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Feb 19, 2024 · There are several different techniques you can use to convey backstory. Last year, I did a three-part series about backstory techniques. 1. Sharing Backstory With the Backstory Drip. The main one is the one you’re going to want to use in pretty much any story, even if you do choose to use some of the other techniques.
- Overview
- Brainstorming Ideas for a Backstory
- Creating a Draft of the Backstory
- Polishing the Backstory
- Example Character Backstory
In a narrative, the backstory should set up and explain who your character is now. Writing a strong backstory for a character can be tricky, especially if you want to avoid dumping information about the past into your narrative. To write a backstory, start by making a timeline of your character’s life and then choose defining moments in the character’s life to explore further. You should then polish the backstory so it fits seamlessly into your narrative and reveals character effectively.
Establish a timeline for the character's life.
Create a childhood backstory with key moments (if relevant).
Write short pieces about key events in the character’s recent past.
Make the backstory detailed, immersive, and relatively concise.
Look for ways to connect the backstory to the character’s present.
Identify the purpose of a backstory in your story.
Start by asking yourself, “Why am I writing a backstory for this character?” “What purpose will the backstory serve in my main story?” Consider how the backstory will deepen your character and strengthen your narrative. Identify what you want the backstory to do in your main story. This will help you start the backstory with purpose and intent.
For example, you may want the backstory to reveal a character’s haunted past and help to explain why a character is so damaged in the present. Or you may want the backstory to show the character’s complicated relationship with their father, who has just passed away in the present.
Make a timeline of the character’s life.
Begin at the beginning of the character’s life. Create a backstory that includes key moments from the character’s childhood. Pick specific moments and events from childhood that are particular to the character. The childhood backstory should include experiences that are defining and significant to the character.
For example, if your character is struggling with their relationship with their father in the present of the main story, you may write a backstory that includes childhood memories with the character’s father. The backstory may show how damaging the character’s childhood was because of their father.
Write short pieces about the character’s recent past.
If you do not want to go all the way back to childhood, you can write short pieces about events that happened before the character’s present in the story. Create short pieces that focus on key moments or events in the character’s recent past. Think about how the character’s past interacts with the present as you write these short sections or pieces.
Check the tone and language of the backstory.
Once you have finished a draft of the backstory, read it aloud to yourself. Listen to the language and the word choice. Notice if the backstory matches the tone and mood of the main story. If you are writing the backstory in the first person, make sure the language in the back story suits the first person voice in the main story.
Revise the backstory so it fits with the main story’s tone and style. You do not want the backstory to sound like it was written separate of the main story, as this can disrupt the reader’s experience of the story.
Just because you have a detailed backstory of your character does not mean you have to use all of it in the main story. In fact, when it comes to a backstory, less is often more. Read through the backstory and cut it down so only the key events or moments are included. Focus on the parts of the backstory that really get at the core of the character and demonstrate the themes or ideas in your main story.
Do all the characters need a backstory?
Every story is different and not every story needs character backstories. Sometimes all you need to do is hint at the backstory or describe the character and trust the reader to fill in the gaps.
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How will having a backstory enhance my writing?
Use setting to improve your backstory. One way to improve your backstory is to use setting to help bring the character to life. First, let’s review for a moment what elements usually make up setting: Location: This could be broad, like a region or city, or specific, such as a house or a room. Time: This could be the time period, like in ...
Backstory Conclusion. It’s important that you know all the little character details as a writer, but you need to see the difference between what is important to you and what is important to the reader. Holding back information as long as you can is often much more enticing for a reader than giving them everything up front.
Jun 6, 2013 · A good storyteller has no trouble thinking up rich histories for his characters. But a good novelist holds these details back, revealing them only at the time that best serves the story. “Rushing the backstory is a terrible waste,” says Garth Stein, New York Times bestselling author of The Art of Racing in the Rain. “Many writers try to ...
Nov 12, 2023 · Integrating backstory can elevate your narrative without derailing the pace. I have 8 strategies on how to intertwine backstory deftly into your story. 1. Strategic Timing: Introduce backstory at strategic moments, aligning its revelation with the plot’s progression. For instance, if your character’s struggle with trust is integral to the ...
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2. Introduce backstory in a way that unfolds over time, rather than all at once. This helps maintain reader interest and integrates the information smoothly into the main narrative. 3. Make sure the backstory is relevant to the plot and character development. It should enhance the story and provide meaningful context, rather than serving as ...
