Hi all
Following a short story submission to a magazine, I have received the usual rejection but also some feedback. This was very welcome over and above the usual response, but not 100% sure what it means:
"You might also want to look at your use of exposition and summary as this tends to dilute the tension in several scenes."
I'm guessing I must be being a little obvious with the plot development.
I wonder if it's referring to back story. Does the piece contain much? It's always a tricky thing to work into any work of fiction (too early, too late, too much, too little etc) but particularly, I think, in short stories where you really do risk upsetting the pace if you get it wrong.
I'm not 100% sure but it could mean that you spent too much time explaining what was going to happen (or what had just happened) rather than the slow reveal. Any free kindle books on exposition-summary that might help?
If it helps my short story was rejected from a quarterly because I advocated polytheism hahaha (I know the Norse was Christianised eventually but I certainly preferred the era before that!)