Are You Feeding Your Reader Too Much Information?

When writing a story, there is a lot of information you have to give your reader. You have to give information about the characters, setting, plot, conflict, relationships, etc and if readers don't have this information, they won't be able to follow the story very well.

As the writer, our job, which is sometimes difficult (or always difficult if you're me) is choosing when and how to reveal this information.

Of course, there is information that the reader needs to know right away, like who the characters are, the setting, and what is even going on. When I am reading a book I typically go into it thinking "who are you and why do I care?" And the reader needs the answers to those questions as soon as possible. You don't want to be in the third chapter of a story and still not have a basic concept of the plot.

Remember, your reader knows absolutely nothing when they are starting the book and you know everything and it's your job to make sure they get all the information they need in a way that's interesting and not confusing.

Besides the basic information, eventually, your reader will need to know the answers to all those questions you've been asking throughout the novel. You'll need to reveal twists, turns, and motives. Much of this is typically revealed at the end of the story, when everyone finally gets all the answers. Want to know why the villain did what he/she did? It will probably be revealed at the end, which is okay. You don't want to give something like that away in the middle of the story because it takes away from the tension and suspense.

Don't wait until the end, though, to reveal all the information you've been building up to or your reader is going to feel overwhelmed and have a hard time keeping up with it. Give information  little by little throughout the story so your reader gets hints and save the big reveal for the end.That way, your reader isn't totally clueless and they still get the climax they've been waiting for.

Just be aware that you can't reveal everything at once because that is throwing too much information out there. Your reader will get an information overload. I know this because it's happened to me before. More than once. Some authors just pile information on you. They either tell you nothing or everything at once and it's not good for the reader. Keep your reader engaged by giving them hints every now and then.

That is a good strategy for the information your reader has to know by the end of the story. Like, if your villain is your protagonist's father but they don't know, that would be the thing you want to reveal at the end, but that is not the time to reveal the family history. When you share the relationship of the villain and protagonist, the reader should already have a good idea of the protagonist's family history. You don't want to spoil a moment like that with a history lesson so get it out of the way beforehand.

So, what about the information the reader needs to know at the beginning, like figuring out what exactly is going on? Well, there's not one right way to do it, but there are wrong ways. One way that gets boring really fast is the question and answer session where one character is asking questions and the other one is answering them all which happens in way too many books.

Like, say there is a magic tree that your main character needs to know about, and you have a secondary character that has all the information that the protagonist needs so you have a dialogue that goes something like this:

MC: Where do I get this magic?

SC: From the Magic Tree, of course!

MC: Magic Tree?

SC: Yes. Long ago, a magician planted a tree where he would be able to keep all his magic and when he passed on, he left his magic in the tree.

MC: How am I supposed to get the magic?

SC: Using the magician's retrieval spell.

MC: But where am I supposed to find this spell?

SC: In his spell book, I think. Or somewhere in his abandoned house. Everyone was scared of him and they figure he's still haunting his home so no one's been up there since he died. Everything he owned should still be there. Including his spells.

MC: So, I just go to his house, find this spell, find the tree, recite the spell and I have the magic I need? And then what? Will I be in danger? Will anyone be able to take it from me?

SC: After you recite the spell, you should have the magic, and yes, you will not be safe. There are many that are after his magic. And if someone kills you, they will inherit the magic from you.

But, anyway, hopefully through that less than brilliant dialogue I just wrote out of nowhere, you get an idea of what I mean. Any question the main character asks, the supporting character has an answer. And sometimes it's okay for another character to be able to answer the questions of the MC, but if they have a series of questions and they all get an answer, that's a boring way to find out what the main plot idea is.

It's just a method the author uses to quickly give the reader the information so they can get into the story and, sometimes, it's unrealistic that a secondary character knows so much. It's telling the reader, not showing the reader.

There are much better ways to give this information. For example, perhaps the MC, instead of asking all those questions about the Magic Tree just goes to the magician's house and happens upon the retrieval spell without really knowing what they're looking for. That way, they get what they need, the reader is in the know and they discovered the information on their own, nobody told them.

Hopefully, you get an idea about what I mean. Choosing when and how to give information is important to the story because the right sort of lack of information is what keeps the reader reading. They finish a story because they want the answers and if you throw everything at them once, it's confusing and chaotic. You have to do it carefully and sparingly and make it interesting. It's really not fun for the reader when the MC gets all their questions answered without having to do anything.

