It doesn’t matter what your project is: a novel, screenplay, video game, or comic book, exposition is one of the most vital, and dangerous, tools in your storytelling arsenal.
Handled well, exposition can launch an audience into your world without realizing they’re absorbing backstory. But handled poorly, your audience could reach for the remote or close the book before you’ve even really got started.
Okay, but what on earth even is exposition? And more importantly, how do you write it in a way that keeps your audience engaged throughout your story?
In today’s blog, we’ll be taking a deep dive into what exposition is, the different forms it can take, and how to wield it without boring or losing your audience. Look out for our top tips along the way!
So, let’s skip the exposition and talk about… well, exposition!
Table of Contents
- What is Exposition?
- Types of Exposition
- Exposition in Screenwriting vs Prose
- How to Write Exposition Without Boring the Audience
- Examples of Great Exposition in Film
- Common Mistakes to Avoid
- FAQ
- Conclusion
What is Exposition?
Exposition refers to any background information that’s essential for the audience to understand a story.
Exposition usually includes elements like:
- Setting (where and when the story takes place)
- Key events that occurred before the main story structure begins
- Character relationships
- Cultural or worldbuilding context
- Character goals and motivations
Think of exposition as the story element that answers the unspoken questions a reader or viewer might have at the beginning or throughout the story. Questions like who are these people? Why are they doing this? What’s at stake?
But the burning question right now: why is exposition important? Well, without exposition, your audience is left confused or disoriented. But if you give them too much information too early, or in the wrong way, you risk overwhelming them or pulling them out of the story entirely.
In short, it’s just a very delicate balance. Just enough, just in time.
Strong exposition starts with strong structure.
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Types of Exposition
And while being a delicate balance, exposition isn’t a one-size-fits-all concept. It can take several forms depending on the medium and storytelling style. Let’s break them down:
Narrative
Narrative exposition is the most direct form of exposition. It’s where the narrator tells the audience the information they need to know.
Let’s look at a basic example:
Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there lived a princess who’d never seen the sun.
While this is an elegant and almost poetic example, exposition can also be dry and clunky. It’s all in the delivery!
The trick is to use narrative exposition sparingly and with style. It shouldn’t feel like a lecture.
“Plot exposition that can be gently wound out by the authorial voice and internal monologue of a character in the length of a page has to be delivered in a matter of seconds on the stage.” – Terry Pratchett
Dialogue
Also called expository dialogue, this method reveals information through what the characters say.
For example:
“You mean the ship that disappeared 30 years ago with your brother on board?”
If you can write expository dialogue well, it can feel organic and dramatic. On the flip side, poor dialogue becomes ‘as you know’ dialogue where characters tell each other things they both already know, just so the audience can hear it.
This comes across completely insincere and can quickly take an audience out of a story.
“I admire writers such as Elmore Leonard who can nail a character in three or four lines of dialogue, so he doesn’t need pages of back story or clumsy exposition.” – Mark Billingham
Visual
In film, television or comics, exposition often occurs visually through costumes, sets, props, or background action.
Say a film opens on a crumbling skyline. We see soldiers patrolling the streets. Posters tacked everywhere that read ‘Obey the Regime’. No one says a word, yet we immediately understand the setting is a dystopian one.
Visual exposition is often the most powerful, and least intrusive form of them all as it allows the audience to interpret visual cues as the action pans out.
But not all storytelling mediums have the luxury of visual exposition! What then?
Exposition in Screenwriting vs Prose
Well, while the goals of exposition are similar across all media, screenwriters and prose writers will approach it very differently.
Screenwriting
When writing a screenplay, exposition needs to be externalized. You can’t write what a character is thinking (not directly, anyway!). Instead, exposition needs to be conveyed through action, visuals and dialogue.
But don’t get too carried away; great screenwriting exposition is lean, embedded, and never calls attention to himself.
CELTX TOP TIP: Let the characters do something, rather than say something. For example, if a character opens a drawer full of eviction notices, that tells us plenty. There are no words needed.
Prose
Authors, meanwhile, have the luxury of internal narration and reveal a character’s thoughts, memories, and inner world. If you decide to go prose, you can also choose between direct exposition or filtering it through a character’s perspective.
But with freedom comes great responsibility. Don’t overwhelm your readers with information dumps or break narrative flow.
CELTX TOP TIP: Anchor your exposition in emotion or conflict and don’t just say what happened. Also show how it made the character feel or how it shapes their choices going forward.
How to Write Exposition Without Boring the Audience
Okay, so here’s the million-dollar question: how do I write exposition that doesn’t feel like exposition?
Lucky for you, we have five killer techniques you can use to slot your exposition seamlessly into your narrative.
1. Show, Don’t Tell
…but know when to tell. Yes, we know ‘show don’t tell’ has become its own cliché when it comes to storytelling, but it’s a cliché for a reason.
Showing allows the audience to engage and infer. But sometimes, a short, well-written ‘tell’ is so much more efficient than a convoluted ‘show’.
