time, showing the time and place (setting) at that moment. Then the protagonist (main character) may have a flashback or have an inner monologue (speaking to him- her-self) that shows the reader a previous event which impacts the story or is the cause of a later conflict along with the possible antagonist.

c. Character Dialogue

Another way of creating the exposition is through characters talking to each other. They may discuss previous events, issues that impact the story, and other characters. This conversation clues us in as to the where, when, and who.

IV. The Importance of Exposition

Exposition is important in a story because it allows the reader to see the location and factors of time, such as season, year of life, etc. It also introduces the characters. Without an idea of where and when the characters are, readers will be confused about why certain events are happening. Without a clear idea of how the characters are connected, readers may be confused, as well. The exposition is like that introductory paragraph in an essay – readers need to know where the story takes place and what characters they’ll be following.

V. Examples of Exposition in Literature

An interesting book about the magic of words in a story is “Inkheart” by Cornelia Funke. When Meggie was a toddler, her mother disappeared as her father read a story to her. That story was Inkheart. He is now searching the world for another copy of the book because as he was reading, bad guys magically appeared from the book as his wife disappeared into it. The bad guys took the book so that he couldn’t read them back into it. The excerpt below introduces Meggie and her father, showing that they have a close relationship. It also hints at the mysterious power books have on our characters. This story, which gives new meaning to the concept of “the power of words,” has been made into a movie.

Rain fell that night, a fine, whispering rain. Many years later, Meggie had only to close her eyes and she could still hear it, like tiny fingers tapping on the windowpane. A dog barked somewhere in the darkness, and however often she tossed and turned Meggie couldn’t get to sleep. The book she had been reading was under her pillow, pressing its cover against her ear as if to lure her back into its printed pages. ‘I’m sure it must be very comfortable sleeping with a hard, rectangular thing like that under your head,’ her father had teased the first time he found a book under her pillow. ‘Go on, admit it, the book whispers its story to you at night.’ (Funke).

A classic example of exposition can be found in Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.” Many plays start with prologues or monologues to cue viewers into the setting and characters. The prologue gives us background information such as the families involved, where they are, why there is a problem with Romeo and Juliet’s affection for each other, and the result of their feelings. This play is still a part of many schools’ curriculum due to its timeless story of forbidden love.

PROLOGUE Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life; Whose misadventured piteous overthrows Do with their death bury their parents’ strife. The fearful passage of their death-mark’d love, And the continuance of their parents’ rage, Which, but their children’s end, nought could remove, Is now the two hours’ traffic of our stage; The which if you with patient ears attend, What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend” (Shakespeare).

VI. Examples of Exposition in Pop Culture

Super heroes have been a popular part of our culture for many decades. A popular comic book brand, Marvel comics, is best known for the Avengers, heroes with super powers who save the world over and over. A television series, Marvel’s “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” features a group of Avengers who attempt to protect the world after the Battle of New York. This series, like most others, features an exposition at the start of a new season and each episode. The scenes are relevant past events that are needed to pick up the next story line.

A very clear and strong example of an exposition is from the movie “Pride and Prejudice,” which stars Kiera Knightly  and is adapted from Jane Austen’s book written in 1813. Our protagonist, Elizabeth (Lizzy), is featured walking in from the meadows while reading a book, illustrating her love of walks and books. The scene pans through her yard and home, letting viewers have an impression of the family’s status and manner of living. As she walks by a window, she hears her mother and father talking about a prospective new bachelor in the area. Since they have five daughters, her mother is frantic to ensure all five are safely married since their home will go to a distant male relative upon their father’s death. Thus the story line is set for the viewers to understand the coming events.

VII. Related Terms

Introduction.

The introduction is the opening paragraphs or sentences in a piece of writing that gives the topic and what will be said about it. Additional information may be the thesis and a preview of the main ideas. To introduce the topic, an interesting fact or short story may be given.

VIII. Conclusion

The exposition is an important part to any narrative or tale. A clear description of the setting and introducing characters will make your story easy to follow and much more interesting. Without it, readers will not have a context or understanding of events as the story unfolds.

List of Terms

• Alliteration
• Amplification
• Anachronism
• Anthropomorphism
• Antonomasia
• APA Citation
• Aposiopesis
• Autobiography
• Bildungsroman
• Characterization
• Circumlocution
• Cliffhanger
• Comic Relief
• Connotation
• Deus ex machina
• Deuteragonist
• Doppelganger
• Double Entendre
• Dramatic irony
• Equivocation
• Extended Metaphor
• Figures of Speech
• Flash-forward
• Foreshadowing
• Intertextuality
• Juxtaposition
• Literary Device
• Malapropism
• Onomatopoeia
• Parallelism
• Pathetic Fallacy
• Personification
• Point of View
• Polysyndeton
• Protagonist
• Red Herring
• Rhetorical Device
• Rhetorical Question
• Science Fiction
• Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
• Synesthesia
• Turning Point
• Understatement
• Urban Legend
• Verisimilitude
• Essay Guide
• Cite This Website

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Blog • Perfecting your Craft

Last updated on Nov 01, 2021

What is Exposition? Examples of Backstory in Action

About the author.

Reedsy's editorial team is a diverse group of industry experts devoted to helping authors write and publish beautiful books.

About Savannah Cordova

Savannah is a senior editor with Reedsy and a published writer whose work has appeared on Slate, Kirkus, and BookTrib. Her short fiction has appeared in the Owl Canyon Press anthology, "No Bars and a Dead Battery". 

Exposition is a literary device that introduces key background information to the reader. This can include anything from a character’s backstory to a description of the setting. 

Though exposition is necessary for nearly every single story, it’s hard to get it right. You’ve probably already experienced an “information dump,” which happens when poorly-executed exposition becomes a wall of text that a reader hastily skips past. 

For a practical demonstration of how great authors communicate information in their writing, here are 11 examples of exposition taken from famous works.

Revealing background information through dialogue

Dialogue is one of the most organic ways to introduce exposition: it’s a prime example of the #1 writing rule , “Show, don’t tell.” Instead of telling readers the key details, the author can show them through a conversation. Let’s take a look at some examples of expository dialogue in action.

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Exposition example: Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen

In the opening of Pride and Prejudice , Austen provides a masterclass in elegant exposition, establishing character relationships and setting up the novel’s action in one conversation.

