Exposition (narrative)
Background information inserted into a story or narrative.
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Exposition provides a story's necessary background, such as details about the world, a character's history, or earlier events. In written fiction, this information is woven directly into the narrative as explanatory passages.
Infodumping
An infodump, or information dump, is when an author unloads a large chunk of background details needed to move the story forward. This approach is generally discouraged in fiction, especially in dialogue, as it often stalls the plot or pulls readers out of the story. Though it can occasionally succeed, exposition works best when the author gives just the essential surface facts, letting readers piece things together naturally.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Exposition (narrative) (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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