What is Exposition? By Denice Whitmore

What is exposition? Exposition in a novel is the part of the writing that tells the story. Or, in other words, the important details that drive your story and inform the reader. Here are a few definitions that pertain to writing from www.dictionary.com.

the act of expounding, setting forth, or explaining:

the exposition of a point of view.

writing or speech primarily intended to convey information or to explain; a detailed statement or explanation; explanatory treatise:

The students prepared expositions on familiar essay topics.

 Some things that are included in exposition are, point of view (POV), setting, back story (but only limited), dialogue, description, emotion, thoughts, and many more things.

 Everything you write in your novel should further the plot in some way, build character, give a sense of setting and build tension all from a fixed POV. Good exposition will do these things. Great exposition will do all of them at the same time with as few words as possible. 

How many times have you picked up a book and had to slog through fifteen to twenty pages of back story before anything happens. Back story should only be shared as it becomes relevant. But be careful not to give an info dump. There has to be an active way to introduce back story. Dialogue is a great place to add back story but it must be done carefully. Is the main character confessing something that he did—his deepest darkest secret? Is she uncovering a hidden truth that will change her life for better or worse and shock the reader? You want to tease the reader and let them uncover things from the past that are relevant to the present without dumping a load of irrelevant information on them.

Many people make the mistake of writing talking heads. The ‘he said,’ ‘she said,’ type of dialogue where the characters robotically stand still having a conversation is boring. This is where exposition in narration can really work for you. Your POV character may have thoughts that don’t jive with his words. People move around and interact with each other and their setting. Physical and emotional reactions build character in between dialogue pulling the reader further into the story. Instead of dialogue tags, try writing only with action tags that show emotion, build character, or interact with the setting. It will pull the reader into your world more than ‘he said,’ ‘she said,’.

The most important thing to me as an editor is to make sure the novel has the proper amount of tension. Because what keeps readers turning pages? Tension. When tension builds in a steady arc throughout each chapter, the reader becomes more invested in the characters. What will happen next? How will they get out of that situations? Are they ever going to have that first kiss? Lead your readers on a bit. Make them bite their nails. Keep them awake at night wondering, until they get out of bed to read one more chapter because they have to know what happens next. Tension is an author’s best friend.

 All in all, it can be hard to strike the right balance of the elements that go into your story. Balance is the key. Once you find that proper balance in your exposition, it shows in your writing and readers can’t put your book down.

Here is an excerpt from Knowing Amelia by Jen Atkinson that shows great exposition.

            Sitting up, I felt like a queen, eating my meal in bed. All I needed now were my—oh, no! My books were all downstairs. I couldn’t sit in bed doing nothing all day, and I didn’t have a servant—like a queen should, to order the promptness of my novels. If I kept quiet, maybe she wouldn’t notice me. Maybe I could sneak downstairs and be back to the safety of my room without one grouchy glance from Grandma.

            The creaking of the bedroom door screamed through Dad’s old room. “Shh!” I glared at it. I tiptoed down the wooden staircase without much noise. Creeping over to the living room, I saw my things lying on Amelia’s old square coffee table.

            And then I heard it.

            The horrible blubber came from Amelia’s dining room. Jerking my head upright, I held my breath. What is it? Who is it?

            Again, I heard a weak moan, this time followed by a cry. “Oh, Seth.”

            My racing heart pumped blood through my veins. My eyes widened as the cries grew louder. Each sob, just out of my view, as if it were right next to me. I took one step. Just turn around. Another step. Just walk away. One more—closer. Just get out! But—I had to see.

            Knuckles white, I clutched my book to my chest, my heart thumping against the hard cover of Romeo and Juliet.

            Peeking around the wall separating the two rooms, my eyes focused on the figure before me. Amelia—down on her knees in the dining area. She had moved the table and pulled up one of the wooden floorboards, leaning it against the wall, revealing a hole in the floor. A small wooden box sat beside her, its contents a mystery.

            Sucking in a quiet breath, I let it go—she couldn’t see me. Thank goodness her back faced me. Amelia didn’t know I was there. Her body rocked back and forth with her sobs. “Seth,” she said through another sob. “My Seth.”

            Grandma sat there crying. Her husband of more than fifty years had died and finally—finally she had decided to cry. Even grumpy people should cry when their husbands die.

            Only my grandfather’s name wasn’t Seth.

 Keep writing!

Self Publishing: Four Types of Publishing Part Two by Jo A. Wilkins

The definition of a self-publisher is one who accepts payment from an author for the cost of designing, printing, and distributing his or her book. Frequently, the author invents and registers a publishing "imprint."

Self-published books remain the property of the author and are usually held in the author's possession; all proceeds belong to the author, NONE go back to the people who help you produce it.

Positive points for Self Publishing

• You have complete control over content.
• You tell the self-publishing outlet how you want them to format the book and what you want on the cover.
• You set the pricing.
• You do the research on how much other books like yours sell for and determine how much you need to sell the end product for to recoup what you laid out to produce the book
• You control production
• It is you who decides when the book is ready for publication and each step is completed
• You decide how, when and where to market
• Marketing is the demon in the side of all authors, even those who commercially publish, but in self-publishing it falls solely on the shoulders of the author.

Negative points for Self Publishing

• You bear ALL costs for production
• In this option every expense of production falls on the author. You must keep tract of the costs that will affect your bottom-line if you want to make a profit off the sale of your books
• You are responsible for editing or hiring an editor
• This is a step that most self-publishing authors skip, but it is one that NO author should omit. Having an editor who knows the publishing world will make an enormous difference in the sale of your book
• You must store and distribute your books
• If you choose self-publishing then make sure you use a print-on-demand printer or have enough room to store the books you have printed in bulk (it is less expensive in bulk).
• You are responsible for ALL marketing
• Again, this is the setup that if skipped, will kill the sales of your book. Just listing it for on-line sales will not sell your book.
• Lesser amount of prestige
• If you are publishing your own book it carries less weight than if picked up by a stranger that feels it will sell
• Difficult to tell the difference between a vanity press and a true self-publishing company.
• Readers are not sophisticated enough to tell the difference between true self-publishing and the work behind it and the books that come out of a vanity press.

If you as an author take the road of self-publishing then be prepared for unexpected expenses and a little less prestige to the book you produce. But, remember there are many authors who, down through the ages of publishing history, have utilized self-publishing  Some of the authors and their titles are:

Betty Zane                                          Zane Gray

Elements of Style                                 William Strunk/E.B. White

Huckleberry Finn                                Mark Twain

Leaves of Grass                                    Walt Whitman

Tarzan (1931-1948 Series)                Edgar Rice Burroughs

Legally Blond                                      Amanda Brown