Incluing

Incluing is a technique of world building, in which the reader is gradually exposed to background information about the world in which a story is set. The idea is to "clue" the readers into the world the author is building, without them being aware of it.

This in opposition to "infodumping", where a concentrated amount of background material is given all at once in the story, often in the form of a conversation between two characters, both of whom should already know the material under discussion. (The so-called "As you know, Bob" conversation.)

Both incluing and infodumping are forms of exposition and are frequently used in science fiction and fantasy, genres where the author has the task to make the reader believe in a world that does not exist. Writers in other genres have less use for these techniques, as they can often depend on the reader's familiarity with the "real world".

Incluing can be done in a number of ways: through conversation between characters, through background details or by "establishing scenes" where a character is followed through daily life. One famous example of incluing is "the door dilated", a phrase created by Robert A. Heinlein and used in several of his stories and novels. In real life, few doors (if any) open like pupils; the offhand mention establishes the familiarity of this strange thing, and does not call attention to itself.

The word incluing is attributed to fantasy and science fiction author Jo Walton [http://www.lshelby.com/rasfcFAQ.html retrieved 17 May 2007] . She defined it as "the process of scattering information seamlessly through the text, as opposed to stopping the story to impart the information." [http://papersky.livejournal.com/324603.html retrieved 17 May 2007]

References