4 Ways to Make Info Dumps Interesting
Recently I came to a point in my current book where I had to disperse some information. Enter the dreaded info dump.
In my search for a fresh way to avoid this, I discovered some helpful tips in a scene I just happened to be reading at the time. A scene you yourself may be familiar with.
The scene was from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Harry has just boarded the Knight Bus and is being info dumped (that’s a verb, right?) crucial information about Sirius Black. Information we as the reader need to know. Information Rowling skillfully delivered without making us feel like we were being sat down and talked at.
How did she do it?
I discovered 4 things happening in the scene that made me unaware an info dump was even taking place. I have read this scene many times, and it wasn’t until I was looking at it critically, from a writer’s perspective, on the lookout for ways to avoid my own info dumps, that I realized what was happening.
So if you have some information that needs to be dispersed and you’re looking for skillful ways to make the giving of this information interesting and not take-me-out-of-the-story boring or obvious, these tips might be worth taking a look at.
Here are the 4 takeaways:
1) Fun setting
The setting of this scene is, well, fun. We’re immersed in magic as the bus barrels through roads, causing mailboxes and lampposts to jump out of its way. In addition, we are grounded in a unique setting.
Grounding your reader in a setting is a tip I learned that has been very helpful. When you have to deliver information (or really at the start of any scene), ground the reader in detail. Make them engage their senses so that they feel as if they are there. As a reader, I could picture the bus and the food and Harry’s viewpoint as he looks out the front window. The details were specific, fun, and vibrant, helping to ground me in the scene.
2) Be intentional with characters
The characters delivering the information in this particular scene are new and memorable, perhaps even to the point of being a bit over the top. Their fear of Sirius Black is tangible and Stan and Ernie make a comedic duo as they distribute important and necessary information.
So what characters are delivering your information? They don’t always have to be side characters popping in for that specific purpose, but they should be interesting and uniquely suited to giving the reader the information needed.
3) Add tension/stakes
Harry is running for his freedom during this scene. His nerves are frayed because he has just performed illegal magic and (as far as he knows) is facing expulsion and possibly jail time. These added stakes distract the reader nicely from the fact that we are receiving important information.
This is perhaps the most important tip. Stakes and tension are useful ways to provide a given scene with more interest.
For example, only a few scenes later, Harry needs to learn even more information about Sirius. Specifically, about the fact that Sirius is after him. How does he learn this? He overhears Ron’s parents arguing. So again, we have intentional characters delivering the information, and we have the added tension of an argument between a loving couple (the subject of said argument being Harry) and the stakes of Harry not wanting to be seen eavesdropping.
4) Action
There is chaos as the bus skids to stops and takes off in great leaps. There is commotion as witches and wizards get off at their destinations. It doesn’t have to be big. Even the simple action of going for a walk is better than just sitting down and listening, but a few more distractions are always helpful.
Do I believe it’s necessary to use all of these every time there is an info dump? No. But I have found them useful and inspiring, and they have led to some very creative and fun scenes in my own work. If I do say so myself. I hope they do the same for you.
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