I remember when I first started taking my writing seriously. I did a lot of research and read a lot of information on how to write a publishable novel. Somewhere along the way, I missed the part were narrative and exposition were not the same. As a matter of fact, I used the two interchangeably.

In response to one of my earlier blogs, a fellow blogger commented that she thought I was wrong in reference to a statement I had made concerning exposition and narrative. She, of course, was right, and as a result, I took a closer look at these two concepts.

Narrative

• Narrative is your voice as the writer sharing information with your readers.
• It tells the writer instead of shows.
• Narrative lets you set the scene and give background information.
• Used for transitions, it moves the reader from one scene to another.
• It slows the pace.

Exposition