Tips for Writing Action, Dialogue, and Exposition
The Oxford Review Formula
By Bella, Editor-in-Chief 5 July 2026 Part 10: Why You Are Not Getting Published
Where Does One Find Tips for Writing Action, Dialogue, and Exposition/Backstory in Concert with One Another?
The Oxford Review has created a formula to help you combine Action, Dialogue, and Exposition/Backstory to keep your reader engaged, advancing plot and balancing the prose in your manuscript. An important clue for the writer is to use this formula to combine these writing elements as if they were the electrons that surrounded a nucleus of story. Each should always work in tandem with the other elements to encircle the story. Authors usually work in their niche which is usually only one of these elements, but writers must employ all of them to create bestselling books.
Authors often work in their niche, which is usually only one of these elements but writers must employ all of them to create bestselling books.
Many novels described, listed or reviewed as
bestsellers by Goodreads, The New York Times, USA Today, The Washington Post, and The Los Angeles Times have this formula in common.
For Instance, in The Women by
Kristin Hannah we find these elements braided together, just as our formula
requires.
Action:
Her opening scene begins in motion. Frankie is swirling inside a social event which later creates contrast to the theme of isolation. At this party we also learn that her brother is leaving for war.
Dialogue:
“How come there are no pictures of women up here,
except for wedding pictures?”
“It’s a heroes’ wall.”
“Women can be heroes.”
Dialog is used to solidify the social class, gender expectations and patriotism in the story which all tie into the action that is presented.
Professor Bryan Delaney at Harvard Lecture Hall 2026
Exposition/Backstory:
Here in Frankie’s interior thoughts tell us that
Frankie has been taught to admire courage, duty, and service, but to ignore any
lure to be courageous herself.
This interiority and backstory give the dialog a
more complex meaning by illuminating feelings and creating tension to set a
specific mood for the action.
Each element works in tandem to support one another. Here is your
combination of action, dialogue and exposition/backstory in play:
· Frankie is
at the party.
· People are
speaking about war and duty.
· There is an
emotional current which makes these themes ingrained ideals.
· She has an
epiphany.
· The idea
that she can be noble or courageous moves the plot forward.
How To Create the Best Dialogue (Dialog),
Action and Exposition/Backstory:
Dialogue: According to The Center for Fiction, one must be careful to make sure that dialogue (or US spelling,
dialog) sounds particular or distinct to each character. The Writer’s Digest suggests that one must also include subtext
(saying one thing but meaning another). Finally, FoxPrint Editorial states that dialogue must contain pressure
(disagreement, seduction, rivalry, misunderstanding, avoidance or withholding
truth).[1][2][3]
Action: According to The Write Practice, action gives scenes movement or physical life
(showing, not telling). This creates choices under pressure which can reveal
desire, fear, courage, dishonesty, selfishness or an arc of change. Finally, it
also creates a consequence, allowing growth, stagnation or change.[4]
Exposition/Backstory: The
reason all writers lean on exposition, and backstory, is to provide context so
the reader can understand the stakes, deep need, scene, setting, relationships
and emotional positioning of each character. According to The Write Practice, strong exposition (in small doses) can provoke
curiosity in the reader.[5]
And as you may have figured out from The
Oxford Review’s formula in play,
these elements work best if presented in small doses, working in tandem with
one another.[6]
[2] Writer’s Digest