7 Ways to Avoid an Info Dump

By georgelthomas on 3 Oct 2023 • ( 2 )

Hi everyone! I hope you’re all well. Today, I’m discussing the dreaded ‘info dump’ and, in particular, some ways you can avoid it.

Whatever stage you are at in your writing career, the chances are you will have experienced the dilemma of needing to provide your readers with essential information about your story’s background while trying not to overwhelm them with a vast amount of information all at once. This is known as an info dump.

Info dumps are problematic because they can slow down the action of a story, bore the reader, and, worst of all, pull them out of the immersive experience of reading. However, info dumps can be avoided by following a few simple tips.

7 Ways to Avoid an Info Dump

1 Provide what is Necessary

To begin with, it is crucial that you know the difference between necessary and unnecessary information. Only provide your readers the information they need to understand the story, its characters, and its world. Unnecessary details, such as a character’s breakfast menu or the precise colour of the sky, can be skipped over or described more concisely.

When examining what information to include or omit, ask yourself, “Is this relevant to the story?” If the answer is no, contemplate removing it or finding another, more natural way to work it into your work. By prioritising the relevance of the details over the quantity of information, you’ll keep your story focused and engaging. This also allows readers to develop their own ideas and theories about characters and situations instead of being spoon-fed the information all at once.

2 Drop Breadcrumbs

Introduce information gradually and spread it throughout your story. Details can be revealed through your character’s thoughts or through their environment. The goal is to provide information organically and naturally rather than in the form of a lecture from the author.

3 Use Action

Action scenes are a great way to reveal character backstories and world information. A character’s involvement in an event can disclose needed information naturally and interestingly. For instance, a chase scene can be used to show the layout of a town or city or even the character’s athleticism.

Similarly, you can use your setting and world-building to drop pieces of information. For example, you could have your character walk through a museum, using information about your story world’s culture and history to develop your character and their backstory. This way, the reader will get the background information naturally, and you won’t need to drop an info dump.

4 Use Prologues and Epilogues

Consider using a prologue or epilogue to drop information you feel is essential to understanding the story. This allows for a certain degree of exposition without ruining the story’s flow. However, I’d recommend you consider whether you really need to do this because some readers have issues with prologues and epilogues and skip them altogether.

5 Use Multiple Perspectives

Another way to avoid an info dump is to use multiple perspectives throughout the story. This way, you can reveal relevant details and information about your story’s world through the eyes of different characters rather than relying on a single narrator to convey everything to the reader. In doing this, you can keep the story dynamic and engaging while providing vital context and details.

6 Use Dialogue

Dialogue is a handy way of weaving important information into your story in a more organic way. For example, you can reveal information through your characters’ conversations instead of relaying the details narratively. This allows your characters to bring a personal touch to the story and helps readers to root for them.

It’s worth remembering, however, that you should avoid lengthy exchanges that feel like an information overload. Instead, try to write your characters’ conversations in a way that serves a purpose and advances the plot or reveals something about the character’s personality or motivations.

7 Save it for Later

It is a great idea to prioritise the elements of your story. If you’re creating a complex world with an intricate backstory, save that for later in the story when your readers have a better idea of who your characters are and why they might behave the way they do. Put your focus on developing your characters and advancing the plot first, and then slowly introduce more information as the story unfolds.

Remember, an info dump can ruin an otherwise gripping and engaging story. By providing information piecemeal and utilising all the senses in your descriptions, you can avoid overwhelming your readers with too much information in one place – and they will thank you for it with their undivided attention throughout your book.

Thank you, as always, for stopping by. I hope you’ve found something helpful here!

Until next time,

George