Is there a way to have a character talk about their past without it turning into exposition?

Boggle!?!?

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I’m writing two characters who are talking about their pasts on a train and I’m wondering if theres a way to do it that isn’t considered lazy exposition.
 

MythMonger

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Not to be flip, but if you write it in a way that's entertaining, nobody will care if its exposition.
 

kwanzaabot

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Exposition isn't inherently bad. Sometimes you've gotta exposit, no ifs and buts about it.
If you present it in an interesting way, then the reader won't mind so much, and they might even enjoy it.
I've been thinking about George RR Martin a lot lately, and the thing is, his books are about 90% exposition. Do we really need to know about the histories of the various noble houses? Of course not. It rarely has any bearing bearing on the plot (take the green and red apple Fossoways, which are only relevant in the first Dunk and Egg story), but it's interesting, and draws the reader in.

For instance... what if the characters were drunk? Depending on the type of train, they might be sitting at the bar. Or if it's just your basic commuter train, they could be coming home from the pub.
 

PyriteFool

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I think so long as the convo reflects how people actually interact (and yes, if it’s entertaining) you’ll be fine. You have to talk about something on a long train ride, right?

Are these people meeting for the first time? Then I’d expect broad details. Like, “Oh I’m traveling to visit my mother. I grew up in the area, so it’s nice to come home, get a break from work.” If the characters are more intimate, I’d expect more. “My mother is sick, so I’m traveling to help her move into assisted living. It’s rough coming back, we argued a lot when I was growing up, etc.”
And keep it a conversation, rather than monologues. No one likes someone going off on a monologue while they’re stuck traveling together (in real life and in fiction ;))
Exposition is like your vitamins. All stories need them, but you can get them in tasty meals, rather than giant pills (does this metaphor work? I don’t know if it does, but I’m keeping it anyway!)
 

Yonathanasefaw

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No one will care, do what you want. It's a waste of time thinking what others will say about it. ;)
 

Lakey

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When you say “talk,” do you mean literally talk, as in, reveal their backstory to another character through dialogue? If so, then I think subtext and oblique dialogue is the key. Use your dialogue to do more than just exposit backstory. Use it to create tension and characterization in the present scene, while also conveying the past facts you need to put in play.

Example: in the novel I’m working on, two women talk to one another about their personal (including romantic) histories. This is a thing lots of women talk about, right? But the novel is set in 1951, and these two women are attracted to each other; neither one knows if the other shares her proclivities. They are talking about their backstories, but they are also talking around the real issue at stake in the scene. The dialogue does more than one thing.

Also, I always learn a lot by taking a look at some of my favorite books and paying attention to how they handle the revelation of backstory.

:e2coffee:
 

Boggle!?!?

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No one will care, do what you want. It's a waste of time thinking what others will say about it. ;)

I appreciate what you’re saying thank you :D But I think it’s incredibly important to get the opinions of other writers, especially as someone who’s never written before, like me.
 

PyriteFool

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I appreciate what you’re saying thank you :D But I think it’s incredibly important to get the opinions of other writers, especially as someone who’s never written before, like me.

I agree completely! People will have opinions and will judge. That’s what happens when you want to write for an audience. Obviously you can’t please everyone, but it’s great that your seeking out advice to improve! Just don’t let it paralyze you ;)
 

Bufty

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Have the character talk about his past when it is relevant and preferably reluctantly in response to questions from another character who needs to know something about that past in order to further the story.

By 'preferably reluctantly' I meant that if the information has to be squeezed out perhaps the character has reasons for not wanting to reveal his past.
 
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Bing Z

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Things to avoid:
a) 'As you know, Bob' dialogues.
b) Irrelevant/excessive information. Say you have written 3 pages of character profile for Tom, resist the urge to show them all to the readers at once. Only show them relevant parts (ie what they need to know at that stage.)

Things to consider:
a) insert characterization. Does Tom have a sarcastic voice? Is he a scholar who loves to use big words or a gangbanger with a potty mouth?
b) akin to a), insert talker/listener feelings/prejudice/judgements. Tom says, "I sparred with Floyd Mayweather once and I won by a silver." Dick rolls his eyes. Yeah, right, while Mary shows a fangirl expression.
c) again, similar to above, say if Tom is from the South, have him say some southern dialect instead of pronouncing, "I'm from the South..."
d) insert tension if you can, instead of just spelling out information. (Dick may say "I hate rednecks" right before Tom says his y'all dialogues.) Propel the plot whenever possible.
e) read Tom Chiarella's Writing Dialogue.
 

ironmikezero

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The trick is to hook your reader into wanting to know more--set the scene.

"So, have you ever been arrested?"

"Um, not exactly . . ."

"Not exactly? Explain."
 

indianroads

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Model your exposition after conversations you have in real life. Usually - in my experience - stories of our past come out in snippets that contain only information relevant to a current activity or conversation. IMO exposition should be kept short and to the point - presented in chewable bites.
 

Carl L Sanders

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Like in the Movies, with FLASHBACKS

Let them talk. When an interesting point arises(one that is germane to your Plot) insert an ellipsis; new paragraph; and then dramatize the scene being told. Then another ellipsis; new pargraph and back to the conversation. Repeat as needed.
 

edutton

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Is he a scholar who loves to use big words or a gangbanger with a potty mouth?
A propos of nothing, now I want to write a scene between a gangbanger who loves to use big words and a scholar with a potty mouth. :D (I know some of the latter personally...)
 

mccardey

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I’m writing two characters who are talking about their pasts on a train and I’m wondering if theres a way to do it that isn’t considered lazy exposition.
Just to clarify - are you intending this to be a strategy for your readers to meet the characters? I'm going to say that this is not a safe start for a book - it needs very firm hands to make it not 'lazy exposition.' The trick would be to have them doing something that shows us who they are, rather than having them tell each other while we listen in.