“My dear Mr. Bennet,” said his lady to him one day, “have you heard that Netherfield Park is let at last?”   Mr. Bennet replied that he had not.   “But it is,” returned she; “for Mrs. Long has just been here, and she told me all about it.”   Mr. Bennet made no answer.   “Do you not want to know who has taken it?” cried his wife impatiently.   “You want to tell me, and I have no objection to hearing it.”   This was invitation enough.   “Why, my dear, you must know, Mrs. Long says that Netherfield is taken by a young man of large fortune from the north of England; that he came down on Monday in a chaise and four to see the place, and was so much delighted with it, that he agreed with Mr. Morris immediately; that he is to take possession before Michaelmas, and some of his servants are to be in the house by the end of next week.”

By eavesdropping on this short exchange, we’re able to both gain an understanding of the relationship between the Bennets (her being the gossip, him being the long-suffering listener), and learn that an inciting incident has disrupted their life’s status quo : the arrival of a wealthy single man into the village.

Exposition example: Lord of the Flies,  William Golding

We begin Lord of the Flies in the middle of things , or in medias res, with a group of boys having already crash landed on an uninhabited island. 

"This is an island. At least I think it's an island. That's a reef out in the sea. Perhaps there aren't any grownups anywhere."   The fat boy looked startled.   "There was that pilot. But he wasn't in the passenger cabin, he was up in front."   The fair boy was peering at the reef through screwed-up eyes.   "All them other kids," the fat boy went on. "Some of them must have got out. They must have, mustn't they?

Rather than having us witness the action, Golding establishes the crash and setting through dialogue, as we see the boys discuss what has happened, and question what will happen next.

Exposition example: Hamlet, Shakespeare

If anyone knows good dialogue, surely it’s Shakespeare. In this excerpt, we get an example of his efficiency in expositing dynamics and backstory through dialogue.

KING CLAUDIUS Take thy fair hour, Laertes; time be thine, And thy best graces spend it at thy will! But now, my cousin Hamlet, and my son,--   HAMLET [Aside] A little more than kin, and less than kind.   KING CLAUDIUS How is it that the clouds still hang on you?   HAMLET Not so, my lord; I am too much i' the sun.

Here, he establishes the tense relationship between Hamlet and his uncle, and introduces one of their key conflicts: Claudius feels Hamlet is too upset over the death of his father, while Hamlet finds Claudius cruel. 

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Narrative digressions to fill in important details

Exposition doesn’t need to come from characters themselves. Another expository tool at writers’ disposal is the use of narrative digressions to flesh out background and fill in gaps in the reader’s knowledge.

This technique should be used delicately: a reader doesn’t need to know every mundane detail about a character’s life, and frequently breaking from the plot to insert backstory can make a story lose tension. As Kurt Vonnegut once said: “Every sentence must do one of two things: reveal character or advance the action.” 

Great authors are usually sparing with this technique, only breaking from the action to fill in the most essential details. Let’s look at a few examples of narrative exposition to see how this can be achieved.

Exposition example: A Game of Thrones, George R. R. Martin

In this passage, Martin uses a brief narrative digression to establish both Catelyn Stark’s backstory and her religious piety.

Catelyn had been anointed with the seven oils and named in the rainbow of light that filled the sept of Riverrun. She was of the Faith, like her father and grandfather and his father before him. Her gods had names, and their faces were as familiar as the faces of her parents. Worship was a septon with a censer, the smell of incense, a seven-sided crystal alive with light, voices raised in song. The Tullys kept a godswood, as all the great houses did, but it was only a place to walk or read or lie in the sun. Worship was for the sept.

Martin is able to share insights into Catelyn personally, while also expanding on his worldbuilding, giving insight into religious norms and practices in a natural way. 

Exposition example: Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell

Here, Orwell makes a digression from the action of the scene, the Two Minutes Hate, to give explanatory context to this act, and to provide more background history for his world. 

As usual, the face of Emmanuel Goldstein, the Enemy of the People, had flashed on to the screen. There were hisses here and there among the audience. The little sandy-haired woman gave a squeak of mingled fear and disgust. Goldstein was the renegade and backslider who once, long ago (how long ago, nobody quite remembered), had been one of the leading figures of the Party, almost on a level with Big Brother himself, and then had engaged in counter-revolutionary activities, had been condemned to death, and had mysteriously escaped and disappeared. The programmes of the Two Minutes Hate varied from day to day, but there was none in which Goldstein was not the principal figure. He was the primal traitor, the earliest defiler of the Party’s purity.

Orwell takes the opportunity to establish who Emmanuel Goldstein is at a time when he has naturally appeared within the action, meaning the break from the plot is less jarring.

Exposition example: Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain

The first person narration of Huck Finn allows Twain to easily establish key details about Huck and his story.

Now the way that the book winds up is this: Tom and me found the money that the robbers hid in the cave, and it made us rich. We got six thousand dollars apiece—all gold. It was an awful sight of money when it was piled up. Well, Judge Thatcher he took it and put it out at interest, and it fetched us a dollar a day apiece all the year round—more than a body could tell what to do with. The Widow Douglas she took me for her son, and allowed she would sivilize me; but it was rough living in the house all the time, considering how dismal regular and decent the widow was in all her ways; and so when I couldn’t stand it no longer I lit out. I got into my old rags and my sugar-hogshead again, and was free and satisfied. But Tom Sawyer he hunted me up and said he was going to start a band of robbers, and I might join if I would go back to the widow and be respectable. So I went back.

Here, Huck’s backstory is explained through a condensed version of Twain’s earlier novel, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer , told through Huck’s perspective .

Seamless exposition through internal monologue

Internal monologue is exactly what it sounds like: text that gives readers a direct glimpse into a character’s inner thoughts and feelings. As you might have guessed, it’s another way in which authors can insert exposition.

Exposition shown through internal monologue can establish key details while advancing your reader's understanding of your characters, as we can now see into their mind.

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Exposition example: Girl, Woman, Other  by Bernadine Evaristo

The narration of Amma, one of twelve point of view characters in Girl, Woman, Other , frequently digresses as it follows Amma through the day her new play will open at the National Theatre. 

forty years of first nights and she's still bricking it   what if she's slated by the critics? dismissed with a consensus of one-star reviews, what was the great National thinking allowing this rubbishy impostor into the building?   of course she knows she's not an impostor, she's written fifteen plays and directed over forty, and as a critic once wrote, Amma Bonsu is a safe pair of hands who's known to pull off risks   what if the preview audiences who gave standing ovations were just being kind?   oh shut up, Amma, you're a veteran battle-axe, remember?

This snippet of her internal monologue not only gives us insight into Amma as a person, and her underlying insecurities, but also provides more background information on her and her storied career as a playwright.

