How to avoid Info-dumping...i cant stop!

[Wiggles2021]

So ive written a prolog and 3/4 of a first chapter, and it is a significant amount of info dump. my question is how can you start a story with about 1.5 k years of history, seven characters with different backstorys and history, and NOT info dump?

 

[Benjamin Clayborne]

Your readers don't need to know everything up front. They just need enough to be able to get a sense of the immediate area and what's going on with whatever characters are present. Readers care a lot more about the characters and what they want than they do about a thousand years of history. It works much better to "info-litter" (I forget who coined that term) and leave bits and pieces there along the way, in relevant places.

It's easier to get readers to learn about the world through the eyes of someone they've come to care about, than it is to give them a bunch of context-free info about a world they have no emotional connection to.

 

[San Cidolfus]

Pick your main character and the plot thread that is most relevant to them, and start your story there. Once you've got the action rolling and a few sequences done, then consider what comes next. Branch out into the other characters and cultures when it becomes appropriate for the narrative. Don't be in a rush to describe your world and its history; focus on the characters and what's happening to them right now, because that is what's going to make your story worthwhile.

 

[Devor]

So ive written a prolog and 3/4 of a first chapter, and it is a significant amount of info dump. my question is how can you start a story with about 1.5 k years of history, seven characters with different backstorys and history, and NOT info dump?

Ben and San are right, you can spread the tidbits of information throughout the story as needed. In fact, sometimes it's best if that first info-blop actually comes after the story has started. Let the story carry the detail, not the other way around.

He looked through the glass and watched as the lights went out a few at a time. He tried to decide whether they had any chance, whether it was right to consider them already dead. No. He still had friends. He still had family. At least until dawn.

The war had started a few months ago...

Now he was sitting on a crowded airplane, watching the world go into hiding at the same time he was being jabbed in the shoulder by the man who used to be his chauffeur.

 

[Leif GS Notae]

The prologue is a good way to compress massive info dump, but that is usually for when you have a long series and need to refresh people's mind in regards to where they were and where they are now. It used to work back in the day, but the savvy reader is going to ignore it.

I'm with Devor, San and Ben on this one. I would advise to fight the temptation to info dump for characters not critical to setting up the story. It sounds like you might have to parse a bit from your opening. With the right focus, you can get a great story from it all. Have faith and I am sure we'll be happy to help if ever you ask.

 

[Telcontar]

Try thinking of everything in your backstory and all the other stuff you would normally want to put in an infodump as if it were a big, awesome secret. You don't want to give it all away at once - as an artful story teller, you want to draw it out tantalizingly to entertain your audience. Feed them little morsels here and there, and for a while those morsels will only make them more hungry; make them want to read more. Eventually actual questions start getting answered as you reveal the last few bits to them towards the end of the book.

Stop thinking of the infodump stuff as things the audience needs to know. Try thinking of them as things the audience gets to know.

 

[TWErvin2]

I'll be echoing what others said above, but from this perspective: consider the readers' point of view.

Honestly, are they going to remember 1 1/2 years of backstory and who each of the 7 introduced characters are? By the end of it will the readers even care about anything that happened or anyone involved in it.

Take a step back. You know the characters and the story--it's all going to make sense to you and seem important. All the character is going to get is a bunch of names without connection or any in-depth context.

Can 1/5 years and 7 characters be introduced successfully in a prologue and a first chapter effectively without info-dumping? Is the content of the info-dumping really necessary? Can't you begin with only one or two characters as the focus? Bring the others in as needed, making a connection in some way with the established characters (love interest, cousin, classmate in biology, fencing instructor, etc. Or someone who steps in and helps one of the main characters with a problem). This will allow the readers to anchor who the new character is with some reference or context in the story. They'll be remembered better that way.

Look at it this way: How many people, in a completely unfamiliar environment (like while trying to work their way through an unfamiliar bus terminal) while simultaneously being introduced to 7 strangers, are going to remember much about the terminal, let alone remember much about the people? And remember, humans are primarily visual creatures. An author is trying to manage it only with words--words to give the sights, sounds, smells, and action of the place and people involved.

Go to some of your favorite authors, review books you've read that have something in common with what you're attempting to accomplish (history and a large cast of characters). Study how they did it, then apply what they did to your story and writing style.

The last item I'd mention is to re-evaluate the # of primary characters (if the 7 are primary characters). Are that many really needed? Do all seven need to be primary, or can they be relegated to secondary status? Do they all need to be involved up front? If so, why?

Remember, the first chapters are what an agent/editor are going to evaluate your manuscript on for possible representation/publication. Even if you self-publish, readers will do the same--especially ebook where they can often have access to the first chapter or so.

 

[Lord Darkstorm]

Here is an idea for you, narrow the story down to the main character and what is happening to them in the first chapter. Explain NOTHING at all about anything other than what is happening to the character at that time. If he/she goes to a town, ignore it's history, past battles, and anything else about it, and just let the character interact with others without regard to the back story.

Try than and see what comes out. Let someone else read it and have them point out places that don't make sense. You might find that there are less areas that need explanation than you might imagine.

 

[Darwin]

So ive written a prolog and 3/4 of a first chapter, and it is a significant amount of info dump. my question is how can you start a story with about 1.5 k years of history, seven characters with different backstorys and history, and NOT info dump?

A suggestion that I have is to think about how a reader would feel having all of that info dumped on them. Something that I've done (and am still currently doing), is to create a history of my world. I have it from how it was created on. I'm saying that you need to go that far back, but just to get it all down that way you don't feel that you need to unload everything all at once at the reader. The history is striclty for you, to give you a realistic view on how things got to the way they are in your story now. It's also fun because by writing a history you can end up changing what you do in the story that you're trying to write.

 

[Caged Maiden]

I might start the story in dialogue right away. That is a good way to introduce characters. I am actually editing a novel right now where I am considering cutting out half the first chapter and just expanding on the beginning dialogue. It not only helps a reader meet the characters, but if there are so many of them, it will establish how they are related and pertinent to the story.

I have heard many times that when a reader opens a book they want to know what is happening now. Lines and lines (or pages) of background history is confusing and uninteresting. HOWEVER I have a novel with about thirteen pages before the first chapter, and though I feel bad for disregarding the rule..... I want those pages there and I cannot get rid of them. I did however edit all but one brief blurb about history and jumped right into dialogue, which is the compromise I can handle.

Could you perhaps do something like that to find a compromise you are happy with?

1 brief history overview
2 Dialogue (to reveal some of the background you don't want to omit) between some characters who appear later in the story or are not in the book at all.
3 Chapter 1 Enter into current events and beginning characters.