exposition

Well, since I've gone over random little things about writing, I might as well go over some big stuff.  Like exposition.
Before exposition happens (aka before you start writing), there's something you need to consider.  You could consider it and decide to see what happens, but you need to think about how you're going to do your exposition.  One way is that you explain everything as you go - "this is how the monarchy works;" "this is how the trade route works;" "this is where the dragons live;" "this is what I eat for breakfast," and so on.  Another way it could happen is that Plot could happen and, with A VERY WELL ESTABLISHED WORLD, let the reader figure stuff out for themselves.
These are only two ways to do exposition; you might combine them or think of a completely different way to do it.  However, if you go with the former, you can't explain the way the trade routes work if your character has been summoned for an audience with the king.  Similarly, your character can't be thinking of the monarchy when they decide to slip onto a trade caravan headed South (unless, of course, your character is running away from the palace, in which case you should have established why they're leaving, unless you want it to be a mystery).  If you jump right in to the exposition, it might be a good idea for you, the author, to already know about the Senate's plan to assassinate the King, whether there are multiple trading peoples and where they might be headed in any given season, and what the current dragon population is.  If breakfast is generic, don't go on about it in either form of exposition.  Most people, when going about their daily routine, don't give their breakfast more than a few moment's thought; similarly, you should only give your character's meal more than a sentence or two if Senate has decided to poison the King at the Winter Festival, and the character, while surveying the scrumptious feast, is trying to remember whether the poison in question is derived from spinach or potatoes.  In that case, something should give it away.  Funny blue stuff on the spinach.  A bit of red that might be cinnamon, but probably not, on the potatoes.  Things like that.

When dealing with exposition, there are several things you have to establish.
1. world exposition - this is especially important in fantasy novels.  As mentioned, you should only bring up dragons and the oligarchy if it's of moderate to severe importance that one is destroying the other.  Otherwise, only bring up dragons and government in forms of complaint.  Still, remember to set up your monsters and government even if your novel is a romance set amongst fairies.  Even if one of your lovers doesn't get captured by a dragon, think about how the dragon population might affect them.  If you know that, you could use it as Plot.
2. Character exposition.  This is more directly important to your novel.  The characters run the show, so make sure you know each one starting out.  This isn't just what Regreeya's height and hair colour are; this is how she gets along with Grescire and what each thinks of the other.  Though Regreeya's height and hair colour might be a contributing factor to why Grescire never really liked her, despite the fact that Regreeya is madly in love with him, this is also a way to develop Plot.  Does Regreeya KNOW that Grescire doesn't like blue-haired girls that are a foot shorter than he is?  If she does, what does she do about it?  If she doesn't, what does she do to try to get his attention instead?  How does this affect their relationship?  Think about motives as well - why is Regreeya trying to get his affections?  Why doesn't Grescire like blue-haired short girls?  Additionally, though appearance should be taken into account, an important thing is also character strength.  Regreeya can't be only good at trying to win over Grescire.  NOBODY would like it if she did that.  Sure, she could be a relationship therapist, an avid reader, or an advice columnist for fictional characters.  Whatever.  But what she and Grescire are good and bad at - and what their core values are - are going to determine whether or not the readership wants them to get together.
3. Plot exposition.  This is on par with Character exposition for importance; frequently it's higher than Characters, depending on whether the plot drives the characters or the characters drive the plot.  Establishing the plot, whether it's Regreeya's futile attempts to win Grescire's affections, or Grescire's accidental arrival on the scene of the king's death and the subsequent accusation of his guilt, it's important to establish what it is your characters are trying to accomplish.  Even more importantly, is it Regreeya, Grescire, or both of them who are trying to clear his name?  This also ties into motive - Grescire doesn't want to get put to death (king-killing is a capital offense, you know), and Regreeya wants to be with Grescire, so she helps him - so what do they do about it?  More importantly, how do Grescire's traits as the town's Resident Snotty Hunter and Regreeya's skills as the Shy Fictional Advice Giver help (or hurt) them in the course of the story?




Okay, I know that was a lot, but I was on a roll.  Also, exposition is important.
SO, a summary:
1. Know what you're doing, even if your audience doesn't.  Yet.
2. Know your world, who inhabits it, and what your characters are doing.
3. Don't talk about it if you don't have to.  Grescire's ability to identify the native flora and fauna should only be mentioned in foreshadowing his attempts to identify the poison used on the king.