Info dump clarification

Southern_girl29 · Jun 24, 2007

Near the end of my novel, I have to clear up one of the subplots. The MC knows her father is hiding something from her, but she hasn't figured out what it is. So, he decides to tell her what it is. I have a scene where the two of them are playing golf, and he tells her what he's been hiding. It's a pretty big chunk of dialogue, broken up by their actions playing golf. Would this be considered an info dump? It has to come out, and he has to explain his reasonings to her.

JoNightshade · Jun 24, 2007

I would tend to say that if you've been dangling this little secret out there for the entire novel, the reader is going to want to know what it is, and is no longer going to care about "info dump." I think it's fine if you break it up with them playing golf, or some other kind of action. I think infodump mainly concerns simply disgorging a bunch of pertinent background information at the beginning-- a lazy attempt to set up the main action by telling, not showing.

leontay · Jun 24, 2007

Genre might be slightly different but you could perhaps take a look at the trademark Agatha Christie end-of-the-book-explanation (you know with all the characters and suspects gathered in one room).

Even with only just two characters you can have plenty of interaction and dynamics to spice up the said info dump.

Also like Jo said, by this point your reader is invested in your characters, enough so to be interested.

Geist · Jun 24, 2007

People do talk a lot sometimes. If he's explaining something to her, I wouldn't call that an info dump.

maestrowork · Jun 24, 2007

BUT! If the only purpose of the dialogue is to reveal that secret and tie up the loose ends, then it can become info dump.

Southern_girl29 · Jun 24, 2007

maestrowork said:
BUT! If the only purpose of the dialogue is to reveal that secret and tie up the loose ends, then it can become info dump.

The scene also serves to show the reader that the father isn't as big of a jerk as he appears to be for deserting his daughter. Could that keep it from being an info dump?

maestrowork · Jun 24, 2007

Southern_girl29 said:
The scene also serves to show the reader that the father isn't as big of a jerk as he appears to be for deserting his daughter. Could that keep it from being an info dump?

Since it's late in the book -- what does it have to do with the plot? What I'm saying is that if everything has been resolved or if that scene only tells us "he's not a jerk and also what the secret is" then you're stopping the story flow. If however, what she learns from that dialogue spawns something else (more plot movement), and if you do it so that it's not a big chunk of info, then I think it'll be okay.

Jersey Chick · Jun 24, 2007

I tend to think of info dumps as the beginning of a story - when neither writer nor reader knows anything about the characters. As long as it isn't an "As you know, Bob" type dialogue, I think it'd be okay. If it's a wrap-up, it would probably work out.

Southern_girl29 · Jun 24, 2007

maestrowork said:
Since it's late in the book -- what does it have to do with the plot? What I'm saying is that if everything has been resolved or if that scene only tells us "he's not a jerk and also what the secret is" then you're stopping the story flow. If however, what she learns from that dialogue spawns something else (more plot movement), and if you do it so that it's not a big chunk of info, then I think it'll be okay.

It's about 50 pages from the end. It's actually one of the first subplots to be cleared up. The father had a vision of himself hurting the daughter, so he stayed away. She doesn't know that. In the end, though, it turns out that he brought the killer to her, and she does get hurt. So, his vision did come true. I hope that made sense.

Sean D. Schaffer · Jun 24, 2007

I remember reading such a scene in A. E. van Vogt's Slan, right in the last chapter. The rest of the book was very good, but I almost put the book down permanently because the MC explained a lot of scientific theory and stuff I really was not interested in, at that point in the book.

I did finish, and found a rewarding ending. But I thought the scene, which lasted several pages in the Triad volume I have in my library, basically could have been done better. I think the way you're talking about it, though, Southern_Girl29, is a better approach, because I don't seem to remember van Vogt sprinkling the dialogue with action. I think that breaking up of the dialogue could be the redeeming value of the kind of chapter(s) you're referring to here.

I hope this helps. Good luck with your work!

katiemac · Jun 24, 2007

Based on what you've explained, I feel there's more than a handful of books out there that do the same. Someone already mentioned Agatha Christie mysteries. Other popular ones are the Harry Potter series; Dumbledore and Harry always have an end-of-the-book discussion a few chapters before closing.

Red Robin · Jun 24, 2007

maestrowork said:
BUT! If the only purpose of the dialogue is to reveal that secret and tie up the loose ends, then it can become info dump.

But if the info dump is well done...

Also, the reader might be itching for the info, and so hopefully won't find it boring.

NiennaC · Jun 24, 2007

I agree, I don't think it'll be bad to have that golf-discussion at the end. Tolkien did that with Fordo and Gandolf (that was in the beginning of FOTR, though, not the end of the tril., I think), and Harry does it with Dumbledore. It's the best way of getting that kind of information across. Otherwise, you'll be giving it in snippets and the reader will get all confused about things. At least, that's my opinion.

katiemac · Jun 24, 2007

I think what the conversation comes down to is this: Is it honest?

And what I mean by that is, realistically speaking, no villain is going to sit down with the hero right before killing him to explain the master plan ("monologuing"). But family members do, generally, sit down and discuss their problems.

maestrowork · Jun 24, 2007

I think the biggest concern is what happens AFTER the conversation. If it's just one-off scene (info dump) to get it out, without anything to follow up, then I think it can be a problem. If it leads to some revelation, or change in the characters, or prompts them to react certain ways and move the rest of the plot along in some ways, then I think the scene would make sense.

Dawnstorm · Jun 25, 2007

Well, the info could be conveyed in flash-back form, say a scene or three showing him leaving. That wouldn't be an info-dump, but would it work?

From what you're saying it sounds like Father and Daughter playing golf together is an important scene no matter what they're talking about. Talking about essential stuff? Even more powerful, the scene. Just don't have three pages of Daddy-monologue, if you get my drift. Depending on your technique we need her reactions, emotions (and possibly his, too).

We shouldn't forget that she needs to learn that info, and we're there when she does. It sounds like a flashback/scene would be harder to integrate.

Info dump clarification

Southern_girl29

JoNightshade

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leontay

Geist

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Southern_girl29

Sean D. Schaffer

katiemac

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Red Robin

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