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In the middle of a suspenseful scene, have you ever noticed your character suddenly pausing to mentally detail a list of backstory points or historical facts? If so, you might have fallen into the trap of an info dump. While it’s essential for readers to understand your world and characters, long, uninterrupted passages of information can quickly disrupt your story’s flow and cause readers to lose interest.
Here’s how to identify and fix info dumps in your draft so you can keep your readers immersed without sacrificing the necessary details.
Recognize the Info Dump
Before you can fix it, you need to identify where info dumps are lurking. They often appear in one of these forms:
Exposition Overload: Long sections explaining world-building, history, or character backstory.
Dialogue Dumps: Characters explaining information that both they and the listener already know.
Internal Monologue Flood: The protagonist’s inner thoughts are filled with information rather than reactions or emotions.
Once you spot these info-heavy sections, you’re ready to break them down into more digestible, story-friendly parts.
Ask if the Information is Essential
Not every detail needs to be shared with readers. Take a hard look at your info dump and ask:
Is this crucial for the scene? Will understanding this help readers appreciate what’s happening right now?
Does it reveal something unique about a character or theme? If not, it may be background material rather than a necessary story element.
Trim out anything that isn’t critical, and save those details for later scenes or notes that can inform your writing without making it onto the page.
Layer Information Gradually
Instead of unloading everything at once, spread details throughout your narrative. Here’s how:
Use Dialogue Strategically: Instead of having one character explain everything, let details emerge naturally through questions, conflicts, or misunderstandings.
Reveals Through Action: Show information through what characters do, not just what they think or say. If your world has unique magic, let readers see it in action rather than explaining its rules up front.
Breadcrumb Approach: Drop hints over time. Rather than explaining a character’s tragic past, weave in references to it in their thoughts or interactions, giving readers just enough to keep them curious.
Show, Don’t Tell
"Show, don’t tell" is the golden rule for avoiding info dumps. Instead of explaining a character’s personality, show it through their actions. Rather than listing world-building details, let the environment reveal these through sensory details and interactions.
For example:
Tell: "Jake came from a poor background and was always frugal."
Show: "Jake examined the price tag and shook his head. Even with the raise, he couldn’t justify it."
This approach allows readers to infer information while staying engaged in the story.
Introduce Information through Conflict
Conflict drives stories and keeps readers interested. When possible, introduce necessary information by tying it to the stakes or challenges characters face. Here’s how:
Revealing Backstory via Conflict: Instead of a monologue about a character’s past trauma, reveal it during an argument or tense interaction that brings up that trauma.
World Details Through Restrictions: Rather than explaining cultural norms, show characters struggling with these norms when they break them. For example, instead of detailing a city’s strict laws, show a character navigating those laws as they work around them.
This method adds urgency, interest, and keeps readers immersed in the scene.
Trust Your Reader to Make Connections
Sometimes, you may feel tempted to over-explain because you don’t want readers to miss any details. However, trusting your readers to connect the dots themselves will often result in a more engaging story. Avoiding spoon-feeding lets readers interpret and speculate, creating a sense of mystery.
Let’s say your character has a grudge against another. Instead of explaining the reason outright, you can give subtle hints and let readers gradually understand the animosity through gestures, small comments, or tense moments.
Use Scene Breaks and Flashbacks Sparingly
If background information absolutely needs more space, consider using flashbacks or scene breaks—but use them sparingly. When done well, flashbacks can provide emotional depth and insight. However, too many flashbacks can disrupt the main storyline, so keep them brief and relevant.
Instead of a lengthy flashback, for example, you might insert a short memory as a character reacts to something in the present, letting the past enrich the current scene without taking over.
Blend Description with Emotion
Make sure any descriptions or details are filtered through your character’s emotions. This creates a more immersive experience and avoids the “encyclopedia effect.” When describing something, ask yourself: How does my character feel about this?
For instance:
Straight description: "The castle walls were made of cold stone and draped in ivy."
With character perspective: "The castle walls loomed, cold and unwelcoming, like the harsh grip of her past holding her back."
This subtle shift not only provides a description but also deepens the reader’s connection to the character’s inner state.
Use Beta Readers to Spot Hidden Info Dumps
It can be tough to spot info dumps in your own work because you know the story inside out. Beta readers can be invaluable for catching these. Ask your beta readers to mark any sections where they feel overwhelmed by information or where they lose engagement. Their feedback can pinpoint areas where your info delivery needs tweaking.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Flowing, Keep It Relevant
Balancing the details readers need with a story’s pace and emotional pull can be tricky, but focusing on gradual, natural reveals will keep readers hooked. Remember, if you feel the urge to explain, find a way to show it instead. And if all else fails, trust that readers are often just as curious as you are about the worlds you create—they’ll pick up on more than you might think!
Happy writing, and happy trimming!
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