Novelstress

I got a great question in my Ask recently from someone wanting to know how to identify an info-dump in their writing. Here’s my response!

For those who don’t know, an info-dump refers to areas of a story where a writer gives a long expository description, either in narrative or in dialogue, where they are basically “dumping” a bunch of information on the reader all at once, as opposed to revealing it naturally throughout the story.

Signs of an info-dump:

Read your passage out loud. Do you get bored? You might be info-dumping.

Has all conflict in your story come to a screeching halt while you spend more than 1-2 paragraphs explaining something to the reader? You might be info-dumping.

Are two characters telling each other things they already know for, like, a long time? You might be info-dumping.

If invited to read your work publicly, would you definitely NOT read that passage, because “nothing really happens” and you worry the audience would get bored listening to it? It could be an info-dump.

Signs that you are probably not info-dumping:

Have you woven in necessary backstory and information in 1-3 sentence bursts throughout your story? Not an info dump.

Does a character spend a short paragraph or two explaining something to another character that they didn’t already know, for a good story reason? Not an info dump.

Do you keep the story going and keep conflict and tension alive while you gradually show your reader what’s going on? Not an info dump.

Do you have just a few sections where you spend 200-300 words or less explaining something to the reader? As long as your story is on the longer side, you’re probably not doing too much info-dumping.

Again, these are just general guidelines. After you finish your story, though, you might want to give it to a friend or fellow writer to give you feedback and let you know if they spot any areas that are too thick with exposition.

These are all from a Christian meme group that I joined for some reason but fell in love with

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what do?

They have a gas-based firefighting system instead of sprinklers for obvious reasons. It does lower the percentage of oxygen in the building, but not enough to kill anyone.

I found this by googling “Yale library fire oxygen.” It was literally the first result.

2. The Allies win WW1, imposing the Treaty of Versailles on Germany.

3. This causes tension between Germany and the rest of Europe, something Adolf Hitler takes advantage of and begins WW2.

4. Japan joins the axis in WW2 in order to expand their empire.

5. The Axis is defeated, and Japan comes under US occupation.

6. American soldiers bring comic books, cartoons, and other American mediums to Japan which stay behind even after the occupation is over.

7. Post-WW2 Japan imposes strict censorship laws that include the banning of most conventional porn.

8. Japanese citizens retaliate by drawing comics with women having sex with vaguely penis-shaped objects like tentacles to exploit loopholes in the law.