Walking The Precarious Info Dump Line

I think we can all agree that information in fiction is important. There are certain details that have to be shared in order for any storyline to have context and make sense. Background information is what sets the scene and transports the reader into the story. But walking the fine line between what is necessary and what is overkill can be tricky.

There is a marked difference between what you may want your reader to know, and what they actually need to know.

Within this mode of information sharing lies the potential to carry out an info dump.

An info dump refers to the overwhelming and at times clunky presentation of background details in a story, where the author disrupts the narrative flow to elaborate on character history, world-building, or other information, often in lengthy text sections.

Excuse me whilst I take a moment to profess my guilt.

These info dumps typically occur quite early on or upon the introduction of a new character when a backstory is necessary.

For the reader it can feel like hitting a wall, disrupting the story's flow and pulling them out of the experience. Its heavy exposition often misses the conflict, tension, and stakes needed to keep readers hooked and engaged.

Understanding the significance of this error is necessary to fix it.

I know that in my head I want the reader to become immersed within the story and details play an important role in that. I want to make the journey an enriching one that is free from ambiguities. In other words, I have the best of intentions.

However, in reality, over sharing disengages readers, disrupts story momentum, and can make the writing seem lazy, confusing, or even boring.

One of the main problems with an info dump is that it always seems to come at the worst time. If you open with one, you’re throwing out information before the reader has had a chance to connect with the character or immerse themselves in the world. They quickly realize the real story hasn’t started yet and begin wondering when you’ll get to the interesting parts. Without realizing it, you’ve set a timer on their patience, counting down until they decide to move on.

The first step toward fixing this issue is learning to identify these info dumps in your writing so that you can address them effectively. They frequently appear in the first draft of a writing piece, which is understandable as drafting focuses on getting the writer’s thoughts down on paper.

Red flags to watch out for include:

• Large blocks of exposition. Often, such paragraphs contain little dialogue, movement, or action and can be identified by their lack of white space.

• Lengthy passages illustrating a character’s thoughts. This includes walking the reader through a backstory event. Thoughts are passive. Nothing is happening in real time and too much of this can disrupt the pace.

• Paragraphs that read like encyclopedia entries or media articles. They may succeed in explaining history, or relationships, but if they are not connected directly to what is happening in the characters’ current story they cause detachment.

• Irrelevant information. Non crucial, not just in content, but in relation to the timing. Does the reader need to know? And do they need to know now. If it is not tied to the characters immediate actions, thoughts, or feelings, chances are it is not necessary at that point in the story.

So, once you have identified it, how do you fix it?

Firstly, understand that it is, for most, a normal part of the writing process.

I have lost count of how many rewrites I have done when reviewing a chapter. This isn’t a bad thing. Info dumping in first drafts is often an important element in protecting the writer’s train of thought at that point of the process.

It is generally accepted that very little from the initial, often copious amounts, of details that are written will actually make it past the first cut.

Rewriting passive passages to include dialogue and action is just a normal step in the writing procedure. Sometimes you need the initial info dump to identify the most seamless way to weave necessary information within the tapestry of the story. It paves the way to integrate information naturally.

The phrase “show and don’t tell,” is something that helped me out early on. I found that switching from a few paragraphs that predominantly told the story to the show method of using actions, dialogue, and character reactions to reveal pertinent details actually enriched not only the storyline but the character development. On so many occasions this change brought about previously unconsidered twists and new elements.

Using fragmented truths to spread out key information by revealing different parts of the information through the limited perspectives of multiple characters can create dramatic irony and encourage the reader to piece together the full picture.

Filtering information through a character's immediate experience keeps the reader immersed in their point of view and only provides the details that the character would notice and focus on in that moment, often colored by their emotional state.

The concept of using the reader leads me on to the duty that a writer has to their audience, trust.

Readers aren't to be underestimated. They have ample comprehension skills and can deduce what is happening based on context clues surrounding the unfamiliar material. Trust the reader's intelligence and allow them to piece together some of the details themselves.

Use a character's emotional state or internal conflict to reveal information naturally. When a character's history or a painful memory is relevant to their present-day decisions, it surfaces in their thoughts, adding depth and stakes to the current scene.

And finally, avoid unnatural dialogue where characters state information they both already know. Instead, provide hints and let the reader infer the meaning. This respects the reader's intelligence and creates more authentic conversations.