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JoshRaed
Jan '24
2

I've noticed that there are more than a few scenes in my story where characters just stop to explain important plot things to each other, and I want to avoid doing that. But I don't know how to make sure this information is conveyed otherwise. Like how do I get the audience to understand necessary plot stuff like the massive dome encasing the evil empire, the existence of the rebellion, or the rules of the prophecy.

How do I convey these details without exposition dump moments?

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    Jan '24

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    Jan '24
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kyupol
Jan '24

Just write it assuming it's all part of the parameters in that world. The audience will catch on eventually as the story continues. Because if it's all part of that world's parameters, the characters are bound to mention it one way or the other

rosskinnaird
Jan '24

There are many ways. Don't be too concerned about it on your first draft. You will have the chance to get back to it and place the right parts back.
There is a great way of conveying information by painting the whole context around the exact thing you are not expressing directly. It's borrowed by a visual technique where you can clearly see an object by exclusion from the other elements surrounding them. Let the readers get to the assumption of a given fact by that same exclusion.

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delladz
Jan '24

I mean depending on the context, you can definitely do a lore dump while making it seem natural.

For example, characters who have lived under the massive dome know what its for but a new person in town would have no clue why its there. And now you have a great reason to lore dump lol.

Another person mentioned not necessarily talking about it, but rather around it. Like what are the effects of living under this dome? How does it benefit people? How does it obviously hinder their lifestyle? Are there goofs and gags you can utilize with it or strategic battles that can somehow use the dome? You can show and not tell what the dome does and the audience will figure it out from there.

And sometimes you don't give them all the information at once. That's probably the best part of a story, which is slowly uncovering the truth rather than having it all dumped in your lap. The existence of the rebellion can be trickled in with lines of criticism against the empire or maybe the main character sees a group of people with an unfamiliar insignia on their back.

There's a lot of ways to convey information without outright telling the audience, test things out and see what fits right for your story!

JoshRaed
Jan '24

Well the dome is around a part of the world that only one of the characters have been to, and none of them see the dome until the season finale, where it becomes a central plot detail because they have to get through it.

Ordinaryaverageguy
Jan '24
JoshRaed

Writing in 3rd person omniscient (story-teller mode)? Or something else? The former allows a lot of freedom in painting bits of landscape (so to speak) as the story moves along.

JoshRaed
Jan '24

It’s a comic that sticks to the main characters perspectives, and if a thing isn’t shown or said then it’s not really explained.

BoomerZ
Jan '24

Do good movies do this as a dump? Watch the original star wars. Everything you need to know is told or shown to you as you need it. Lazy writers info dumb, specially in comics which is a show-don't-tell medium. Work the plot points into the story. If you have to absolutely need to know something to get you plot moving, rework your plot. Change the event's order to allow for natural ways to find stuff out. People don't talk in monologues, or explain stuff in great detail. Another thing to remember is this is you characters reality. If the dome has always been there, it's just a fact of life.

JoshRaed
Jan '24

I just realized that I was going about the dome all wrong because the main characters have to have a solution to that issue from the beginning if they’re going to go on their quest. So that’s the way it will come up, is that they’ll need someone who can take them across the dome.

But then there’s another issue. On one hand, in a naturally told story the characters won’t talk about it until it suddenly becomes relevant because who discusses the existence of border control in everyday conversations? And the dome is too far away to see and remains that way for the first eight chapters.

But on the other hand, if that’s how they do it it will feel like an out of nowhere development, for the main characters to suddenly be discussing this thing the audience doesn’t know about like it’s existed the whole time.

Leyelle
Jan '24

In situations where you have important information that you need to share without blatant exposition, it can be helpful to start by hinting toward them and letting the audience come to understand what's going on a little bit more and more over time. Don't be afraid of letting it take a minute for the audience to fully grasp what's going on, as long as you keep them intrigued. Hinting toward what's going on can actually be really fun too, teasing the readers a little bit and keeping them hooked so they want to know what happens next.

Example: you said there's a rebellion going on, perhaps have a character mention to someone that they should stay out of a specific area of the city because there have been some signs of rebel activity going on there, and the last thing they need is to be caught in the crossfire. You don't have to immediately say what the rebellion is about, or who the rebels are immediately.

Similarly, you said there's a massive dome encasing the city, perhaps hint toward the absence of light in the empire.

Things like this can really help you, remember, that foreshadowing is your friend, and so is having people speak about situations as if the people they are talking to already know what's going on. it avoids the awkwardness of blatant exposition (especially if everyone already knows what's going on) and works similarly to foreshadowing by giving readers a bit of information about what's going on, but not all the details, which the characters know that "everyone" already knows.

An example from my own story. My character Kattar is rehospitalized, but neither the reader's, nor the MC, Alicia,his best friend was informed. I inform the readers of this by having Kattar's mother call Alicia asking her if she can take Kattar his hospital bag, as she's out of town and hasn't been able to change her ticket. She speaks to Alicia as if she knows that Kattar in the hospital, because she assumes he would have told her, and this allows the readers to slowly come to the realization along with Alicia of what exactly just happened.

(“‘Licia, dear, I’m so sorry to add more to your plate when you have such a busy schedule right now but I haven’t been able to change my ticket yet - and the airline is giving me a lot of trouble-” she sounds like she’s on the verge of tears “So if you could get to Kattar today or tomorrow and take him his bag - he already had it packed with anything he might want, it’s in his closet in the left corner. He wants it before Friday and I don’t think I’ll be able to get back until Saturday morning at the earliest. I would really appreciate it-”

I’m dumbfounded trying to process what she saying as she continues on, talking and apologizing until I finally find my voice.

“Mrs. Moon, where is Kattar?”

“Oh, room, 4A on the fourth floor, the same one as last time. I’m sure a nurse can show you but…”

And that’s when the shadow hits me.

I’ve never broken down that fast.)

Hope that helps!