Info-Dump
A large block of exposition or background information inserted into the narrative in a way that halts the story.
Last updatedAn info-dump is a passage where the author interrupts the narrative to deliver a concentrated block of background information, worldbuilding details, or technical explanation. Info-dumps halt story momentum because they ask the reader to absorb information rather than experience events. They are the prose equivalent of a lecture in the middle of a conversation.
Fantasy and science fiction are particularly susceptible. A character stopping to explain the entire magic system or political history of a kingdom is a classic info-dump. Tolkien managed his worldbuilding through appendices and organic revelation, while less skilled imitators often front-load chapters of lore. Michael Crichton was a master of disguising info-dumps as compelling dialogue between characters.
The solution is not to eliminate information but to deliver it organically. Reveal details when characters need them, embed worldbuilding in action and dialogue, and trust the reader to piece things together. The "iceberg theory," attributed to Hemingway, suggests that the author should know far more than they put on the page. Information revealed through conflict and character interaction feels natural; information delivered in blocks feels like homework.