Information Dump--What Is It and Are You Guilty?

The man above is typical of all of us who write. He's working hard on a story and he's been at it for several hours. He's tired but keeps on. He needs to let his readers know about an event that took place years earlier and was the news story of the week. There are facts and figures to be given to readers.

So, what does he do? He uses two characters to give the readers an information dump. In one short conversation, the two who are speaking give every fact that might be found in a newspaper story on the event in question. 

What does it turn out to be? Boring! 

Or he veers from the story and writes a few paragraphs citing the information he wants the reader to know for background purposes. 

What does it turn out to be? Boring! 

A better writer, or one who is not exhausted, will lace the information in bits and pieces here and there. By doing that, the reader gains the facts in a painless way and the story has continuity.

We've all read books or short stories that are going along nicely until the author gives an information dump in two consecutive paragraphs. The actual story stops so the author can educate the reader with things that may eventually pertain to the story but serve merely to interrupt the story when given in one big lump. 

Consider that the reader is pulled away from the story itself. If it's me, I'm going to be irritated. I want to be absorbed into the story itself. I don't want to be yanked away so that the author can do the dump of info so he's sure I know what it's all about. It could feel like the intermission between acts of a play. During that time, I want to get back to the action not sit in my seat and wait.

Don't be the lazy writer or the too-tired writer who uses the information dump as a writing technique. Work on ways to filer the information to the reader so they are not aware of what you are giving them and so that they do not lose the story line. A reference here, another one there and it will all come together eventually.