Elliot Kane said:
So my rule is always to explain anything that the reader
must understand if they are to follow the plot and enjoy the story. That way, they will understand what is going on, even if I have slipped up and given them insoluble riddles on the minor stuff <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
Hope this helps <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
Nicely put EK. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
As a reader I don't expect to understand every piece of information in a story, so long as the key points are rendered clearly. Much of it can successfully do its job as 'colour' without my fully understanding the details.
It's also one of the most common ways we learn new words - simply by being exposed to them in context. We might not know that 'riparian' means living on a river bank but we'll probably get the sense of the word from its setting. The same can apply to new information.
I thoroughly enjoy being exposed to new things when I read. Sometimes it will provoke a flurry of research, but not always. I can read a book on science or music for instance and not grasp half of what is being said yet thoroughly enjoy just slipping into another world and basking in the light of a different sun for a while.