As we said before, balance is key!
2. Drip-Feed Information
Don’t dump everything in the first five pages/scenes. Let your audience learn things naturally as they become relevant to the story.
Think of exposition as your breadcrumb trail through your story. Each piece should spark curiosity, not answer every single question.
3. Use Character Goals
If your character is trying to achieve something, the steps they take during their character arc can reveal key background information.
For example, a woman boarding a spaceship and checking a photo of her child tells us that she’s a mother, probably separated from her family, and that space travel is normalized.
4. Create Tension Around the Information
The best exposition also raises questions as well as answer them.
Say a character says, “Ever since the accident, I’ve been trying to make up for it.” We don’t know what the accident is at this stage, but we’re intrigued and want to learn more.
5. Make it Personal
Information lands better when it’s tied to emotion. Let exposition reveal character vulnerabilities, fear, pride or desire.
Make every scene speak volumes. From character arcs to worldbuilding, Celtx helps you craft scripts that engage from start to finish.
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Examples of Great Exposition in Film
So, we’ve talked a lot about exposition and what makes great exposition. Now let’s see some in action. Here are our gold-standard picks of exposition in film:
Inception (2010)
In a film packed with complex rules, Christopher Nolan uses new recruit Ariadne as a stand in for the audience. As she learns how dream-sharing works, we learn too.
But because the stakes and visuals and exciting and ever-changing, the exposition never drags, keeping us engaged all the way through.
The Matrix (1999)
Exposition is built in stages during The Matrix. First, Neo experiences glitches such as the bug and white rabbit. Then he learns small truths, and finally the full picture is revealed by Morpheus.
It’s the pacing of the mystery that keeps us hooked.
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Despite there being minimal dialogue, we understand everything through visuals; the water shortage, Immortan Joe’s tyranny, and the role of the war boys.
If you’re looking to master visual exposition, Mad Max: Fury Road should be top of your watch list!
Up (2009)
The opening montage of Carl and Ellie’s entire backstory and decades of love, loss, and longing, is just a few minutes long.
It sets everything up for Carl’s journey with Russell and also moves us deeply (mostly to tears!)
For more awesome examples of great exposition in film, check out The Script Lab’s rundown.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Even the most seasoned of writers can fall into exposition traps. We must all watch out for them.
1. Info Dumping
Dumping a truckload of facts all at once can completely kill your pacing and overwhelm your audience as a result.
Instead, you want to spread your exposition out. Only reveal what the audience needs to know, when they need to know it.
“When you do scenes that are just exposition, they feel false.”
– Gavin O’Connor
2. ‘As You Know’ Dialogue
When characters tell each other information they already know just to inform the audience, it can feel forced and very unnatural, just like this example:
“As you know, John, ever since mom died, dad hasn’t been the same.”
Let the information come out through disagreement, emotion or implication.
3. Too Much, Too Soon
If you frontload exposition too much, you leave little room for the audience to discover anything.
Make sure to start with mystery or action. Let the exposition answer questions after they’ve been raised.
4. Detached Delivery
Exposition that’s too dry or disconnected from character emotion won’t land. Alternatively, try to tie exposition to character choices or dilemmas and make it personal!
FAQ
How long should my exposition be?
There’s no set length for exposition in novels or screenplays. As a rule of thumb, it should be as short as possible while still being clear. Ultimately, exposition should serve the story, not stall it. If a paragraph or scene purely exists to ‘explain’, trim or rework it.
Scenes are there to drive the story forward, not backward.
Do I need to explain everything upfront?
No. In fact, withholding information can be powerful. Let the audience fill in the gaps or learn through context. Only explain what’s essential to understanding the current stakes.
Can I use flashbacks as exposition?
Yes, but always use flashbacks with caution. If you decide to put one or two into your story, remember, it needs to reveal something crucial, be emotionally or narratively justified, and not interrupt the main narrative’s momentum too often.
Is it okay to use a prologue for exposition?
Only use a prologue if it’s dramatic and is guaranteed to hook the audience. Many readers skip prologues, so don’t rely on them to carry essential worldbuilding.
Want more on how to build a compelling world? Then check out our blog post all about worldbuilding right here.
Conclusion
Exposition is one of those storytelling tools that’s invisible when done well, and painfully obvious when mishandled. The key is to embed exposition naturally into character goals, dialogue, visuals, and conflict.
Always ask yourself:
- Does the audience need this now?
- Is there a more engaging way to show this?
- Is it tied to emotion or stakes?
When exposition is done right, your audience doesn’t even realize they’re being fed vital information. They’re too busy feeling something, wanting more, and staying glued to your story. That’s the ultimate goal: not just to explain, but to engage.
Ready to apply what you’ve learned?
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Learn more about story arcs:
- The Climax: How to Write the Moment That Changes Everything
- What is Falling Action? Examples and How to Use it in Your Script
- What Is the Resolution of a Story? (Screenwriting Edition)
