
Expositions usually include:
- Who your characters are: Can include names, Profession, a particular like or dislike/ character traits – things that will help your readers get familiar with your character. ...
- Where they are : A sense of the place where something is happenning or where something is going to happen
- Time: You remember the famous, “Once Upon a time” opening line? ...
What do you learn in the exposition of a play?
Exposition is a literary term that refers to the part of a story that sets the stage for the drama to follow: it introduces the theme, setting, characters, and circumstances at the story’s beginnings. To understand what exposition is, look at how the writer sets the scene for the story and the characters within it.
What are the purposes of Exposition in a story?
When writers craft the exposition they inform the reader about other characters, character traits of those characters, information about the setting, and past events that influence the story. There are many more categories of details that one could come up with, especially as the content of work varies along with the intended audience.
What role does the Exposition play in the plot?
What role does the exposition play in the plot? Definition: The part of the plot that provides the reader with background information introducing the setting, characters, and main conflicts. The exposition usually occurs at the beginning of a novel or story and may be short or long.
What is contained in the exposition of a story?
What four pieces make up an exposition?
- Plausibility. However you choose to convey a certain piece of information, it should feel natural to the reader. …
- Pacing. …
- Point of view. …
- Pertinence.

What is an exposition example?
For example, if you were telling someone about Romeo and Juliet for the first time, you might give them an exposition by saying something like “It's a story about two star-crossed lovers from Verona that commit suicide because they can't be together.”
What are the 4 types of exposition?
Comparison – The author shows how two or more topics are alike. Contrast – The author shows how two or more topics are different. Cause and Effect – The author demonstrates the cause while showing the effects of the cause. Problem and Solution – The author explains a problem, then explores possible solutions.
What is a simple definition of exposition?
Definition of exposition 1 : a setting forth of the meaning or purpose (as of a writing) 2a : discourse or an example of it designed to convey information or explain what is difficult to understand. b(1) : the first part of a musical composition in sonata form in which the thematic material of the movement is presented.
How do you start an exposition?
4 Tips for Writing ExpositionBegin with intriguing details. ... Break up long stretches of exposition with dialogue. ... Build tension through dramatic contrast. ... Leave unanswered questions.
What is the main purpose of an exposition?
What Is the Purpose of Exposition? 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.
What is another word for exposition in a story?
OTHER WORDS FOR exposition 1 exhibit, demonstration, display, presentation. 3 elucidation, commentary; critique, interpretation, exegesis, explication.
What is the structure of an exposition?
Exposition text has three structures, namely (1) thesis, (2) argumentation, and (3) reaffirming opinion.
What are the types of exposition?
Though writers can use many different techniques to create exposition, it comes in two main forms: direct and indirect exposition. Direct exposition occurs when the narrator or a character briefly pauses or delays the action of the story to introduce expository details.
What are the 5 types of exposition?
THE FIVE TYPES OF EXPOSITIONIMPORTANT NOTE.CAUSE AND EFFECT. (5)SEQUENCE. (3)COMPARE AND CONTRAST. (2)PROBLEM AND SOLUTION. (4)DESCRIPTION. (1)EXPOSITORY WRITING.
What are the 3 types of exposition?
Types of ExpositionEdit Contrast - The author shows how two or more topics are different. Cause and Effect - The author demonstrates the cause while showing the effects of the cause. Problem and Solution - The author explains a problem, then explores possible solutions.
What 4 components are included in the exposition?
The exposition is the introduction to a story, including the primary characters' names, setting, mood, and time.
How many types of exposition are there?
Though writers can use many different techniques to create exposition, it comes in two main forms: direct and indirect exposition. Direct exposition occurs when the narrator or a character briefly pauses or delays the action of the story to introduce expository details.
What is the exposition of a story?
Exposition is a literary term that refers to the part of a story that sets the stage for the drama to follow: it introduces the theme, setting, characters, and circumstances at the story’s beginnings. To understand what exposition is, look at how the writer sets the scene for the story and the characters within it.
Where does exposition take place in a book?
While the exposition usually appears at the beginning of a book, there can be exceptions. In some books, for example, you may find that exposition takes place through flashbacks that a character experiences. While the story might be set in the main character's current and somewhat stable life, their flashbacks give vital information that sets the scene for something that might be an internal struggle that will surface within the remainder of the story.
What is exposition in writing?
Exposition is a literary device that communicates key information to your reader. This can be information about your characters, the setting, important events, or historically significant events that contributes to your story.
How much exposition does your story need?
Using exposition is a double-edged sword: too much, and your story gets bogged down with extraneous information. Too little, and your readers won’t know what’s going on.
Direct vs. indirect exposition
Exposition comes through your story in two ways: directly and indirectly. Let’s look at the difference.
