Flesh Out Your Characters Using Backstories

Three-dimensional, believable characters that your readers can connect with and warm to is the goal of every serious writer

. Using quick and easy backstories to flesh out your characters is an excellent way to achieve this. And it's fun, too!

A character's backstory is important whether you are writing a short story or a novel. With a short story it can be less in-depth than for a longer work, but it will raise your readers interest when you present them with a character they can believe in. In fact, that is the secret really: If YOU believe in the character, the chances are your readers will as well - and vice versa.

Building a backstory is fun and easy to do. All you need is a pen and paper, or even just Notepad on your PC. Just make a checklist, like the one below, and use it to make notes on the important points.

1. First, decide where they were born and in what year. Were their parents on the breadline, or well-to-do and influential? Were they brought up in a one-parent family? Were they an orphan? These beginnings will have shaped their lives in various ways. Jot down several ways in which your character may have been affected by their origins.

2. Next, write down a brief summary of their schooling (if they had any) and on to their first job. At what age did they start work, and what were the factors that led to this choice? It may be that your character could not find work. Write down why this was and how they managed to live without the income a job would produce.

3. The third point is crucial in building your character. Write down the significant events in their life so far, that were instrumental in moulding them into the person they are today. Were they influenced by and strong people in their life, parents, teachers, others? Have they loved and lost? Have they been conned or duped? What trauma or disaster may they have been through? Write these down.

Once you begin to create a backstory you will be surprised at how many other things pop into mind which you can add to your characters CV. If you do that's good, because it shows that the character is becoming a real person to you.

Once you have got the bare bones recorded, you can always go back and add or fine tune, but remember that for every part of the backstory there should be some reason for including it. You, the writer, should know what each event did in shaping the character you are presenting to the reader.

You will soon find that with a little practice, you can build up a plausible backstory in just a few minutes. Put that small amount of effort in and it will reap dividends.

by: Mervyn Love

POST COMMENT

Make the Transition to a Paperless Office: The Intranet Solution What's The Best Way To Temporarily Hide A Bruise? Argos Understands Your Desires Backpacking in Central America: Places Never to Miss Get To Know GHD IV Straighten Student Life: Bribery. A Way Of Life Or Simple Avidity? Find Out Why You May Need Lumineers Los cursos de Lectura Veloz ya están a la mano Some Faqs About Isotonix Opc-3 Choosing retail shop fittings See How Easy It is to Stay Tidy? Men Outwear - Out is in so wear it Cremation Offers Various Ways Of Disposition