Or, How to Make Worldbuilding Feel Like Dessert, Not Vegetables

#writingcommunity  #booksky #amwriting  #writing Unfettered Treacle on Substack

Too much exposition is like being cornered at a party by a guy who says, “Let me tell you about my D&D campaign.” Ten minutes later, you’re still nodding politely while he’s explaining the mechanics of elven tax law. You’re not listening. You’re planning your escape route.

That’s the danger of exposition in fiction. We’ve all done it. We’ve built this whole intricate world in our heads, and when we sit down to write, the instinct is to dump it all out on the page, because the reader needs to know. Except … they really don’t. Not all at once.

What Not to Do

The Essay: “Here’s the history of my kingdom going back 1,000 years.” Nobody signed up for your PhD thesis.The Police Sketch: 50 physical details of a character we’ve just met. Half a page later, I remember they have hair? Maybe?The Thesis Statement: You know, the ol’ “Tell them what you are going to tell them, then tell them, then tell them what you told them.” That works good for an actual thesis, but not so much for fiction. “This is the story of how Gregor found himself.” Thanks, but I’d rather just read the story.

Readers didn’t buy a ticket for the lecture series. They came for the characters.

What Actually Works

Three Good Details. Pick the ones that matter, scar, accent, nervous tic, and let the rest blur in. Readers are better at filling gaps than we give them credit for.Arguments. Two characters hashing it out on the page is instant exposition with flavor. You learn about the world and the people.The Tease. Hint at the cool thing, but hold back the explanation until it matters. Make exposition a payoff, not an entry fee.

Every Sentence Should Multi-Task

Kurt Vonnegut said every sentence should do more than one thing. That applies double to exposition. If you’re explaining something, let it also reveal character, set the mood, or make the reader laugh.

Example:

“He adjusted the plasma rifle the way my uncle adjusted his dentures, loudly, and with no shame.”

That’s world-building (there are plasma rifles), character voice (snarky narrator), and humor all in one line.

The Old Switcheroo

Here’s a trick: take something hugely important in your world, like the way magic works, or how the galactic senate governs trade routes, and don’t explain it. Just let it sit there. The mystery makes the reader lean in.

Then take something totally trivial, like the recipe for space oatmeal, and explain the heck out of it. Suddenly, the world feels lived in.

Different Genres, Different Leashes

Exposition expectations shift.

Fantasy: readers expect a learning curve, but they still don’t want the Silmarillion dropped in their lap on page one.Science fiction: same deal—give me a ship’s engine and I’ll believe it runs on “quantum foam” without the physics lecture.Mystery/thriller: readers want to be one step behind, not three chapters ahead because you explained the whole plot in advance.Romance: honestly, the only exposition I care about is how good they look when they walk in the door and what’s standing in the way of the kiss.

Point being, how much explaining you get away with depends on the contract with your readers.

The “As You Know, Bob” Problem

This is the most common rookie move.

“As you know, Bob, ever since the Glorious Revolution of ’72, all spaceships have been required to carry a trained ferret.”

If both characters already know it, they wouldn’t say it. The reader knows you’re just shoving in background. It’s like watching two actors wink at the camera.

Instead, give the info to someone who doesn’t know it. Or better yet, let the reader pick it up on their own.

Exposition by Friction

One of the best ways to sneak exposition in, put two characters in conflict. The disagreement itself becomes the delivery vehicle.

“You can’t take the northern road, everyone knows it’s haunted.”“Haunted? Or just full of your bandit friends collecting tolls?”

Boom. In two lines we get setting, danger, character motives, and a little spice.

Exposition as Voice

Sometimes it’s not what you tell the reader, but how. A passionate, wrong-headed, or snarky narrator can make exposition fun. If your POV character has opinions, their version of the world will be interesting even when they’re explaining how door locks work.

The Iceberg Rule

Readers don’t need 100% of your world. If they see 10% above the surface, they’ll trust you that the other 90% exists under the water. Show restraint. It builds trust and intrigue.

Readers Don’t Mind Learning—They Mind Being Lectured

Think about the books you love. Did you stick around because the author carefully explained every last detail? Or because you were invested in the people, and you trusted the author to hand you the right puzzle pieces at the right time?

Good exposition is a trust exercise. You’re telling the reader, I’ll give you enough to follow along, and I’ll reward you with more when it matters.

And if you do it right, nobody’s planning an escape route from your book like they are at that party with the D&D guy.