On the other hand, it's an excellent way to begin to write the first draft of your novel. (Myself, I like to put two characters in a library and have them whisper.) It's a good way for you, the writer, to get to know your characters and to get some idea of where the story begins. But it will (usually) be a much better book by the second or third draft, when you've cut those scenes and found a way to open that gives us much more than just backstory - that includes both backstory and present. So don't get too involved in the train-details yet, would be my advice.

Great question though. Good luck!

ETA: If your intention is other than "Okay - first I'll introduce the characters by having them talk about their pasts to each other." then my advice doesn't hold. Because obviously a book can open with two characters on a train, talking about themselves. As long as the writer is very skilled and sure of her intention.
 
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L.C. Blackwell

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I think it's particularly useful when the conversation changes something between the characters. Does she understand him better now? Does he trust her more? Did someone just say something a little too truthful? Or plant an important clue?

Another thing I'm learning as I go is that backstory plays most effectively when it's having, or about to have, a direct impact on the front story. For instance, I don't set up two characters to discuss my main character's tragic first marriage until a) the conversation bears on their own relationship, and b) my poor hero is getting re-married in the next scene, with an even more dramatic conversation to come between him and his new bride. So, consider letting us know what did happen when it affects what's going to happen. Otherwise, the backstory in itself may be interesting, but feel detached and drag down the pacing.

Of course, if you plant tension in the conversation and promise a payoff sometime, it doesn't so much matter. An outlaw and a preacher's daughter on a train? We know they're going to meet again eventually, and in a significant way. Instant interest, even if the payoff doesn't come until three chapters later.

Just a few thoughts there....
 

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I'm reading a book right now that's as close to 100% exposition as I've ever read. Seriously, no one is really going anywhere or doing much of anything, or even talking much to each other. Each viewpoint character is doing a lot of thinking about the history of a particular problem and their perspective on it. It's odd but more interesting that you'd think. I think the authors set out to break every rule that has emerged for writing SFF in recent years.

As for conversations not feeling like exposition, even if they are, it's about how natural it feels as well as interesting and relevant. The "as you know, Bob" thing feels contrived, because how often does anyone start a sentence with that in real life? But if someone has a reason to tell another person things about themselves, or even to remind the other person of things that person should know, then it can work just fine. As long as it moves the story forward and is interesting.

I remember reading a quote somewhere once that fiction differs from reality in that the former actually has to make sense, but I don't remember to whom to attribute it.
 
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Harlequin

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Yes, there is, and I would in fact encourage anyone to put a LOT of thought into how you explain backstory.

The process by which we give information to a reader can (and does) shape the entire book--both structurally, and tonally.
 

cbenoi1

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I’m writing two characters who are talking about their pasts on a train and I’m wondering if theres a way to do it that isn’t considered lazy exposition.

Three things to consider in your case.

1) Do it with tension. Tension is what makes readers turn the page. There is nothing wrong with two characters talking to one another. What makes the interaction that more interesting is what is NOT said. People can lie. People can hold grudges. People can have metabolic reactions to some ideas or concepts (ex: imagine how you'd feel if some stranger on a train told you with some nonchalance that greed is the best thing that was ever invented, that it makes everything clear and limpid, that it sets the right priorities, and that survival of the most fit ensures the perpetuity of humanity? Would you try to signal the other person you're not too comfy with where this is going? Would you pretend to have received an important email so to cut that line of thought in the bud?) And best of them all - people can have secrets and hidden agendas.

2) R.U.E. - Resist the Urge to Explain. If the goal of this scene is to make your job easier later on - aka backstory - aka info dump - then. Just. Don't. Info dumps are tension sinkholes; not only they break the story's pace but they are often so badly done readers rather go through a microwave owner's manual instead.

3) Do not confuse dialogue with conversation. Conversation is everyday talk. There is a lot of dead space and unrelated snippets in there. Dialogue propels the story forward. It's a conversation with all the boring snippets cut out and added tension.

Oh, did I mention tension is key?

Hope this helps.

-cb
 
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I think this can be done (and I've read many books that were really heavy on the exposition, yet they still managed to get published) if done well/in a careful way.

What helps me with this is going through some of my favourite books (or comp titles) and compare how they handle these types of scenes. You want it to feel natural above all else, as if it was a real conversation you could imagine overhearing on a train.
 

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Depending upon circumstances, you might consider placing the two characters in opposition/conflict. Maybe one of the character's is pressing the other's buttons, prompting an angry outflow of justification/information.
 

ByTXP

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Whenever I feel myself writing a big chunk of exposition into a conversation, I find it's helpful to stop and ask whether the characters really need to (or would even be willing to) say all this at once. Sometimes it's better to drop in one or two crucial pieces of information and leave the rest to be doled out later.

Example: In a conversation on the train, Character A might accidentally reference something about himself that he didn't intend to reveal to Character B, which then leaves B (and the reader) wondering until she runs into Character C, who gives her another piece of the puzzle.

That usually feels a lot more natural than having everyone spill their guts to each other upfront, and sometimes you'll realize that some of the exposition you've cut didn't need to be there at all.