Exposition example: Tokyo Ueno Station , Miri Yu

In this passage, speaker Kazu’s reflections on the sound of rain and its associations leads to the reveal of a major part of his history, the death of his son. 

On nights when it rained, I couldn’t stop myself from listening to the sound, which kept me from sleeping. Insomnia, then eternal sleep — held apart from one by death and the other by life, brought closer to one by life and the other by death, and the rain, the rain, the rain, the rain, the rain.   It rained on the day that my only son died.

This kind of associative internal monologue, using sensory experiences to trigger characters’ memories, is a realistic and natural way of introducing exposition.  

Exposition example: Murder on the Orient Express, Agatha Christie

This passage establishes key information about Mary Debenham, through the internal monologue of Poirot upon seeing her for the first time.

There was only one occupant at the moment, obviously the young English lady referred to by the conductor. She was tall, slim and dark—perhaps twenty-eight years of age. There was a kind of cool efficiency in the way she was eating her breakfast and in the way she called to the attendant to bring her more coffee which bespoke a knowledge of the world and of travelling.   She wore a dark-coloured travelling dress of some thin material eminently suitable for the heated atmosphere of the train. M. Hercule Poirot, having nothing better to do, amused himself by studying her without appearing to do so.    She was, he judged, the kind of young woman who could take care of herself with perfect ease wherever she went. She had poise and efficiency. He rather liked the severe regularity of her features and the delicate pallor of her skin. He liked the burnished black head with its neat waves of hair, and her eyes—cool, impersonal and grey. But she was, he decided, just a little too efficient to be what he called “jolie femme.”

We are able to not only gain an impression of Mary and her character, but also simultaneously gain insight into how Poirot’s mind works and how he views the world, which we wouldn’t have learned through a factual description of her appearance.

Epistolary exposition to add texture to a world

Finally, you might see authors introduce key story details through some special devices — namely, other forms of media, such as newspaper clippings, letters, or emails. This kind of exposition helps establish a sense of immediacy, as readers are able to experience the piece of information for themselves, while also creating the sense that this is a real, physical world that these characters are inhabiting.

Exposition example: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, JK Rowling

Newspaper clippings are an effective epistolary tool, due to the expositional nature of the newspaper form.

Harry held the paper up to the candlelight and read:   BLACK STILL AT LARGE  Sirius Black, possibly the most infamous prisoner ever to be held in Azkaban fortress, is still eluding capture, the Ministry of Magic confirmed today. “We are doing all we can to recapture Black,” said the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, this morning, “and we beg the magical community to remain calm.” Fudge has been criticized by some members of the International Federation of Warlocks for informing the Muggle Prime Minister of the crisis. “Well, really, I had to, don’t you know,” said an irritable Fudge. “Black is mad. He’s a danger to anyone who crosses him, magic or Muggle. I have the Prime Minister’s assurance that he will not breathe a word of Black’s true identity to anyone. And let’s face it — who’d believe him if he did?”

The reader and Harry simultaneously learn who Black is, why he’s such a threat, and the stakes if he isn’t recaptured. The article also adds texture to the wider world of the book, giving insight into the relationship between muggles and wizards, and providing historical context.

Exposition example: Howards End, E.M. Forster

Forster uses letters as a tool to make personal revelations in Howards End .

Howards End, Sunday.   “Dearest, dearest Meg,—I do not know what you will say: Paul and I are in love—the younger son who only came here Wednesday.”

The confessional and conspiratorial nature of letter writing is used to full effect here, as Forster allows Helen’s letter to her sister Meg to break the news of her sudden infatuation to both the reader and Meg herself. Readers are able to learn about the relationship in “real time,” centering them within the story.

As we’ve seen, there are many approaches an author can take to exposition. By balancing the different tools at their disposal, a writer can seamlessly flesh out their characters and the world they inhabit, without resorting to the dreaded infodump. 

If you’re looking for more insight into the tools at the disposal of great authors, why not check out our comprehensive list of literary devices every writer should know . And if you’ve enjoyed learning by example, try out our list of over 90 examples of metaphors in literature!

2 responses

tommarello says:

16/07/2019 – 23:54

After reading the article studiously. He was most enamoured with the exposition demonstrated by Charlotte Bronte. 'I must endeavour to emulate this writing style' he implored himself hopefully.

Harrumphrey says:

18/08/2020 – 19:55

In other words, lots of authors TELLING rather than showing. Note to aspiring authors: Pssst! It's okay to TELL. It's a natural part of human communication, to inform simply and summarize information -- including the form of human communication known as the story. Yes, sometimes it really is okay to just tell the reader something. Don't listen to the literary hall-monitors who insist that you have to "show" every single bit of everything in a story; they haven't written anything worth reading and don't know what they're talking about.

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9 exposition examples: How to write clear introductions

There are many types of exposition in stories, in literature, film and other media. Exposition introduces your reader to important and intriguing details of your story – who, what, why, where and when. Read 9 exposition examples that show how to introduce characters, settings and scenarios memorably:

• Post author By Jordan
• 16 Comments on 9 exposition examples: How to write clear introductions

There are many types of exposition in stories, in literature, film and other media. Exposition introduces your reader to important and intriguing details of your story – who, what, why, where and when – as well as key background information. Read 9 examples of exposition examples that show how to introduce characters, settings and scenarios memorably:

What to look for in exposition examples in fiction

First, though, let’s briefly define direct exposition, before moving onto indirect exposition. 

Direct exposition is when you tell your reader exactly what is happening in a story, and also giving descriptive details, for example: ‘He walked through the kitchen looking for his wife. He was six foot tall.’  These background details help readers to know more about the characters and setting.

Indirect exposition is when details are revealed through showing, such as in dialogue between characters revealing information; it’s also used to give readers clues though the narrative and the setting, allowing the reader to infer clues about the fictional world. Flashbacks fall into this label too. 

Writers will use a combination of the two in a story.

Now let’s look at how effective expositions in your story can hook your readers and keep them reading.

As you read the examples in this article, ask:

• Who is being introduced (and what do we learn about them that seems significant?)
• What is interesting or suspenseful about the place or situation we’re thrown into?
• Why is this information being shared, why might the author telling us this specific information?
• What do we learn about where the action or conversation is unfolding, if anything?
• What elements of time, era or duration (the ‘when’) does this expository part of the story reveal?

9 exposition examples (and their lessons)

Use expository dialogue to build scenarios, create clear history or time and place, write setting exposition that vivifies your world, introduce significant locations, use character exposition to reveal key information, describe relevant backstory if necessary, pinpoint precise and intriguing action, weave in themes overtly or indirectly, expose the unexpected.

