Back it up

For the finale in our series, I want to talk about something a little more obvious than the last two. It’s something that you all know is important, but yet something that I feel should be reiterated, in any case. It’s one of those things that we all struggle to work on, both because it can be boring and because it can be the most fascinating part of the story-writing process.

Why do we need…

Backstory?

For our purposes, today, I’m talking both about character’s backgrounds and the background of your story in general. What’s been going on around your story? What’s your character been through up to this point? Things of that nature, which some say can really drive a story forward, and really make something of them.

From the point of view of a reader…

I like when I can tell how much thought and effort a writer has put into their story. It makes the story that much more worthwhile, to me. It’s more interesting, because I can see how attached they were to this world, to their characters, to go to the point that they even thought through the tiniest details in the whole of the story, even to note the type of grass growing in the backyard, and why that was important to the man who built this house in the way back when’s. I want to see that you’re having fun with it, and that you’re understanding your story as much as I’m understanding it. Make me see it like you see it, feel it like you feel it, and follow it like you follow it. Your readers will thank you. Promise.

From the point of view of a writer…

If you’ve read Telekinetic, then you might know that I really enjoy adding a short prologue of information on the background of the story. I really like to know all that stuff, to have it all as a reference while I’m writing, because it helps me make sure that I’m not accidentally creating a character who could not thrive in this world, or creating a world that would literally kill my character. It’s something that you have to think about, and probably before you actually start your writing. I’d recommend sitting down and getting at least a few notes down onto a page, and then you can start the actual story. Otherwise, you’ll just end up getting confused and making a mess. Trust me, I’ve been there.

From the point of view of an editor…

Similarly to both the above, I really just want to know that you know your stuff. If I can tell that you’re a little iffy on your backstory, even for a single character, it makes me wary about your skill as a whole. I want to see that you know what you’re doing, that you know your characters and your world, and that you don’t need someone else to come in and help you make sense of it all. I don’t want to have to explain your story to you—that’s probably the best way of putting it. Please, don’t make me have to do that.

You need a backstory, and you need to know it. Simple as that. Without one, your story will suffer, as will your editor.

;-)

[love]

{Rani Divine}