Tips to Help you Write your Stories

Backstories & Introducing Characters

By the title, it seems like they don't really go together. Just wait. 

So in my chapter titled "How To Make Likeable Characters", number seven is about character backstories, which I quote,

 "7) Interesting backstories

Please don't cliché this. I beg of you. You also might not want to do tell the readers when the character is introduced and like, not talk about it forever until they dramatically figure out why. Give them some suspense! Like, we don't figure out why Neville lives with only his grandma until FOREVER. Also, Neville is an amazing character, hands down."

When we meet Neville, we don't think much of him, just some guy who lost his toad. Neville starts getting somewhat relevant in the chapter "The Forbidden Forest" in the Philosophers Stone (at least I think), and a bit more in "Through The Trapdoor". We actually get to know him when time goes on, and actually star to care about the guy, which leads to eventually getting a backstory. It's really well executed, as we build up enough evidence to see what we actually think of a character. If we get introduced to a character, get the backstory here and then almost immediately, why would I even care about them? Even if it's sad, I just won't care. Now you see why these things go together. Get some character development, it doesn't have to be fully complete, just enough to have an opinion, hopefully liking the character, and then fully get the backstory. And when they finally talk about it, make it relevant to the plot PLEASE. I can't stress this enough because I've seen this before and I hate it with a burning passion. 

Writing A Backstory

The past of a character is very important because the respect and liking for the character can either increase or decrease. You have to choose everything carefully because specific details matter. As the author, you're basically God. Except the characters don't worship you. The fourth wall can't be completely gone. You know everything about a character. Well, you should. When you're writing a backstory, you should have a timeline of events for your character and make it relevant to the plot and so does where they tell them/readers as well (yes, this matters). Have a good balance between the telling and showing of the backstory. You also want to remove unimportant information from the backstory, and keep it simple, but not too basic. If you look at the way the certain character acts in their personality and preferences, this can also help making a good past. Consider their ideals and motivations. Creating a backstory needs to have meaning. 

Tip: Have your protagonist in the same boat as the reader, they shouldn't know more than protagonist, nor the other way around.