Let’s explore these ideas further with examples of expository paragraphs and their effects:

‘Exposition’ is a useful term when we talk about dramatic structure. It refers to the expository or introductory element of a story.

Exposition in literature and other story media reveals. It tells us something that helps us as readers understand what’s going on or at least makes us curious to learn more about a place, situation or circumstance.

Stephen King’s classic horror novel The Shining (1977) gives a strong example of good story exposition. It shows how you can use dialogue for exposition to reveal a little about your characters and their immediate (or past/future) situation:

Dialogue as exposition: The Shining

King’s story opening gives us plenty of character exposition and setting exposition. Yet he does this without info-dumping. Info-dumping refers to when you jam a slab of expository information into a section of story so that it feels as though the author is thinking ‘here is everything I need to tell the reader, let me get this out of the way’.

Ideally, you want to weave exposition in naturally, barely showing the author’s hand. An exposition dump or ‘expository lump’ takes your reader out of the story. In the opening chapter of The Shining , ‘Job Interview’, the protagonist Jack Torrance is interviewed by a man named Ullman for the winter caretaker position at the creepy Overlook Hotel:

Ullman had asked a question he hadn’t caught. That was bad; Ullman was the type of man who would file such lapses away in a mental Rolodex for later consideration. “I’m sorry?” “I asked if your wife fully understands what you would be taking on here. And there’s your son, of course.” He glanced down at the application in front of him. “Daniel. Your wife isn’t a bit intimidated by the idea?” “Wendy is an extraordinary woman.” “And your son is also extraordinary?” King, The Shining (1977), p. 2.

King gives us character exposition via dialogue . We learn:

• Jack Torrance is married and has a son
• The position Jack’s interviewing for may be intimidating or daunting in some untold way
• Jack’s wife is extraordinary
• There is a question mark over whether his son is extraordinary, too

If you use dialogue for exposition, keep to information that is relevant to your plot. By page two of The Shining , we already know King’s setting is intimidating and have been introduced to the story’s main characters.

The Colombian author Gabriel Garcia Marquez blends personal and social history brilliantly in his novels.

His novel Cien años de soledad (translated as ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’) begins with historical setting exposition and expository character details that bend time:

Historical exposition: One Hundred Years of Solitude

Marquez’s story begins:

Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendia was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice. At that time Macondo was a village of twenty adobe houses, built on the bank of a river of clear water that ran along a bed of polished stones, which were white and enormous, like prehistoric eggs. Marquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude (1970), p. 3.

Note how expertly Marquez blends his main character’s past (and foreshadows his dramatic future).

Marquez moves seamlessly from describing an intimate memory of the Colonel’s father to describing their hometown, Macondo. We get a sense of its size and surrounds, as well as the promise of dramatic events in Colonel Buendia’s future (but not yet why they come to pass). It’s an excellent teaser.

Use your own characters’ present, past and/or future in exposition to flesh out their lives and create a vivid sense of time and place.

Setting exposition, plot exposition and character exposition tend to be woven together. Authors bundle characters’ actions with details of time and place so that actions, thoughts and feelings have context. Context introduces and illuminates significant details in a story further.

Toni Morrison’s devastating, Pulitzer-winning novel about the cruelties of slavery, Beloved (1987) opens with clear setting exposition. It gives context to her world, making it vivid.

Morrison creates the haunted atmosphere of a home that holds a deeply traumatic history:

Setting exposition example: Historical scars in Beloved

124 was spiteful. Full of a baby’s venom. The women in the house knew it and so did the children. For years each put up with the spite in his own way, but by 1873 Sethe and her daughter Denver were its only victims. The grandmother, Baby Suggs, was dead, and the sons, Howard and Buglar, had run away by the time they were thirteen years old – as soon as merely looking in a mirror shattered it. Morrison, Beloved (1987), p. 2

Morrison uses personification (the technique of giving an inanimate object human-like character) to show her setting’s atmosphere.

The family home, like an embittered or raging person, is ‘spiteful’. Morrison’s exposition example shows how experiences and memories attach themselves to place, colouring how we relate to places like ‘home’. This brief setting exposition is rich with feeling and unsettling in its implications of a history of violence and loss.

Like Morrison, make your setting exposition characterful. Show the atmosphere of your setting, the memories, fears or joys it holds for your characters. Do your characters want to stay there forever, or run away like Howard and Buglar?

Brainstorm Story Exposition

Brainstorm details for your story’s exposition and grow an outline to guide your draft.

Setting exposition is useful for many reasons. Important places in your story may show your reader:

• Joys or frustrations in when and where your characters live
• Potential hurdles or obstacles your characters will have to overcome
• Your characters’ worldviews (such as how they feel about their world and society)
• Connections between places, such as where rooms, buildings, cities or states (and their inhabitants) are in relation to each other

There are just some of the expository setting details you may want to introduce to begin.

In short, what places matter to your characters and their story? What places bring shelter, fun, fear, pleasure, anxiety, confidence?

Example: Countryside seclusion in Runaway

Canadian author Alice Munro is a master of subtle, gradual exposition that gives away intriguing details without fanfare.

Here is the opening of her brilliant story ‘Runaway’ from the collection of the same title, ( available to read for free here on The New Yorker ):

Carla heard the car coming before it topped the little rise in the road that around here they called a hill. It’s her, she thought. Mrs. Jamieson—Sylvia—home from her holiday in Greece. From the barn door—but far enough inside that she could not easily be seen—she watched the road where Mrs. Jamieson would have to drive by, her place being half a mile farther along than Clark and Carla’s. Alice Munro, ‘Runaway’, The New Yorker (August, 2003)

The exposition gives us significant location details:

• That the location is quite rural (‘the little rise in the road that around here they called a hill’)
• That Carla the protagonist lives with someone named Clark, presumably a partner
• How far away the returning character Sylvia lives

This first paragraph introduces us to elements of the rural, woodland setting (barns and small hills) while also giving details that will later become important (as Carla relies on Sylvia and Sylvia gets entangled in Carla and Clark’s tumultuous relationship).

Character exposition reveals important or interesting information about your characters. Reveal your characters’ flaws, loves, hates, passions, goals and fears.

This is the groundwork for writing character development . Your reader first needs to know who your character is or was before they can understand how they have changed (or will change still).

Character exposition: Middle age in Cat’s Eye

Margaret Atwood’s novel Cat’s Eye (1988) tells the story of an artist, Elaine Risley.

