《How to Write Stories People Will Love》25. Avoid the Info-Dump
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As the phrase suggests, an info-dump is when too much information about a character's background or the story's history is given at once. I've seen it disguised as conversations, class lectures, and prologues. It doesn't matter how it's presented, info-dumps tend to be boring.
This chapter is going to be very similar to the "Ease Up On Backstory" chapter because, in most cases, an info-dump is the result of excessive backstory. Some authors want the reader to know everything about the world they created, thinking it will enhance their enjoyment of the story. The truth is, it doesn't. It slows it down.
I've been a beta-reader to some early drafts, and one of these stories I read literally had the main character listening to a teacher give a full history lesson on the magical families. This history lesson spanned an entire page, and I found myself skimming past it because I thought, "Who cares about these families? None of them are hers! This is so boring."
About 3/4 of the way through the book, when a tiny portion of that history actually became relevant, some characters had a conversation to bring up the relevant point. That was the perfect way to bring up backstory. They gave me what I needed to know, when I needed to know it. Which made that entire page of history lessons completely unnecessary.
That's great, but the reader doesn't need to know all of it. Especially not all at once. It's like dating someone. You gradually get to know someone through conversations and observing their actions. It's not like a job interview where you hand the interviewer your resume in an attempt to sum up your entire working life. That's an info-dump, which is okay for employers, but not for story characters.
Give the reader tidbits. Whether it's the history of a race or a character's family background, let the reader gradually soak up an understanding of it. Let them "date" that backstory until, hopefully, they fall in love with it. :)
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The Menocht Loop
Ian Dunai thought he was powerless. He’s not alone: only a small percent of the population have high enough affinities to perform magic. But in the eyes of his father’s gifted family, Ian’s impotence is a disgrace—and the stain of his mother’s common blood. But on one fateful day, Ian awakens not in his college dorm but in the middle of the ocean on an old dinghy. Reaching land is the least of his problems as he encounters risen skeletons, tortured captives, and a shoreside city in the throes of contagion. Ian doesn’t last very long without magic. But death isn’t the end: Ian wakes back up on the dinghy and relives the day again...and again...and again. As Ian investigates the purpose of the loop and a way to escape, he begins to realize that he might be more powerful than anyone—especially himself—ever imagined. Release schedule: 2 chapters/week (Mon/Fri at 11:30 AM EST). Book 1, The Menocht Loop, is complete at ~100k words (~370 pages; chapters 1-41). Book 2, The False Ascendant, is complete at ~110k words (chapters 42-83) Book 3, The Eldemari's Wrath, is complete at ~145k words (chapters 84-143) Book 4, The Samsara Crucible, is complete at ~165k words (chapters 144-211). Book 5, The Seed of Chaos, is ongoing (chapters 212 and on). Constructive criticism welcome. Join the discord. Vote on Top Web Fiction! View the wiki. Cover art by the very talented Jeff Brown. (Higher res version here; 3840 x 2400 ultra high res wallpaper version here)
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