Backstory is Essential

Happy #MondayMotivation, writers! 🖤

I’ve been thinking about backstory a lot lately. Even though backstory happens off the page most of the time, since it happened in the past, it’s still relevant to the present story you are putting on paper.

🌿 Backstory relevant to the story.
🌿 Backstory, though in the past, still affects the present.
🌿 Backstory relates to who your character is now.
🌿 Backstory can be part of your character’s drive.
🌿 Backstory provides context.
🌿 Backstory can be woven into the present story. This will help avoid info-dumping.
🌿 Backstory provides insight to the character’s headspace.

Backstory can be difficult to weave into the present story without info-dumping. Especially since flashbacks aren’t very popular outside of shows and movies.

One way you can figure out how to weave backstory into the present story is reflecting on how you think about the past. How does the past affect you? How often do you think about certain events? What words/phrases, smells, places, objects, etc. bring up certain memories? How do these memories (your backstory) make you feel? How does it come up in conversation? Thinking about how the past is brought up in everyday life can help you navigate putting that on the page. Now, the past doesn’t have to be brought up exactly how it does for you. The suggestions I gave above are just that—suggestions. It’s a way to get you thinking about how to include backstory in a natural way.

Right now, I’m editing a novel I wrote during my freshman year of college, and my main character’s backstory plays a massive role in everything involving her life. She’s consumed by her backstory. It haunts her. So I’m working to make sure info-dumping and repetition are removed from the page. Successfully weaving in backstory isn’t an easy thing to achieve, but practice makes perfect so keep trying!

Xo,
Ashley