Your Hosts: Brandon, Victoria, Dan, and Howard
“As you know, Bob…” is the trope-tastic line we use to refer to expository dialog which has no function beyond exposition.
We get lots of listener questions about how to use dialog for exposition without making it feel like we’re using dialog for exposition. And as Bob already knows, this episode is about answering those questions.
Credits: This episode was recorded by Dan Thompson, and mastered by Alex Jackson
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 17:45 — 13.0MB)
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David Mogo Godhunter, by Suyi Davies Okungbowa
Take a favorite piece of media, and make a list of the worldbuilding elements which are absolutely necessary to make the story work. Now re-watch the media, and make notes about when each of these elements is introduced.
I once had a character awkwardly explain things everyone already knew because he genuinely didn’t know how to segue into the question he wanted to ask. He was immediately called out for “quoting an encyclopedia” and was forced to change tactics. It made me do the maniacal laugh I always do when I know I’m breaking a writing rule.
It only worked because the character was so profoundly awkward that delivering this line was completely in character for him.
As you know, fair listener, this week exposed the foursome, Brandon, Victoria, Dan, and Howard, to two main questions. First, what do I do if I’m overdoing the conversations, using dialogue to show everything? Symbols, scenes with plot and dialogue movement, context, conversation as conflict. The late-comer! Second, how do you add description, exposition, in a balanced way? Overwrite, then pare it down? Borrow from screenwriting, setting the scene. Use iceberg descriptions, just a little reflection hinting at the mass underneath. As you know, fair listener, lots of good stuff that you can read all about in the transcript, available now in the archives.
The transcript is also available over here:
https://wetranscripts.dreamwidth.org/170640.html