Elaine returns to her childhood stomping grounds in Toronto at the start of the book, for a retrospective of her art. This leads her to remember her childhood (via flashbacks) and the complex friendship she had with another girl, Cordelia.

Atwood writes vivid flashback scenes that show her characters’ natures. When the novel shifts from childhood flashbacks to the older Elaine, however, there is more exposition. Here, Atwood shows how Elaine feels about her life now, a little way into the story:

This is the middle of my life. I think of it as a place, like the middle of a river, the middle of a bridge, halfway across, halfway over. I’m supposed to have accumulated things by now: possessions, responsibilities, achievements, experience and wisdom. I’m supposed to be a person of substance. But since coming back here I don’t feel weightier. I feel lighter, as if I’m shedding matter, losing molecules, calcium from my bones, cells from my blood… Atwood, Cat’s Eye (1988), p. 13.

This exposition example works because the introspection of the older Elaine fills in the gaps. We have a sense that she’s experienced a lot. Her more inward-looking, self-reflexive voice contrasts with the bright, emotionally starker scenes from Elaine’s childhood.

Showing gives the reader concrete examples. Yet well-written exposition also broadens the reader’s understanding of your characters. Where they’ve come from, and where they’re off to next. The moments of change and stasis in their lives.

There are countless exposition examples in fiction where the story opens with a concise description of an inciting incident.

The inciting incident is the event which set the story in motion. In mystery novels, authors often open by describing puzzling, dramatic events such as a murder, for example. In romance, the inciting incident is often the event that brings a romantic duo together for the first time.

Your exposition may also relate events that happened in the past. Or you can also experiment with time-cuts, presenting climactic events and then backtracking to the circumstances that led to them.

However, remember to keep backstory as concise as possible. Keep history lessons for moments where they are relevant to the unfolding action, or weave them by stages into more immediate actions and events.

Jeffrey Eugenides does this in his debut novel, The Virgin Suicides (1993).

Example: Climactic events as backstory in The Virgin Suicides

The boys who live across the street from the Lisbon sisters narrate the story in first person plural. Now older, they try to make sense of the sisters’ teenage suicides.

We learn of the sisters’ suicides early, in the exposition of the first paragraph:

On the morning the last Lisbon daughter took her turn at suicide – it was Mary this time, and sleeping pills, like Therese – the two paramedics arrived at the house knowing exactly where the knife drawer was, and the gas oven, and the beam in the basement from which it was possible to tie a rope. Eugenides, The Virgin Suicides, p. 1.

This dark exposition gives us the core information: A group of sisters, the story’s central characters, all commit suicide. Yet it leaves us with the same question that perplexes the novel’s narrators: Why? The question of characters’ motivation .

Good backstory examples in exposition often do this. They tell us what happened, but make us impatient or curious to learn why .

Like Eugenides, you might use exposition to show the reader crucial events, the crux of your story’s main questions. Create curiosity so that the reader has every reason to seek further answers.

Get help developing and polishing your story from start to finish when you work with an experienced writing coach on your draft.

Leading with action – particularly an action that is intriguing or out of the ordinary – is a common approach to exposition.

Specifics tell your reader much more than abstraction. You could say ‘Tom was an angry guy’ or show Tom losing his temper completely in a specific situation (the latter having the benefit of showing specifically what pushes Tom’s buttons).

Example of action exposition: A Court of Thorns and Roses

Sarah J Maas’s popular A Court of Thorns and Roses fantasy/romance series begins with a specific action. The protagonist is hunting in a forest, perched in a tree:

The forest had become a labyrinth of snow and ice. I’d been monitoring the parameters of the thicket for an hour, and my vantage point in the crook of a tree branch had turned useless. The gusting wind blew thick flurries to sweep away my tracks, but buried along with them any signs of potential quarry. Sarah J. Maas, A Court of Thorns and Roses (2015), p. 4.

It’s clear from the precise opening action that the protagonist is:

• Hunting in a forest
• Waiting for quarry to appear

The action is intriguing as we don’t know whether or when quarry will turn up. Or why Feyre has to hunt in the first place (though the book’s blurb gives us an idea).

Good story exposition examples show us there are many ways to skin a cat, as the saying goes. You could fill your story with direct, unambiguous exposition, or tease out details slowly for your reader.

This will depend in part on your genre. Popular fiction tends to have faster pacing and exposition, whereas literary may be slower or experimental in how plot and character are revealed.

One way to find exposition for your story is to think about the themes associated with your story’s main subjects. Mine these for images and ideas.

Example: Thematic echoes in Human Traces

In the opening exposition in Faulks’ novel, one of the two main characters, Jacques Rebière, listens to a howling gale outside.

The narration touches on the idea of what it is to be young, to be human, and to be these things in turbulent circumstances (symbolized here, as it often is, by the weather). This exposition echoes the novel’s later concerns (‘madness and consciousness’, as Alexander Linklater puts it in a review for Prospect Magazine , during the time of World War I).

Jacques Rebière listened to the sounds from outside as he looked through the window of his bedroom; for a moment, a dim moon allowed him to see clouds foaming in the darkness. The weather reminded him, often, that it was not just he, at sixteen years old, who was young, but all mankind: a species that took infant steps on the drifts and faults of the earth. Sebastian Faulks, Human Traces (2005), p. 1.

What expository images could introduce significant themes your story will explore further?

Good exposition tends to leave out the obvious and uneventful.

For example, why is it considered a little clichéd for a character to wake up at the start of a story? Because if a character has been asleep, this naturally follows.

Now if a character wakes up and some detail from their dream appears in their waking world, this is unexpected. Or they wake up and there’s a UFO hovering on their front lawn. If your character wakes up and it’s just another ordinary day, consider rather starting the exposition where the ordinary is about to become unusual.

What unexpected circumstance could you create at the start of your story?

Example: Fingerprints in Letters from a Lost Uncle

Mervyn Peake’s whimsical Letters from a Lost Uncle is styled as an uncle’s letters to his nephew from a polar expedition.

Words and illustration combine to create the sense of the unexpected, the out of the ordinary and the accidental.

The illustration includes a representation of the uncle’s thumb print, as though he has accidentally smeared fresh ink on the page, with the caption ‘Oh Blubber take this thumb mark’.

