Story Requires Backfill? Try Making it Funny

How humor can avoid exposition and summary slowing a narrative down.

Exposition dumps and loads of long-winded summary aren’t exactly going to propel a story forward. But what if there was a way to provide vital backfill information in a more enjoyable and entertaining way? Well, that’s what Jen Spyra does in her short story “First Kid, Second Kid” from her collection Big Time.

Spyra uses ultra-specific jokes to illustrat…