Avoiding the Dreaded Info Dump

Pouring too many details into a few pages is both the sign of an immature writer and an unfocused story.

- BY MORIAH RICHARD

Most readers don't crack open a book to read a meticulous record of every note you've taken about your world.

They come for the story. If you give them too many unfamiliar details or words in the first few pages, they might feel lost and stop reading.

Looking beyond the reader, the reason why writers and editors don't enjoy this world-building-known as info-dumping-is because it feels lazy. Instead of taking the time to fully immerse your reader in the unique details of your world, you chunk it up on just a few pages.

I like to think of it this way: When you get into a hot tub, the best way to acclimate yourself to the temperature is to lower yourself in slowly. You don't really see people executing a cannonball maneuver in a hot tub!

Instead, let your details unfold slowly as your story does. A great example is in These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong. In the very first chapter, we are introduced to the Scarlet Gang, the White Flowers, the tension between the two families and their heirs, and the mystery that will unfold-why their men are dying of self-inflicted wounds. It's a lot of information to pack into a single chapter, but it unfolds naturally; some of it we find out through dialogue, some through exposition, and all of it is filtered through Juliette's eyes, which gives us not only the information, but her feelings about all of it, as well.

Remember that your story is also going to be filtered through your characters' eyes! To avoid infodumping, keep in mind that your character wouldn't be explaining every mundane thing as they go about their day. Instead, keep your focus only on the scene. Anything that needs to be explained for your reader to understand the plot (like technology, magic, animals, etc.), do so as pointedly as possible. The goal is to make sure that your reader knows exactly what they need to know to keep up with the plot.