Are info dumps required for world building? (OPINION)

[melchi]

Info dumps are pretty much the worst parts of any fantasy story. Now I can forgive an info dump that lasts for a few pages. If it contains crucial information that needs to be said about the world and it doesn't go on for too long, then its fine. But once the dump starts going past 5 pages, there's a problem.

You worldbuild by expositing information when necessary. You don't talk about the countries culinary arts during an epic bloodbath tournament, and you wouldn't talk about the country's cutthroat bloodsport when watching a master chef cook. Just putting everything in one big mess of a dump will mess with the pacing and bore the readers and there's no garantee the reader will remember all that sense info dumps tend to be spouted with boring and monotonous narration.

But what if the character's cheat ability is cooking? And the only way they can win the bloodbath tournament is by creating such a tasty dish that the opponent can't resist. After he takes a bite ecstasy consumes him and his cloths explode. In shame he runs away.

 

[M.G.Driver]

There's soft and hard world building.

Soft means it doesn't really matter how the world works behind the scenes. E.g Studio Ghibli, Harry Potter(minus her tweets)

No info dumps required for soft - leave it up to the reader/viewer to imagine how the economy works. The plot should not be dependent on how the world works in a specific fashion (e.g economy, transportation etc)

Hard means it absolutely matters how the world works behind the scene - because it drives the plot and limit the actions of characters.
This is where info dumps are required imo, and something I personally fail to make 'fun'. It largely boils down to how much the action of my characters are really dependent on that info, else it will feel like the MC is pulling something out of their arse every other chapter, which breaks immersion.

Avoiding info dumps is especially hard for crafting-focus novel, especially when realism is at hand. If you hand-wave too much, the readers will rage. If you don't, the readers will not read. A tight balance to walk for sure, something I lack.

 

[gaylolis]

i personally didn't care much about world building unless it give inspiration for my imagination. like, if their world is the one i wanted to live in and travel, if i could. or if they're exciting enough to imagine or even visit in my dreams.

i do feel infodumps are kinda boring in general, since they're not really told in a relatable way and just bored me in general. it's like they just made things up on the spot, after subtly plagiarizing their favorite authors.

instead of infodumps, they really should do it in a way that makes other care about it. like showing the character experiencing the marvels of the fantasy world. i think dungeon meshi did a nice job at it. i enjoy ones in hakumei and mikochi as well.

 

[ZukoMee]

It's just a matter of how long the dumping takes.

Now there's a question in serious need of asking. How long does the average dump take? And can extra info smoothen the process?

Yeah I know, inappropriate. I'll leave now.

 

[Snusmumriken]

No, by definition.

When information is presented well it is called exposition. If author goes too deep too long, then it becomes an infodump.

 

[apexaltra]

It's not.

My favorite analogy for this is that your world is a dark room, and your narrative is a flashlight. You know what's in the room, but you don't want to show it all to the reader at once because then you run the risk of it being boring and/or overwhelming.

A paragraph or two of straight exposition is fine imo (as long as it doesnt happen too often) and I'll admit there are times where I like having things explained to me with no bells or whistles, like reveals in murder mysteries. But if your characters enter a new town and you immediately give a lengthy explanation of different trade routes then something is wrong.

 

[TheEldritchGod]

Depends... are you funny?

Here's the thing. I infodump like, every chapter. Every infodunp is like a stort story where the narrator talks directly to the reader and he is a snarky MoFo. All three stories are being written by one being who is recording the conflict as he remembers it. Who is he? Which side won?

Heh.

But he's a funny guy, so you don't care its an info dump. He just stops in the middle of the story to tell you about why there is a giant 94 story tall pyramid of death in the suburbs of New York. Why? Because it tickles his fancy and it'll come up later.

 

[Anon2024]

Depends... are you funny?

Here's the thing. I infodump like, every chapter. Every infodunp is like a stort story where the narrator talks directly to the reader and he is a snarky MoFo. All three stories are being written by one being who is recording the conflict as he remembers it. Who is he? Which side won?

Heh.

But he's a funny guy, so you don't care its an info dump. He just stops in the middle of the story to tell you about why there is a giant 94 story tall pyramid of death in the suburbs of New York. Why? Because it tickles his fancy and it'll come up later.

Actuall that’s a good point. Writing a funny info dump

 

[AliceShiki]

Well, no, they're never required. And as a rule of thumb, they're bad.

I can see why you might sometimes need it, but it should be a really really rare occasion and... Quite honestly, you should reconsider if it's really really necessary, or if you're just dumping a bunch of unnecessary information on the reader.

My personal rule of thumb is: "Don't show anything that the main character doesn't need to know."

Like, how the gods created the world doesn't matter if your main character just wants to learn how to throw a fireball, so don't bother with showing how the gods created the world. Your MC doesn't need this knowledge, so why does your reader need it?

And if your MC already knows how to throw a fireball, then you don't need to explain how it works. Just show the MC throwing a fireball. The MC already knows it anyways, so why should it be explained to the reader? What does the novel gain from the MC monologuing about something they already know how to do?