3.3 Exposition and information delivery

Exposition is the backbone of storytelling, providing crucial information to the audience. In television writing, it's essential to deliver exposition seamlessly, balancing the need for context with maintaining viewer engagement.

Writers must master various techniques to convey information effectively. From dialogue-based exposition to visual storytelling, the goal is to integrate key details naturally into the narrative, avoiding common pitfalls that can disrupt the viewing experience.

Types of exposition

• Exposition is the delivery of key information and context to the audience so they can understand the story world, characters, and plot
• Choosing the right type of exposition is crucial for engaging the audience and avoiding confusion or boredom

Dialogue-based exposition

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• Reveals information through conversations between characters
• Can feel natural if the dialogue is crafted to sound authentic to the characters
• Allows for different perspectives and opinions to be shared
• Risk of sounding artificial if the dialogue is too on-the-nose or overly explanatory
• Examples: Characters discussing events that happened in the past (the heist that went wrong) or explaining their motivations (why they want revenge)

Visual exposition

• Communicates information through what is shown on screen
• Can be through production design, costumes, props, etc.
• Shows rather than tells to give the audience a sense of time, place, and tone
• Allows the audience to infer and piece together information themselves
• Examples: Futuristic technology implying a sci-fi setting, a wedding dress revealing a character is about to get married

Narration for exposition

• Uses a narrator's voice, often a character, to explain information directly to the audience
• Can provide a framing device for the story and a unique perspective
• Useful for giving background details or jumping in time
• Risks feeling like an info-dump if not balanced with other storytelling elements
• Examples: A narrator introducing the world of the story (the different factions in a dystopia), or jumping forward to explain later events (how the hero defeated the villain)

Exposition best practices

• Delivering exposition requires carefully considering what information is needed, how to convey it, and when to reveal it
• Best practices ensure exposition enhances audience engagement rather than detracting from it

Relevance of information

• Only include exposition that is essential for understanding the story and characters
• Avoid extraneous details that don't impact the plot or themes
• Consider what the audience absolutely needs to know at each point in the story
• Err on the side of less is more, as audiences can infer or you can reveal more later

Subtlety in delivery

• Aim to convey information in a way that feels organic to the story rather than forced
• Weave exposition into scenes and interactions, rather than having characters recite facts
• Use subtext and implication to communicate details without stating them outright
• Trust the audience to connect the dots and engage with the story

Timing of reveals

• Carefully control when you reveal certain information for maximum impact
• Hold back some exposition to create intrigue and anticipation
• Expose enough context so events make sense, but not so much that there are no more questions
• Structure exposition to have set-ups and pay-offs as the story progresses

Avoiding exposition dumps

• Don't drop all the background information in one big chunk, especially at the beginning
• Pace out exposition so it unfolds gradually throughout the story
• Avoid long monologues or scenes that solely convey exposition without advancing plot or character
• Break up exposition with action, conflict, humor and other engaging elements

Techniques for exposition

• There are many storytelling devices and methods you can use to cleverly deliver exposition
• Combine different techniques to make the exposition feel varied and keep the audience engaged

Character interactions

• Create scenes where characters discuss events, relationships, or world details
• Use conflicts or differing agendas to have characters exposit to one another
• Show characters' attitudes and personalities in how they explain things
• Example: Two warriors preparing for battle could exposit the history of the war and their roles in it through an argument

Environmental storytelling

• Use the physical world of the story to convey information visually
• Show technology, architecture, fashion, decor etc. that give a sense of setting and context
• Include signage, media, or written materials that exposit world details or events
• Example: A classroom scene could have posters that reveal it's a school for magic, or a future date to establish the time period

Flashbacks and backstory

• Jump back in time to show earlier events that provide context for the current story
• Reveal key moments from characters' pasts that shaped who they are now
• Can be separate scenes or quick flashback snippets during an action
• Example: Flashing back to a character's childhood to show an important event (losing a parent) that motivates their current actions (seeking justice)

In media res openings

• Start the story in the middle of an action or event, before jumping back to explain how things got there
• Grabs the audience's attention with a dramatic scene and creates questions to be answered
• Exposition then fills in the gaps to explain the opening events
• Example: Opening with a character in peril (hanging off a cliff), then flashing back to show how they got into that situation (a mountain climbing trip gone awry)

Balancing exposition and mystery

• Exposition gives audiences information to understand the story, but too much can undercut intrigue and engagement
• Carefully balance exposition with the mysteries you create, gradually revealing answers

