exposition dump

Forced background monologue

An exposition dump is a clumsy narrative technique where background information, world-building, or plot details are delivered in a large, undigested mass rather than woven naturally into the story.

The term is pejorative in writing circles: The second chapter is just an exposition dump about the kingdom's history.

Also called an info dump.

infodumpExcessive explanatory overload
backstoryCharacter's past narrative
as you knowPresupposing listener's awareness
monologueUninterrupted solo address
talking headsChest-up video commentators

narration · worldbuilding · prologue · opening crawl · voiceover · flashback · dialogue · wall of text · clunky · tedious · lore · context · setup · telling · explaining · frontloading · history · manuscript

Opposites

narrative integration

exposition dumpshow don't tell

Writing principle favoring demonstration

dramatic irony · visual storytelling · subtext · Socratic dialogue · in medias res

showing vs telling

exposition dumpvisual storytelling

Conveying meaning through images

subtext · showing

information density

exposition dumpslow burn

Gradual buildup of rage

mystery box · drip-feed · breadcrumb trail · withholding

Family

exposition, dump, expose, exposed, exposing, exposes, expositor, expository, dumped

Familiarity: Top 1,000,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Abstract · Negative · Rated G