Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Exposition
The term
exposition
, when referring to storytelling, can sometimes evoke
derisive reactions, summoning bad memories of endless explanatory
speeches and mind-numbingly boring lectures. But exposition is nothing
more than this:
information the audience needs in order to understand and
appreciate the story
.
Why should this be such a terrible thing? Well, it isn't. In fact, exposition
exists in every single story, because it is absolutely necessary.
But handling exposition artfully is a challenge that trips up many
storytellers, especially untrained ones. There are few experiences more
frustrating for an audience than to feel trapped in a seemingly endless
quagmire of unentertaining expository information. And that's probably why
“exposition” has become a bit of a dirty word.
Understanding common pitfalls when conveying critical narrative inform-
ation to the player will help you avoid them, and make you a better
storyteller.
Note: Potentially the stickiest form of exposition is
plot exposition
—the
information that helps the story elements make sense. We'll cover other
forms of exposition in
chapter 7
, but for the purposes of the rest of this
chapter, “exposition” will refer to
plot exposition
.