Using Backstory the Right Way

I have mixed feelings about backstories - both as a writer and a reader. Usually, I don't like to read backstories. I find them tedious. I acknowledge, though, that sometimes they are needed. When I write, however, I always feel like I need to add a backstory or no one will know where my characters are coming from or why they choose to do what they do. But this is not the case. Even if it may feel like it, sometimes you don't need a backstory.

Yes, sometimes your readers need to know certain parts of the history of your story, but if you can manage to add it throughout the story when appropriate, instead of taking the time to write a backstory for your readers then it will flow much better.

As a  reader, reading backstory feels like I'm not reading the real story. Either I have to read this history before the story starts or the story is interrupted to give me a history lesson about what's going on. The history should be incorporated into the story, not separated.

Backstory can be useful to your story and even interesting for the reader if you use it correctly, though. When used the right way, backstory can add to your story, rather than take away.

Don't use backstory in the first chapter. Ever. When the story begins, the reader doesn't care about what happened then. They care about what's happening now. Once they have become familiar with your character and are involved in the story, they may not only willingly read the backstory, they may actually want to the history. Just not in the beginning. Give them time to connect and care for the reader before they get a history. 

Make sure your backstory is relevant to the front story (what's currently happening). Think whether or not it really needs to be there. Don't put it in because you think it's interesting and the reader might also find it interesting. That's a waste of time. Put it in because it reveals something about your character the reader needs to know and moves the story forward. If it's not relevant, it doesn't need to be there. What I will sometimes when I really want to write out the backstory, but I know it's not needed in the story I'm writing, I will actually write it out anyway. Separately, though, for my own benefit. That way, I will have it when I want it and it enables me to better understand my characters and write the story more efficiently. So I write backstories a lot, but I don't always incorporate them into the finished story.

Quick and to the point is the best way to go when writing a backstory. Yes, the reader may be interested in the backstory, but don't interrupt the story to give 2-3 pages of history. Give a paragraph or a couple of sentences. Don't beat around the bush. Just say it.

Once you're sure that you are going to include a backstory and that it's essential to the main story, you need to decide how to incorporate it and there are several different ways to do that.

Spread it throughout the story
This is often a good choice because instead of overwhelming the reader with information, you are just giving bits and pieces as needed. This way, your reader gets all the information they need without feeling like the story gets put on pause. In fact, if you do it really well, the reader may not even realize they are reading a backstory because it fits perfectly into the scene.

Flashback
Flashbacks and memories are another option to use when writing a backstory. If the character is remembering something, it doesn't feel so much to the reader like it's happening solely for their benefit. But flashbacks aren't always the right way to go. If you use a flashback, make sure it doesn't last much longer than a couple of paragraphs so as not to bore your reader and don't put a flashback in the middle of an action sequence. That will erase the tension.

Have another character need to know the information
If another character is ignorant of the information, and needs to know it to move the story along, then having someone give a brief explanation is a good way to add some backstory without being too tedious.

Dialogue
Putting a backstory into a dialogue between characters makes it simple for the reader to follow along. It makes it a conversation, and not a history lesson. If two characters are discussing it (not just for fun, but because they have a reason to be discussing it) it can fit much better into your story than a narrative.

However you do it, make sure it's realistic! I cannot emphasize that enough. In way too many books I've read, there is unrealistic backstory/conversation. Usually this occurs between the antagonist and protagonist. It will be near the end, when the villain has been found out, and the protagonist will just be asking the villain how/why they did what they did and the villain will explain everything to them! I cannot tell you how much this annoys me. In what way is explaining your evil plan and the motives behind your villainy to the person trying to stop you realistic? It happens in so many movies/books that it seems normal for that to happen. But it's not.

This applies to backstory because many times, an antagonist explaining their villainy is backstory. And it's a good thought to keep in mind when writing. Always ask yourself  "Is this a realistic moment to give a backstory?" and if the answer is no, then don't write it. If you're unsure, don't write it. Try to figure out if the backstory would fit. Try it out. See if it works. Don't add it in if you're not sure it fits at the moment. Never guess.

If you add backstory because you think it's interesting and you think the reader will find interesting, or you know so you want the reader to know, you're proud of the history you created, something like that, it will never work. It will cripple your story. Backstory, when used correctly, helps a story in so many ways. It gives the reader a better understanding of the character, it reveals fears and motivation and can also thicken the plot.

As long as looking into the past helps your story move forward, everything should be fine.