Withholding key information

• Introduce plot elements or character details without fully explaining them at first
• Create questions in the audience's mind to pique their curiosity
• Use foreshadowing or hints to build anticipation for the full reveal later
• Example: Showing that a character has a special power in the opening scene, but waiting to explain the origin of their abilities until a later flashback or twist

Gradual reveals vs sudden twists

• Pace out your exposition for important mysteries, giving pieces of the puzzle over time
• Build up to major revelations through mounting clues and foreshadowing
• Occasionally drop sudden, shocking twists to jolt the audience and re-contextualize information
• Example: Gradually revealing a character's secret identity throughout the season vs suddenly exposing their true nature in a climactic scene

Creating audience curiosity

• Introduce intriguing plot hooks or world elements without immediately explaining them
• Tease mysteries or pose questions to get the audience theorizing and anticipating answers
• Give characters different pieces of knowledge to make the audience want to see them share information
• Example: Hinting at a larger conspiracy behind events (a secret organization), but only revealing the full scope slowly over the season

Payoffs and satisfying resolutions

• Make sure your exposition builds up to rewarding reveals and answers for the audience
• Connect earlier exposition to later plot developments to create satisfying through-lines
• Resolve mysteries exposed earlier in a way that feels earned and fits the established information
• Example: A character's struggles in training (exposited through a montage) pay off when they use those same skills to win their climactic fight

Integrating exposition seamlessly

• The key to effective exposition is to make it feel like a seamless part of your story and world
• Avoid exposition that feels tacked on by carefully integrating it into your narrative and themes

Exposition through conflict

• Create situations where characters are forced to explain things due to interpersonal conflicts
• Use differing agendas, secrets, or misunderstandings to prompt characters to exposit
• Have exposition arise from characters trying to convince one another or uncover the truth
• Example: A hero and villain's final confrontation could have them exposit their backstories and motivations through their combat banter

Exposition in world-building

• Make your exposition feel natural by having it arise from the details of your story world
• Have characters interact with and comment on world elements to provide context
• Use world-specific terminology, slang, or references to build setting and imply background
• Example: Characters on a spaceship casually discussing the features of the ship (artificial gravity) or their society (the politics of different alien races)

Exposition as character development

• Reveal exposition through details that flesh out your characters' personalities and arcs
• Use characters' opinions, reactions, and decisions to hint at their histories and world context
• Let characters' unique voices and attitudes flavor how they deliver exposition
• Example: A world-weary mentor could exposit a past war in a cynical way while a naive student asks hopeful questions, revealing both history and characterization

Natural-sounding dialogue

• Craft conversations that sound natural and in-character while still conveying information
• Avoid overly precise or artificial-sounding phrases that feel like obvious exposition delivery
• Use a character's voice to add subtext, humor, or emotion to exposition
• Example: A teenager explaining a futuristic cellphone could use slang (it's got a holo-screen, it can teleport!) while their confused grandparent asks for clarification

Common exposition pitfalls

• Even with good techniques and intentions, exposition can still sometimes fall flat or disrupt the story
• Be aware of common exposition mistakes so you can catch and avoid them in your writing

Over-explaining and hand-holding

• Don't spell out every single detail or treat the audience like they can't figure things out
• Avoid repeating information that's already been conveyed just to ensure the audience gets it
• Leave some dots unconnected for the audience to infer on their own and stay engaged
• Example: If you show a couple flirting and then cut to them waking up in bed together, you don't need to then have them say "We slept together last night"

Relying on clichéd devices

• Recognize and avoid exposition devices that have become overused cliches
• Don't have characters deliver long monologues that are obviously just for the audience's benefit
• Question if you really need an amnesia subplot, a prologue text crawl, or opening narration
• Example: A villain who captures the hero just to monologue their evil plan, or a character who reads a newspaper article out loud to sum up recent events

Breaking show don't tell

• Make sure you aren't just having characters tell the audience information without showing the related elements
• Avoid long passages of pure exposition with no action, conflict, or character moments
• Balance exposition with dramatizing events, creating scenes, and evoking emotions
• Example: Don't just have a character say "I'm an expert martial artist," show them demonstrating those skills in a training or fight scene

Exposition that slows pacing

• Be careful not to let exposition bog down your story's momentum and sense of progression
• Avoid front-loading all your exposition in a way that makes the beginning feel slow
• Cut exposition that isn't crucial to understanding in order to maintain narrative drive
• Example: Don't start your script with a long passage establishing the entire history of the world, jump into the story and fill in background as needed