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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.
- Too much, Too Soon
- Timing Is Everything
- The Right Balance
- When in Doubt
One of the most common mistakes I note when I’m called upon to offer comments on aspiring authors’ manuscripts is that the author has included too much backstory in the opening pages. Sometimes, the novel plods along page after page as the author diligently works to set up the story, and I have to force myself to keep reading. Other times, the nove...
Managing backstory in a novel is a matter of control. 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 o...
How can you discern which instances of backstory are crucial to the story and which are not? Folio Literary Management’s Jeff Kleinman offers a simple answer: “Backstory is the stuff the author figures the reader should know—not stuff the character desperately wants to tell the reader. If it’s critical to the character, it’s critical to the reader,...
For authors struggling with backstory, Kleinman has this advice: “In almost all cases, if it’s backstory, it needs to be cut.” This might seem drastic. If you’re not yet convinced, I offer this challenge: Comb through your opening chapters looking for backstory. Remove every instance, and see if your story doesn’t read better. I speak from experien...
- Don’t relate more than the briefest backstory in the first chapter because you need to create momentum, and backstory will stop progress dead. Too much too early can halt the main plot.
- Do avoid dropping a block of backstory as introspection, where the protagonist is deep in thought. Consider dribbling in backstory, drop-by-drop, like a drip coffee maker.
- Don’t forget that introspection is only one way to introduce backstory. Other options are dialogue and action.
- Do use actions to present core beliefs forged in the past. Does your character repeatedly check the front door lock as they recall a traumatic experience with a home invasion?
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 historical fiction, time of day, time of the ...
Here are my top three tips for delivering backstory effectively in your novel. Keep this information in mind as you work through the beginning of your story, and when you write each of your scenes. 1. Only insert backstory where it’s relevant. Backstory should always be triggered by something that’s happening in the story present.
2: Only use backstory for characters to explain behavior and plot developments. E.M. Forster said ‘only connect’. This is essential when it comes to writing backstory. Make sure that any incident that occurs before the main narrative events of your story is relevant and illustrative.
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Backstory: How to write backstory effectively. Backstory is important. Having the reader learn more about your character’s past can help them understand who they are and how they’ll react in certain situations. However, there’s a fine line between giving useful information to your reader and boring them to tears!