Dear nephew I have decided to write you a letter. It is the first I have tried my hand at for many years. It will certainly be the last. I am sick of it already as a matter of fact. My fingers (which are cold as icicles) were made for triggers and harpoons more than for all this tap-tap-tapping on a little black machine. Mervyn Peake, Letters from a Lost Uncle (1976), p. 1

What story has some of your best exposition? Share in the comments. Get help making every part of your story’s dramatic structure count when you get a manuscript evaluation (plus a free sample edit).

Related Posts:

• Character motivation examples: 7 tips for clear motives
• How to write story exposition that hooks readers fast
• Impact of introductions, prologues, prefaces and forewords
• Tags exposition examples , story structure

Jordan is a writer, editor, community manager and product developer. He received his BA Honours in English Literature and his undergraduate in English Literature and Music from the University of Cape Town.

16 replies on “9 exposition examples: How to write clear introductions”

I love this blog on exposition. It is clear and inspires me to writer more.

That’s lovely to hear, Anita. Hope you’re having a creative Easter weekend.

Great summary of the different types of exposition, and awesome examples.

Thanks Jordan! Thank you for sharing it on Twitter, too.

This is very timely for me as I’m struggling with a necessary piece of exposition in my latest draft. Unlike your examples though I’m at the end of the story, where I have an event from the past that is needed to explain to the reader where some of the characters’ motivations have come from. In my latest draft I’ve tried doing this by having two characters give differing accounts of a single event, which reveals (through their selective interpretation of what happened) more about their own character, too, in what they say. Not sure if I’ve cracked it in this draft, but hopefully it’s a way of making the exposition read as genuine and entertaining.

That type of character-based reveal is one possible approach to exposition. It sounds like an interesting angle. Best of luck for revising and writing any subsequent drafts, Neil.

I’m having a hard time with this. I thought I could sprinkle my back story without creating an entire chapter on the major event that sparked the conflict, but I realize now that if I leave it out, the antagonists’ motivation will not make sense

Hi Marissa,

If it’s a separate chapter, there’s no harm in having a whole chapter devoted to backstory. It’ll just need to be inserted in such a way that it’s clear to the reader that the events of the chapter take place in the past, rather than in the present time of the story (one way to do this is to have the place and date as a chapter title or subtitle). Hope that helps! Perhaps share the backstory extract on Now Novel for feedback from other writers?

Definitely. I need to edit it first

Great, best of luck with it.

Lovely tips. Loved it. Inspires me to write more 🙂

Thank you, I’m glad to hear that. Please do!

Super helpful tips. This breaks down some pretty stellar exposition techniques as well https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/exposition-in-film-screenplay/

This is very helpful, my current WIP takes place in three different time periods and I’m a bit lost as to how to present it without losing the readers’ interest.

Hi Kris, thank you for your feedback. Subheadings for chapters with places and year/date could be helpful for making these transitions clear. I would suggest looking through books with multi-era settings for how authors communicate these details and handle the transitions. Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell immediately comes to mind as it spans from futuristic Seoul to a post-apocalyptic-meets-prehistoric tribal wasteland (and other time periods in-between), and the time and place transitions aren’t too baffling or interest-frustrating. Good luck!

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October 18, 2018

Narrative Exposition: How To Improve Your Writing Technique

Fiction Writing Tips , Writing

exposition , fiction , literature , narrative , plot , writing

A novel is about emotions and thoughts, but it’s also about facts. Even in literary fiction, where focus is on characters, the author needs to communicate certain facts to the reader. For example, what a character did on a certain past occasion. Or, where her parents were at some point in time. We call this narrative exposition (I will offer a more detailed definition further below). Believe it or not, narrative exposition is an area where authors of even the highest caliber can have trouble with.

Improving your narrative exposition technique can  dramatically  improve many areas of your writing. It can make your narrative flow more naturally and more realistically. A better narrative exposition strategy can also increase the affective power of your characters.

What Is Narrative Exposition: Some Examples

I really believe in the power of examples, so let’s look more into narrative exposition with their help. The following examples are imaginary, to facilitate the comparison.

John looked into Maria’s eyes. She seemed sad and anxious. Her hand, holding the photo, was shaking. “What’s wrong?” he asked. “Do you remember last summer, when we went to that cabin for the weekend?” “Tell me about it… $200 for a weekend without electricity, thanks to the storm . What of it?” “Well, I was watching the photo we took at the lake, and it made me sad. I realized how much I’ve missed you.”

In the example above, the part in red font indicates narrative exposition. In other words, it’s a part that conveys certain factual information that is  unknown to the reader while known to the characters .

This is a crucial point to understand, so take a moment to read the example above again. Try to see why the red-colored text qualifies as narrative exposition (based on the definition I just gave you) and why the rest of the text doesn’t.

Let’s see a variation of the example above.

John looked into Maria’s eyes. She seemed sad and anxious. Her hand, holding the photo, was shaking. “What’s wrong?” he asked. “I was thinking about last summer…” “What of it?” he mumbled, thinking that renting a cabin for $200 only to be without electricity would make anyone sad. “Well, I was watching the photo we took at the lake, and it made me sad. I realized how much I’ve missed you.”

Notice how in this example the same information is offered not as a part of the dialogue but as a narrator-inserted thought in the character’s head. Take a moment to see both examples again, and try to pick your favorite. That is, try to decide which of the two examples feels more naturally flowing.

Narrative Exposition Is about Natural Flow

I expect most people to have chosen the second example. That is easy enough. The important part for our purposes is to understand  why  the second example is better.

Remember that narrative exposition is information a reader needs to know, but which characters are already aware of. In our examples above, John and Maria both knew that they spent a weekend at a cabin without electricity.

Ask yourself: how  natural  is it to talk with someone over something you both know?

Perhaps, at first, example 1 doesn’t seem all that bad. Indeed, sometimes you might talk like that in real life as well. However, first of all consider whether example 2 is still not better narratively speaking. Secondly, realize that  the longer the exposition, the less natural it appears .

In other words, whereas example 1 above is inferior but still passable, an excerpt of narrative exposition that is more extensive will suffer greatly.

A Problem Plaguing Any Author

I mentioned this in the introduction. Narrative Exposition problems are not a prerogative of inexperienced authors. Would you like an example of a Nobel-level writer who commits this… narrative crime? Kenzaburō Ōe. In my Goodreads review of Death by Water , I wrote the following:

A lot of naive narrative exposition going on, further undermining the characters’ personalities and realism. For example, I can’t count the times that a character – in order to give for the [umpteenth] time the same info to the reader – tells another character something the latter already knows. In other words the narrative doesn’t justify the dialogue at all, but the author keeps pushing it in order to pass some information. Awful strategy.

