Hello, writers. We’ve talked about Info Dumps before, those pernicious passages in which the author uses some heavy-handed technique (such as the As-You-Know Bob) to inform the reader of everything s/he needs to know… or, at least, everything the author thinks s/he needs to know.
Usually the reader can get by with a great deal less.
Dialogue is one of the most popular ways to info dump. But it can be done more gracefully. A newspaper article. A poster, half blow away by the wind, on the quayside. Graffiti. A Last Will and Testament. A helpful parrot.
The trick is to both minimize the info dump, and make it not look like an info dump.
I’ve just started the fourth draft of a manuscript, and I’m wondering how much to reveal of a secondary character’s Mysterious Past. I could just reveal all of it, of course. But do readers really need to know all of it?
For the sake of the story, no. But for the sake of their interest in the character? I don’t know. Probably also no.
Instead of an info dump, I’ll probably opt for an info dribble, telling just enough for readers to know that there’s more there. I don’t want to slow the story down.
And I’m going to have that little bit of info dragged out of the character with difficulty by the other characters. He doesn’t want to talk about it. There’ll be some conflict involved. It’ll be like pulling teeth to get it out of him. But no teeth will actually be pulled. After all, this is a kids’ book.
Tonight’s challenge:
A Callow Youth and his/her Stout Companion are about to go to a certain mysterious bookseller, who the always-offstage Froop hinted might be able to provide them with an important map that will help them find the Lost Jewel of Togwogmagog.
For some reason, one of the pair doesn’t want to visit the bookseller. S/he’s reluctant to say why. Reveal or suggest the reason why in as few words as possible. You can use dialogue, or some other technique.
Try to limit yourself to 150 words.
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