Quick-Read Crafty Tips: Crafting Backstory

No matter the genre, we not only need to know who our characters are on the opening page, we also need to know their backstory. What happened before the story began?

Ask yourself:

• What is their ordinary world?
• Who are their friends? Why?
• Who are their enemies? Why?
• What beliefs do they have about the world?
• What misconceptions do they have about the world?
• Were there particular experiences they had that shaped their world-view?
• Who do they consider family?
• What typically brings them joy?
• What is their kryptonite and why?

Of course, not all of this will make it onto the actual page. And it certainly won’t be in the opening pages or you’ll have a brain-dump rather than a story. But, these are details we need to consider as we write.

I challenge you to write a backstory for each of your characters before you write. Get to know them. The more you know about your character’s backstory, the richer your story will be.

OH! And check out the Fresh Mindset feature on page 34 in the Colorado Parent digital magazine. You might see someone familiar!

Feel. Write. Risk.

Lauren

P.S. I need your help! Did you know that positive reviews make a huge difference for authors? If you read Remembering Sundays With Grandpa and liked it, please take a moment to review it. You can copy and paste your reviews on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Goodreads. Let’s see if we can hit the magic number of 50 reviews on Amazon so my book will be included in “recommended” books lists. Thank you!!