: Re: Should one Infodump the reader when a new environment of a fictional world is introduced? When a writen story is set in a fiction world or when a character changes locals to an environment

@Heady158

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It's not generally a good idea to infodump, because it bores the reader and grinds the plot to a halt. You can get some of the information you want in through normal scene descriptions - the size of the trees will be obvious to any character who can see them, for example, as will the wooden paths and buildings between them.

As a general rule of thumb, if it's not relevant to the plot or your characters, it should probably stay out of the story. How do the trees get so large? Well, if it's relevant to the plot, your characters (and readers) will find out in time anyway. If it isn't, you're probably better off leaving it as a footnote than explaining it for pages: 'Character A had heard that the trees were so big because of [magic/high oxygen content in the atmosphere/the locals' incredibly good composting regime], but it was hard to imagine that even [magic/high oxygen levels/an entire ocean of horse manure] could ever have this effect'.

Keep it relevant to the plot or the characters somehow. If you really feel you have to discuss it, let your characters react to it with [wonder/scientific curiosity/disgust at the amount of animal crap lying around] - don't shut them out of the story so you can ramble to the reader for a page and a half about the wonders of compost. That sort of stuff belongs in a companion book or website, not the main story.

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