"Picked it up back when I was a stripper in New Mexico," he said, revving the throttle. "I gave it up after I went through the badlands running from the cops, though."
"D... what the fuck?" Sheila asked.
"I'll tell you more about it some other time."
As writers, we've been conditioned for years to avoid lore dumps. And I've said it on this very blog; there are few things you can do that are worse for your book than throwing on the brakes just so you can relate a character's entire tragic backstory. However, sometimes it really does help the narrative to sprinkle in a little bit of lore here and there... just to keep your audience engaged.
That is the difference between a lore drop, and a lore dump.
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| This? Oh, don't worry about it, I know what I'm doing. |
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What's The Difference?
Putting a pinch of salt in the meat while you're cooking is often a good way to season it, enhance the flavor, and make the finished dish stick out. Upending the shaker and pouring until you can hear the granules crunch, on the other hand, is the surest way to ruin whatever it is you're cooking.
That's the difference between a lore drop, and a lore dump.
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| Numbers really do matter, end of the day. |
In addition to the sheer size difference between a drop and a dump, though, lore drops are typically connected to an event or an action. Take the original animated version of the movie Lilo and Stitch, and examine the character of Mr. Bubbles. Seeing a massive, dangerous-looking man in a black suit who works for family and child services is, on its face, a humorous juxtaposition. As we see Mr. Bubbles in more and more scenes, though, we get little glimpses into his character... not enough to really tell us who he is, but enough to keep us interested. The knuckle tatto that says Cobra, the fact that he has unique knowledge and training, and then we end with the fact that he has met the leader of an alien federation, and was present during their landing in Roswell, New Mexico.
These lore drops are big swings, but that's because they're played for laughs... it also makes them easier to actually see and analyze.
If you're writing something more subtle, though, consider some of the following examples of a lore drop:
- The big bruiser is revealed to speak an unexpected language. This helps them negotiate in a tight spot, but the character doesn't explain why they know that language when asked, or they give a short answer like, "I picked it up while I was stationed in Tokyo," which leaves another breadcrumb.
- The tech geek shows up at an important formal event dressed to kill, and showing off a recent makeover. With a grin, she mentions it's been a while since she walked a runway, but she still remembers how to make an entrance.
- The family man who everyone thinks is the most milktoast guy ever has a tattoo half-hidden on his wrist that makes the hardcases go white. An elite soldier? A gang enforcer? Or just a mark that belongs to an ancient order of assassins?
The idea is that a lore drop is small, short-lived, and that it immediately catches your audience's attention. And by leaving a trail of breadcrumbs, you'll eventually lead your audience to more of that character's backstory. And while not all lore drops should be peeks through a door that will one day be thrown wide open, some of them will be... and it's a lot easier to get your audience to eat up a bite-sized trail than it is to try and feed them a three-course meal of one character's backstory, and then expect them to get back to the plot you were originally feeding them.
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