Benefits of a Realistic Narrative Exposition

I have already referred to the reasons why a solid narrative exposition technique can help your writing and your novel, but let’s make it more specific and concrete.

In a nutshell, a good narrative exposition strategy offers:

• a more natural flow of the narrative, with improved pace.
• more realistic characters.
• the ability to interject subtle undertones, enriching the narrative.
• (as a result of the element above) the development of a narrative style .

Refer to the two examples further above. The first two items on the list should be easy enough to notice. The narrative flows more realistically in the second example, as a result of the narrative exposition being naturally incorporated into the narrative, rather than being “forced” as a dialogue. Of course this makes the characters appear more realistic.

In regard to the third item – the ability to interject subtle undertones – notice how the structure of the second example allows for the inclusion of witticism (“…would make anyone sad”) that is absent from the first example. It is of course conceivable that one could insert such a remark in the first example as well, but there is a crucial difference.

The second example facilitates such undertones by  its very structure , that is, by removing the need to have the characters deliver the information, allowing the narrator to take control of narrative exposition. It becomes apparent that such a context facilitates the ability to develop and display a unique authorial style.

How To Improve Narrative Exposition in Your Writing

I’ve saved the most important part for last. To the question, Are there specific things a writer can do to improve narrative exposition, the answer is: you bet! Perhaps the more perceptive of you already know what item no.1 will be.

Remove Narrative Exposition “Duties” from Your Characters

As we saw in the examples, when characters need to deliver information to the reader which they themselves already know, the result is not optimal. It can be outright bad with longer excerpts. The solution is to incorporate the narrative exposition as a part of the narrative, that is, as something belonging to the narrator.

Remove Unnecessary Information

Readers don’t need to be told everything. A major sign of inexperienced writers is writers who place disproportionate emphasis on the plot and, on top of that, explain every little detail to the readers, perhaps worried that the reader won’t “get it” otherwise. Awful idea. Among other problems, it sets the stage for narrative exposition problems, precisely because there is an inordinate amount of information that needs to be communicated.

Deliver the Information only when It Is narratively Natural to Do so

Even when you, as a narrator, remove the narrative exposition duties from your characters, there are moments when you can talk and there are moments when you need to stay quiet. Learn to recognize when it is narratively natural to interject the information. To an extent this comes with experience. But here are two quick questions to ask yourself.

1. Does the scene make sense without the information?

In our earlier examples, the scene requires the information to make sense – otherwise the reader doesn’t understand what Maria means when she’s referring to last summer. If the answer to this question is “yes”, you could still ask yourself…

2. Does including the information serve a Narrative Purpose?

A purpose in a narrative context is defined as something that either moves the plot forward or illuminates the personal drive of a character. Perhaps sometimes you can include narrative exposition that isn’t necessary in terms of delivering a sense-making sentence or scene, but which can still serve a purpose. In our second example, not only is the information basically necessary, but it also reveals (potentially; since it’s an imaginary example, there is no context) something about John’s character: Witticism? Indifference? There can be many available options to the writer.

Avoid Repetitive Narrative Exposition

Perhaps this should be self-evident, but avoid repetitive narrative exposition. This means not to give the same information twice (that’s precisely what made Kenzaburō Ōe’s text so frustrating, as you saw in the excerpt of my review). It also means not to offer repetitive pieces of information one after another. Divide your narrative exposition, if needed by inserting other dialogue or descriptions in-between.

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• How to write an expository essay

How to Write an Expository Essay | Structure, Tips & Examples

Published on July 14, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on July 23, 2023.

“Expository” means “intended to explain or describe something.” An expository essay provides a clear, focused explanation of a particular topic, process, or set of ideas. It doesn’t set out to prove a point, just to give a balanced view of its subject matter.

Expository essays are usually short assignments intended to test your composition skills or your understanding of a subject. They tend to involve less research and original arguments than argumentative essays .

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Table of contents

When should you write an expository essay, how to approach an expository essay, introducing your essay, writing the body paragraphs, concluding your essay, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about expository essays.

In school and university, you might have to write expository essays as in-class exercises, exam questions, or coursework assignments.

Sometimes it won’t be directly stated that the assignment is an expository essay, but there are certain keywords that imply expository writing is required. Consider the prompts below.

The word “explain” here is the clue: An essay responding to this prompt should provide an explanation of this historical process—not necessarily an original argument about it.

Sometimes you’ll be asked to define a particular term or concept. This means more than just copying down the dictionary definition; you’ll be expected to explore different ideas surrounding the term, as this prompt emphasizes.

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An expository essay should take an objective approach: It isn’t about your personal opinions or experiences. Instead, your goal is to provide an informative and balanced explanation of your topic. Avoid using the first or second person (“I” or “you”).

The structure of your expository essay will vary according to the scope of your assignment and the demands of your topic. It’s worthwhile to plan out your structure before you start, using an essay outline .

A common structure for a short expository essay consists of five paragraphs: An introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Like all essays, an expository essay begins with an introduction . This serves to hook the reader’s interest, briefly introduce your topic, and provide a thesis statement summarizing what you’re going to say about it.

Hover over different parts of the example below to see how a typical introduction works.

In many ways, the invention of the printing press marked the end of the Middle Ages. The medieval period in Europe is often remembered as a time of intellectual and political stagnation. Prior to the Renaissance, the average person had very limited access to books and was unlikely to be literate. The invention of the printing press in the 15th century allowed for much less restricted circulation of information in Europe, paving the way for the Reformation.

The body of your essay is where you cover your topic in depth. It often consists of three paragraphs, but may be more for a longer essay. This is where you present the details of the process, idea or topic you’re explaining.

It’s important to make sure each paragraph covers its own clearly defined topic, introduced with a topic sentence . Different topics (all related to the overall subject matter of the essay) should be presented in a logical order, with clear transitions between paragraphs.

Hover over different parts of the example paragraph below to see how a body paragraph is constructed.

The invention of the printing press in 1440 changed this situation dramatically. Johannes Gutenberg, who had worked as a goldsmith, used his knowledge of metals in the design of the press. He made his type from an alloy of lead, tin, and antimony, whose durability allowed for the reliable production of high-quality books. This new technology allowed texts to be reproduced and disseminated on a much larger scale than was previously possible. The Gutenberg Bible appeared in the 1450s, and a large number of printing presses sprang up across the continent in the following decades. Gutenberg’s invention rapidly transformed cultural production in Europe; among other things, it would lead to the Protestant Reformation.

