{"id":11889,"date":"2014-11-25T11:47:21","date_gmt":"2014-11-25T19:47:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/?p=11889"},"modified":"2014-11-25T11:47:21","modified_gmt":"2014-11-25T19:47:21","slug":"info-dumping-deal-tom-turner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/2014\/11\/25\/info-dumping-deal-tom-turner\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Info Dumping\u2026 And How Do You Deal with It? By Tom Turner"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"SOTS1_Front_Cover-72dpi\"<\/a>Today we welcome a new guest writer to Writer\u2019s Fun Zone, Tom Turner\u00a0who is stopping by to chat with us today about \u201cWhat Is Info Dumping\u2026 And How Do You Deal with It?\u201d \u00a0Enjoy!<\/em><\/p>\n

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I was recently asked by an aspiring fantasy writer how I deal with \u201cinfo dumping\u201d.<\/strong> Now, I\u2019ve been at this writing thing for some time and yet was unfamiliar with this term. After a bit of Internet sleuthing, I soon realized what she was actually asking me about was exposition<\/em>\u2014those crucial bits of background info that if just \u2018dumped\u2019 and not interwoven into the narrative can grind your story to a halt. I thought her question was a good one, not only as it pertained to writing for fantasy, but writing in general. Here\u2019s what I told her.<\/p>\n

Exposition is about balance: How much is too much? How much is not enough?<\/em> At the risk of sounding clich\u00e9, it\u2019s like dangling the proverbial carrot in front of the horse\u2014you, the writer, are the driver, manipulating this delicious expositive veggie in front of the horse (your reader\u2014sorry readers!<\/em>) And the horse is hungry. It wants<\/em> the carrot. But bring it in too close, and the horse snags it easily and the carriage (your story) grinds to a halt. Dangle it too far, and the horse loses interest and the carriage, again, grinds to a halt. So it\u2019s about finding that sweet spot. About keeping the reader engaged and turning the page, learning and discovering as your story unfolds, but in a way that\u2019s just<\/em> enough and not so heavy-handed or obscure that they lose interest. How do you successfully achieve this? Some of it is instinct. Some is learned in the trenches. But here are a few tips to aid in your journey.<\/p>\n

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  1. Be ruthless!<\/strong> But not at first. On your first pass (the \u2018for your eyes only<\/em>\u2019 draft) just write. Get everything on the page you feel you need to tell your story. But on your next pass, in the rewriting phase, it\u2019s time to get ugly. Be ruthless with your red pen. Ask yourself constantly: Is this absolutely necessary? Does my reader need this to understand the world\u2026 the characters? Do they need to know it right now? Is it something that can come later? Or be conveyed in a more efficient and interesting<\/em> way? It\u2019s about prioritization of information. If it isn\u2019t driving the story forward or providing a crucial bit of info, get rid of it.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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    1. Write to the highest common denominator!<\/strong> I always give readers the benefit of the doubt. They are smart! Trust them. You need to explain less than you think. This becomes apparent when rewriting\u2026 especially as you share your story with others for comment. You don\u2019t need to spell out every little thing, only to give your reader just enough pieces to the puzzle. They\u2019ll do the rest. They\u2019ll fill in the blanks.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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      1. Show, don\u2019t tell!<\/strong> Have information come across in action, understood by what the characters are doing\u2014not<\/em> by what you tell<\/em> the reader. In my recent novel, Sign of the Sandman<\/em>, the main character becomes convinced mysterious men with gold eyes are following him, even though he\u2019s the only one able to perceive the gold. We understand something strange is occurring, not because I spent a page telling the reader, but because of what the character sees and how he reacts to it. The reader experiences the fear and confusion along with him. Crucial information is weaved into the story in a unique and interesting<\/em> way, which brings me to the last point\u2026<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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        1. Make it interesting!<\/strong> If you have to get information across, do it in a way that is engaging\u2026 in a way that matters to the characters and isn\u2019t just for the readers\u2019 benefit. Make it an argument, for instance! Do it in a way that shows the character in great peril! Or doing something extraordinary! If the information matters to the characters it will matter to the reader.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          I hope the above tips are not only helpful as they relate to exposition and info dumping but also to your writing in general.<\/strong> I hope they inspire you to dig in and put pen to the page (or fingers to the keyboard.) Writing is the careful art of withholding information, and the more you do it, the better you\u2019ll get. Try to enjoy the process and embrace the journey.<\/p>\n

          We\u2019d like to give away a signed, hardcover first edition copy of the book. They have set up a giveaway on Rafflecopter. It goes live tonight at midnight and runs through midnight December 1st. <\/p>\n

          a Rafflecopter giveaway<\/a>
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