has anyone got any tips about avoiding too much exposition?

[MaMaLa321]

I'm reading a historical novel that a friend has self published. It's OK, but there is too much exposition, which slows down the story. I'm writing a HN at the moment, and I've realised that I'm doing pretty much the same thing.
Has anyone got any suggestions of how to cut back exposition while still keeping the sense of time and place?

I don't write historical fiction but the books in that genre that i have enjoyed don't explain anything - they just assume it's familiar. The most famous example of this would be Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall series which submerges the reader in the period and forces them to make sense of the references and historical characters. Sarah Waters fills her books with descriptions of the homes, hairstyles, clothing, streets in which are novels are set but there again assumes the reader has enough of a grasp of the period in which they take place not to have to spell out the actual history at play.

Tell only what is necessary to the narrative of the story.

There's a rule made to be broken! But it could be helpful if there's too much exposition.

I write historical fiction. I tend to use historical detail where I can because I like to read books like that but I do add an explanation if I think a reader may not understand. Sometimes I assume things and my editor will make a note asking me to explain something a little for the audience.

But I am always conscious that I am writing a novel to be enjoyed as such, not a history text book. So I will describe surroundings, costume etc just enough to give an image. Any historical events that are part of the narrative are woven in as small insights.

thank you all

I think the old adage of 'Show, not tell' is key.

Take a copy of the chapter. Cut every single piece of exposition, leave it a week and go back to the cut draft. Then you'll see where you need it to help the story along.

If you then want more period detail you have to make it part of the story - so say a regency character is getting their hair dressed (which was a huge ritual) then the scene has to advance the story. So the obviously link here would be that the hairdresser has some gossip/previously unknown info that they drip-feed through the dressing of the hair. For example.

As PPs have said but don't be afraid of making the reader work as they'll often appreciate the compliment of not assuming they're idiots.

That said, I know many best-sellers have a plodding expeditionary style which suits some readers who buy a book a year from the best seller list and enjoy it. I do not look down on these but have in mind:
That's Joe, he's a professor of symbols.
Hi everybody, I'm Joe, my day job is being professor of symbols.
What's a symbol?
I'm glad you asked me that. It's ...
Oh no, someone had been killed with a symbol written on their hand. If only we knew someone who understood symbols.
What about Joe, he's a professor of symbols?
Joe, what do you think about this symbol?
Well it's a symbol of X. That means the plot will unfold like this...

love it zilla.

On a different note. In trying to show not tell, I seem to be doing a lot in speech between different characters. Is this a problem? I suppose the main thing is to be able to differentiate the speakers.

I think speech is fine but you have several weapons in your authority arsenal, depending on your narrative choices. You could have characters' thoughts and narration of events or thoughts which need not be plodding exposition (not that I'm saying your text has any plodding exposition).

I've copied the first extract I could get from Wolf Hall as a PP mentioned it. I think Thomas Cromwell is narrating running from his father and describing how he went to the Continent to survive and learn business. You may not have the same person and POV for your writing but:

He sees three elderly Lowlanders struggling with their bundles and moves to help them. The packages are soft and bulky, samples of woolen cloth. A port officer gives them trouble about their documents, shouting into their faces. He lounges behind the clerk, pretending to be a Lowland oaf, and tells the merchants by holding up his fingers what he thinks a fair bribe. "Please," says one of them, in effortful English to the clerk, "will you take care of these English coins for me? I find them surplus." Suddenly the clerk is all smiles. The Lowlanders are all smiles; they would have paid much more. When they board they say, "The boy is with us."

So there's a description of events that lead to him joining a group of Dutch? merchants by helping them bribe an English official. It alludes to the general environment and culture, Cromwell's intelligence and people skills and drives the story forward without saying 'Thomas helped some Dutch merchants bribe an official and they let him join their return home'.

Good luck.

Thank you Zilla. Mantel really is the mistress, isn't she? So spare, but achieving so much in such a small space. When I try writing, I have to think to myself that even HM had to start somewhere.