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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...
Feb 15, 2020 · Backstory helps you write your novel. Backstory includes significant events that impact the character’s behavior and motivation during your story. The biggest benefit to backstory for each character is depth in your story. A rich character background allows you to pull details to improve distinctive character actions and dialogue in your story.
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Apr 24, 2023 · However, a linear approach to backstory can be used when the author recognizes the story’s proposed backstory is, in fact, important and interesting enough to become the front story. In this instance, the story opens with what would otherwise have been a historical event in the character’s past, which allows readers to experience the unfolding of events in “real time,” right alongside ...
Jul 14, 2018 · All of a sudden, a meaningless, ordinary interaction with a stranger turned into a surprising event with your sister…and there is only one difference involved: backstory. You know your sister, better than you know yourself. You’ve grown up together, shared a room for all of your childhood. You know that she is terrified of spiders and ...
May 14, 2022 · 8. Do consider using a flashback for a longer backstory incident which relates to the forward narrative. Some writers avoid flashbacks, others use them to great effect. 9. Don’t create details which do not affect the narrative or aren’t needed to understand the story or your protagonist’s motivation and beliefs.
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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.
