NAVIGATING EXPOSITION & BACKGROUND

Nothing slows down a novel quite like large mounds of exposition and backstory. Exposition is material the author puts on the page to explain context. Backstory is story material that happened in the past but for some authorial reason is dropped in the present. When this kind of material appears in the middle of a scene it can slow the pace, sort of like a Mastodon trying to escape a hungry caveman by way of the tar pits.

Now, not all exposition or backstory is bad. In fact, properly handled, they’re tremendously helpful for bonding readers with characters. But if they’re plopped down in large doses, and without a strategy in mind, they become a pool of hot goo where the story gets pitifully stuck.

DEBUNKING MYTHS

If backstory is defined as a