from again. The sole function of Dr. Mortimer in Conan Doyle’s 7KH
+RXQGRIWKH%DVNHUYLOOHV, for example, is to appear from time to time
and explain things.z There are three alternative methods to trying to shoehorn exposition
into dialogue.
o The simplest of these is to violate the “show, don’t tell” rule and
provide the information directly to the reader in the narration
itself. Some authors write a dramatic opening chapter or two to
GUDZWKHUHDGHULQWKHQSXWWKHPDLQQDUUDWLYHRQKROGWR¿OOLQ
the background on the main character.
o ,I\RXUVWRU\LVWROGLQWKH¿UVWSHUVRQDQGWKHQDUUDWRULVSULY\
to the information you need to get across, you can have him or
KHU¿OOLQWKHEDFNJURXQGGLUHFWO\o If the information must come from a particular character at a
particular moment in the story, you might use LQGLUHFWGLDORJXH,
which is a summary of what a character has said, without using
his or her exact words.Austen, 3ULGHDQG3UHMXGLFH.
Dickens, 'DYLG&RSSHU¿HOG.
Hammett, 7KH0DOWHVH)DOFRQ.
Higgins, 7KH)ULHQGVRI(GGLH&R\OH.
Leonard, &XED/LEUH.
Morrison, %HORYHG.
Munro, “Walker Brothers Cowboy.”
Tolstoy, $QQD.DUHQLQD.
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