Backstory Test
Having just finished an article on "backstory" for my writer's group, I thought I'd include The Backstory Test I developed. Backstory is all the stuff that happened to your character before your story begins. It is what defines that character, what makes them who they are. It is what makes them scream when they see a spider or smile when they hear a certain song on the radio. All of these things make up a character, but to include each of them in a story would make for a boring and tedious narrative. So, what of your backstory should you include?THE BACKSTORY TEST
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Is it really needed?
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* Is this piece of information critical to the plot?
* Does it move the story forward?
* Does this piece of information define the character / add depth to the character / make the character unique / memorable?
* Does it give cause to a character’s motivation?
* Does it relate to a character’s future goals?
* Does it create conflict or the potential for conflict?
* Does it evoke the emotional response you want the reader to feel for that character?
* Does it raise the stakes for the character/ the plot?
* Is it cute/funny/interesting, but otherwise irrelevant?
* Do we really need to know the motivation/reason behind this event/action/feeling? Or is just knowing that it exists enough?
* Is this really important? Or do you, the author, just really like this bit of information and hate to leave it out?
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Is it needed right now?
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* Does the reader need to know this right now? Or can it be left for later?
* Would it enhance suspense to wait to reveal this bit of information?
* Can it be broken into pieces to enhance the suspense?
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Did you incorporate it in the best possible way?
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* Does this piece of backstory stop the forward momentum of the story?
* Have you included it in such a way that the reader hardly notices it is there?
* Could you do anything to shorten / tighten the section where this information is introduced?
* Is there a more creative way to introduce this?
* Is there a more transparent way to introduce this?
* Does it invoke the emotional response you were looking for?
* Have you shown or told?
* Could you reveal it in a less obvious way, thereby making the reader work for the knowledge a little?
* Is this backstory in Chapter 1? If so, try to move it later in the book.
* Have you already told your reader this through your character’s actions/ responses/ thoughts/ feelings/ speech patterns/ behaviors/ etc?
* Can you use your character’s mannerisms / speech patterns / responses/ behaviors to show this instead?
posted by chrmisha @ 7:55 PM
1 Comments:
I think, in all fairness, the "backstory" of any character is as important and vital to the story as it is to characters in real life. I mean, our past defines us today, our experiences, our life stories, does it not? They say to truely understand the "now" you have to "go back", and I believe if your going to sell a particular character to a reader, at best, you the writer, should have a detailed history and understanding of what makes that character tick, and it is your responsibility to paint it out for the readers with vibrant colors and definitive strokes, unless of course you want others to sit there scratching their heads.
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