4 ways to incorporate exposition into your story
There are a few different ways you can work exposition into your writing. Let’s look at where exposition can show up in your story.
Pros and cons of using exposition
Exposition is an important literary device in your story, but it has to be used with finesse. Here are a few of the risks and rewards of using exposition in your writing.
3 examples of effective exposition in literature
Exposition is all about communicating the most possible information in the least amount of words, while maintaining the forward motion of the story. Here are a few examples of exposition from literature that show whole worlds in just a few moments.
Use exposition to sharpen your story
Exposition is an essential part of every story—not just in the beginning, but throughout its entire journey. By using exposition in writing you can give your readers a wider view of the world you’re creating, you can give your characters new depth and new facets, and you can broaden your core story to include a greater range of space and time.
What is the definition of exposition?
Here’s a quick and simple definition: Exposition is the description or explanation of background information within a work of literature. Exposition can cover characters and their relationship to one another, the setting or time and place of events, as well as any relevant ideas, details, or historical context.
How to describe exposition?
Some additional key details about exposition: 1 Writers can introduce exposition into a story in a variety of ways, but it appears across all genres and styles of storytelling. 2 The individual pieces of background information that writers use to create exposition are known as expository details. 3 The word exposition comes from the Latin word exponere, which means to put out, exhibit, or explain. 4 Some people use the term "exposition" as if it's a bad thing, which awkwardly breaks up the flow of a story with chunks of background detail. It's important to understand that all literature involves some sort of exposition, and it can be done either well (such that as a reader you almost don't realize it's happening) or badly (such that it lamely messes up the pacing or energy of the story).
How do writers add expository details to a story?
Writers can also build suspense by withholding expository details, and then revealing them later in a story.
Why is monologue important in theater?
Dialogue and monologue are especially important expository tools for playwrights and screenwriters, because most plays and films rely solely on a combination of visual storytelling, dialogue, and monologue to introduce the world of the story and its characters.
Why is exposition important in a story?
Depending on a writer's goals and the style in which they are writing, they may place exposition at the beginning of a story, or they may introduce it gradually throughout the text, often with the aim of creating mystery or building suspense by withholding key details that contextualize important events and explain characters' world-views or motivations. This can have the advantage of encouraging the audience to keep reading or watching as the story unfolds.
Why do fairy tales use the word "once upon a time"?
Classic fairy tales often use the words "once upon a time" to introduce expository details, like who the main characters are, where the story is set, and what the major conflict or problem of the story might be.
What are the two main forms of exposition?
Though writers can use many different techniques to create exposition, it comes in two main forms: direct and indirect exposition.

Common Sources of Exposition in Writing
- As a literary device, the purpose of exposition is to provide background information about one or more characters, the story’s setting, plot events, or other narrative elements. In relaying this backstory, the reader achieves greater enjoyment and understanding of the story and its meanin…
Common Examples of Exposition in Well-Known Tales
- All narratives require exposition so that the reader has enough information and context in order to understand the story. Folk and fairy tales, in particular, require exposition so that their unusual characters make sense and the fantastical plots have meaning. Without such expository information, the storylines would be inaccessible in terms of understanding. Here are some com…
Methods of Conveying Exposition
- Writers have choicesin the methods they use to convey exposition in a story or novel. Ideally, so that the reader’s experience is interesting and meaningful, a writer should not limit themselves to just one manner of relaying information. Here are the most common methods of conveying exposition:
Examples of Exposition in Literature
- In literature, exposition conveys information that advances the plot of a story and provides insight into characters. This literary device requires an artistic touch so that writers offer their readers enough necessary context for understanding a story without overwhelming them with tedious or inessential detail. Here are some examples of exposition in literary works:
Exposition Definition
Exposition Examples
- Exposition Examples in Literature
All literature that involves a story includes some sort of exposition. If it didn't the characters would exist in a world without context, without histories or a setting. - Exposition in Pop Music
Songs often tell stories just as novels or other literature does. While not all songs tell stories that require exposition, those that do often contain exposition.
What's The Function of Exposition in Literature?
- Exposition locates readers in the world of the story: it establishes the "who, what, where, when," and sometimes "why" of a plot. Depending on a writer's goals and the style in which they are writing, they may place exposition at the beginning of a story, or they may introduce it gradually throughout the text, often with the aim of creating mystery...
Other Helpful Exposition Resources
- A guide to writing exposition in literature: Award-winning author Rachel Simon offers a writer's perspective on how to use direct and indirect exposition.
- A guide to exposition in film:Advice on how to work exposition into film.
- 18 Genius Pieces of Movie Exposition:A list that gives good examples of the different ways that some directors worked exposition into their movies.