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The conclusion of an expository essay serves to summarize the topic under discussion. It should not present any new information or evidence, but should instead focus on reinforcing the points made so far. Essentially, your conclusion is there to round off the essay in an engaging way.

Hover over different parts of the example below to see how a conclusion works.

The invention of the printing press was important not only in terms of its immediate cultural and economic effects, but also in terms of its major impact on politics and religion across Europe. In the century following the invention of the printing press, the relatively stationary intellectual atmosphere of the Middle Ages gave way to the social upheavals of the Reformation and the Renaissance. A single technological innovation had contributed to the total reshaping of the continent.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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An expository essay is a broad form that varies in length according to the scope of the assignment.

Expository essays are often assigned as a writing exercise or as part of an exam, in which case a five-paragraph essay of around 800 words may be appropriate.

You’ll usually be given guidelines regarding length; if you’re not sure, ask.

An expository essay is a common assignment in high-school and university composition classes. It might be assigned as coursework, in class, or as part of an exam.

Sometimes you might not be told explicitly to write an expository essay. Look out for prompts containing keywords like “explain” and “define.” An expository essay is usually the right response to these prompts.

An argumentative essay tends to be a longer essay involving independent research, and aims to make an original argument about a topic. Its thesis statement makes a contentious claim that must be supported in an objective, evidence-based way.

An expository essay also aims to be objective, but it doesn’t have to make an original argument. Rather, it aims to explain something (e.g., a process or idea) in a clear, concise way. Expository essays are often shorter assignments and rely less on research.

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Writing with artificial intelligence.

Exposition is a mode of discourse , a way of categorizing texts by purpose or aim. When writers or speakers engage in exposition , their purpose is to inform readers or listeners about a topic .

Texts that are categorized chiefly as acts of exposition are also called Expository Writing.

Key Terms: Expository Writing; Modes of Discourse ; Styles of Writing

Texts that are defined as exposition may be small bits such as a sentence or a paragraph. However, the term expository writing is more frequently used to describe a genre of discourse , such as an instruction manuals , a problem definition , or a resume .

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Understanding Exposition in Literature

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Exposition is a literary term that refers to the part of a story that sets the stage for the drama to follow: it introduces the theme , setting, characters, and circumstances at the story’s beginnings. To understand what exposition is, look at how the writer sets the scene for the story and the characters within it. Read through the first few paragraphs or pages where the author gives a description of the setting and the mood before the action takes place.

In the story of "Cinderella," the exposition goes something like this:

"Once upon a time, in a land far away, a young girl was born to very loving parents. The happy parents named the child Ella. Sadly, Ella's mother died when the child was very young. Over the years, Ella's father became convinced that the young and beautiful Ella needed a mother figure in her life. One day, Ella's father introduced a new woman into her life, and Ella's father explained that this strange woman was to become her stepmother. To Ella, the woman seemed cold and uncaring."

This passage sets the stage for the action to come, alluding to the notion that Ella's happy life might be about to change for the worse. You get both a feeling for Ella's sense of unease and the father's desire to provide for his daughter, but are left wondering what will happen. A strong exposition evokes feelings and emotion within the reader.

Styles of Exposition

The example above shows one way to provide background information for a story, but authors can also present information without stating the situation outright, as with understanding the thoughts of the main character . This passage from "Hansel and Gretel" shows exposition from Hansel's own thoughts and actions:

"Young Hansel shook the basket he clutched in his right hand. It was almost empty. He wasn't sure what he would do when the bread crumbs ran out, but he was certain that he did not want to alarm his little sister, Gretel. He glanced down at her innocent face and wondered how their wicked mother could be so cruel. How could she kick them out of their home? How long could they possibly survive in this dark forest?"

In the example above, we understand the background of the story because the main character is thinking about their circumstances. We get a feeling of despair coming from multiple occurrences, including the mother kicking the children out and the fact that Hansel's breadcrumbs are running out. We also get a feeling of responsibility; Hansel wants to protect his sister from the fear of the unknown and protect her from whatever is in the dark forest.

We can also derive background information from a conversation that takes place between two characters, such as this dialogue from the classic fairy tale of "Little Red Riding Hood:"

"'You will need to wear the best red cloak I gave you,' the mother said to her daughter. 'And be very careful as you want to grandmother's house. Don't veer off the forest path, and don't talk to any strangers. And be sure to look out for the big bad wolf!' "'Is grandmother very sick?' the young girl asked. "'She will be much better after she sees your beautiful face and eats the treats in your basket, my dear.'" "'I am not afraid, Mother,' the young girl answered. 'I have walked the path many times. The wolf does not frighten me.'"

We can pick up a lot of information about the characters in this story, just by witnessing the conversation between mother and child. We can also predict that something is about to occur and that event will most likely involve that big bad wolf.

While the exposition usually appears at the beginning of a book, there can be exceptions. In some books, for example, you may find that exposition takes place through flashbacks that a character experiences. While the story might be set in the main character's current and somewhat stable life, their flashbacks give vital information that sets the scene for something that might be an internal struggle that will surface within the remainder of the story.

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Narrative Essays

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What is a narrative essay?

When writing a narrative essay, one might think of it as telling a story. These essays are often anecdotal, experiential, and personal—allowing students to express themselves in a creative and, quite often, moving ways.

Here are some guidelines for writing a narrative essay.

• If written as a story, the essay should include all the parts of a story.

This means that you must include an introduction, plot, characters, setting, climax, and conclusion.

• When would a narrative essay not be written as a story?

A good example of this is when an instructor asks a student to write a book report. Obviously, this would not necessarily follow the pattern of a story and would focus on providing an informative narrative for the reader.

• The essay should have a purpose.

Make a point! Think of this as the thesis of your story. If there is no point to what you are narrating, why narrate it at all?

• The essay should be written from a clear point of view.

It is quite common for narrative essays to be written from the standpoint of the author; however, this is not the sole perspective to be considered. Creativity in narrative essays oftentimes manifests itself in the form of authorial perspective.

• Use clear and concise language throughout the essay.

Much like the descriptive essay, narrative essays are effective when the language is carefully, particularly, and artfully chosen. Use specific language to evoke specific emotions and senses in the reader.

• The use of the first person pronoun ‘I’ is welcomed.

Do not abuse this guideline! Though it is welcomed it is not necessary—nor should it be overused for lack of clearer diction.

• As always, be organized!

Have a clear introduction that sets the tone for the remainder of the essay. Do not leave the reader guessing about the purpose of your narrative. Remember, you are in control of the essay, so guide it where you desire (just make sure your audience can follow your lead).