Writing 101: How to Use Literary Exposition

Exposition is a literary device that is meant to relay background information about a main character, setting, event or other element of the narrative. Exposition comes from the Latin word expositionem, which literally means “showing forth.” Backstory in literature can be conveyed through dialogue, characters’ thoughts or point of view, narration, flashbacks, description of the setting, or various pieces of in-universe media (such as newspaper headlines, journals, or letters).

Exposition is designed to convey information that provides insight into a character or advances the story. The background information provided by exposition helps connect to the reader to the emotional stakes of the narrative. As far as literary terms go, exposition may be one of the simplest to understand. Yet nailing the exposition of a story is often one of the trickiest tightropes to walk for a writer; provide too little of a character’s backstory or background details and the reader will be confused, but write too much expository information and the reader will be bored (you’ve likely heard the motto “show, don’t tell”). That’s why it’s important to provide enough exposition to give your readers necessary context without tiring them with tedious details.

Dialogue is one of several types of exposition for effectively introducing critical background information in a way that feels unforced and natural. Rather than directly explaining important details through the information dump of expository writing, dialogue allows you to weave backstory or context into a conversation or argument. On the other hand, writers should avoid the temptation to cram a bunch of exposition into the dialogue all at once, as this can lead to an exchange that feels unnatural and boring to the reader. Learn more about writing dialogue in our complete guide here.

Narration is often the simplest and most direct way to convey exposition. After all, the definition of exposition is the relaying of background information, and our narrator is the one in charge of deciding what information to tell us. The way the narrator dispenses that information likely depends on the type of narration used in the book or short story. Omniscient narrators, for instance, have the ability to see into each character’s thoughts and desires and therefore can provide information about any character at any given time. A first person narrator, on the other hand, can only convey the emotional state or backstory of the protagonist.

Another way to provide good exposition in a narrative is through a character’s internal monologue. An internal monologue gives readers candid insight into a character’s innermost thoughts and desires. For that reason, internal monologue is a particularly helpful method of revealing character. This internal monologue gives us insight into the main character’s thoughts and feelings about the people around them.

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