Info Dumping: Dialogue vs Description

[Ankari]

Greetings All,

I have a question concerning info dumping. Its generally stated that an info dump can be explained through dialogue to help the reader "see" rather than "hearing." Why is a dialogue not considered "telling?" Also, do all of you believe that info dumping is something that should be completely avoided?

Thanks. I'll take my answer off the air. (Public radio anyone?)

[Steerpike]

Depends on what you mean by "info dump." To me, that term denotes a poorly-handled attempt to get information to the reader. By that definition, it is inherently bad.

If it is well done, then I think you can do it effectively through dialogue or exposition. Info dumping in dialogue isn't any better than info dumping in exposition.

And yes, I listen to State radio

[ArielFingolfin]

Having a character give a long explanation can be just as obnoxious to get through as just putting it in a description. I don't like having big chunks of description at all, though if I do have to guve information I try to relay it through dialogue just because I feel more comfortable writing dialogue than not. Usually I avoid great chunks alltogether. I like Hemmingways' iceburg theory: give the reader one tenth of what they need to know and let them figure the rest out for themselves. I think weaving descriptions and information together with thoughts, feelings, actions, etc. is the best way to go, especially because a lot of that information can be gleaned through those said thoughts, feelings, actions, etc. For example, instead of describing something as frightening, show the character crapping their pants in terror.

[MatthewCEarls]

Readers, the majority of the time, have to get the information at some point, somehow. The most efficient way varies story to story. The most important word in the phrase info dump is dump. By doing this, authors bog down readers and hammer them over the head with information that isn't needed at that very moment.

And dumping to me usually tells more than it shows. Follow the basic rules of creative writing and place it where and when the reader really needs to know it and all should be well.

Disclaimer: I'm no professional novelist. Just a 7th Grade English Teacher.

[The Din]

I find dialogue better for getting information out. Having characters discuss the relevant topics wins out every time when compared to the writer telling the reader through exposition. It gives you different perspectives on the info and allow speakers to inject witty anecdotes, etc if things start getting boring.

Dumping during dialogue can be telling too, if done poorly (writing a paragraph of exposition and then simply putting quotation marks on it, or having the characters explain it to the reader, rather than each other.). In general, the only info dumps allowed should be the ones you can't tell are info dumps. Dialogue is simply easier to disguise.

[BWFoster78]

The concept is to get the information to the reader in a way the feels natural to the flow of the story. An info dump typically feels like "hey, the writer needed for me to know that." Dialogue can be an info dump as well. If the character is saying it in a way that makes the reader feel it isn't natural to the conversation.

I do not feel that an info dump is always a completely bad thing. It is, however, worse at the start of a story. If the reader isn't yet engaged and doesn't care about your story, telling him a bunch of facts is going to make him pull back instead of immersing himself. If you're in the fifth chapter and you need to explain a little backstory about the history of the land to add flavor for a couple of paragraphs, it's probably not going to hurt anything. Note that I said two paragraphs and not two pages.

[Steerpike]

Having characters discuss the relevant topics wins out every time when compared to the writer telling the reader through exposition.

I don't know. If that were true, then the best thing to do would be to only tell the reader anything relevant through dialogue. I don't see that working so well outside of a play.

[Devor]

The best way to mask an info-dump is to dump in different ways and in different places. A paragraph of straight narration to explain one thing, a few sentences of dialogue to explain another, a character reflecting on another, hints and bobbles of insight littered about. If you info-dump in a single straightforward manner, it might eventually be transparent and get old.

Of course you can employ just a single-style of info-dump in a way that works, but whenever you use a single strategy for anything, you have to do it really well to pull it off.

[Ophiucha]

As is, quite truly, always the case: it depends on the situation.

One, as Devor said, I think it is best to mix it up. Don't always tell important information through narration, and don't always tell it through dialogue. If you only use either, neither is going to be good.

Two, it depends on who your narrator/main character is. Fantasy is fond of the fish out of water. A character who, for one reason or another, is uninformed or unaware of something essential to the story or world. Sometimes you have dimension hoppers who arrived from Earth into Esalianara, sometimes you have a poor farmer boy who was uneducated and untravelled. It doesn't matter which, but if you have that sort of character, you can get away with more direct info dumps, with a character explaining to your MC how magic, currency, dragons, whathaveyou works. Otherwise, it comes across as rather silly. The classic example: "As you well know, dragons are winged reptiles that breathe fire." You'd never define a dragon to someone who lives in a world with them and has likely encountered them.

Three, common sense. There really is no way you can 'observe' mathematics, and if you need a character to learn how to do math in your world, you'll likely have to have another character tell them. Similarly, your main character is - in all likelihood - going to see that grass in your world is blue, as opposed to green, long before anyone thinks to point it out. Also consider the voice of the narrator. Is the narrator writing the book, or just thinking in their head, to themselves? If the former, they are more likely to address us - the readers - directly and write in some details as an aside, or even a footnote. If the latter, they might contemplate some oddities or deduce certain things, but they won't be writing a thesis on it or address anything that isn't out of the ordinary.

[Penpilot]

Can't really argue with what's been already said. Echoing a bit of it, it doesn't matter if it's in dialogue or narrative. An info dump is dropping a bunch of info where it doesn't feel natural to the present situation.

To me, getting info out has to do with putting character in a valid situation where it's makes sense that specific info would be talked about and/or it would make sense info would come up in the character's thoughts through narrative. Here's a link to someone explaining info dumps with a couple of nice examples. Info Dumping | As you know bob - www.fiction-writers-mentor.com