A good backstory is one of the best things you can give your character. Previously, I wrote about the importance of symbolism in physical traits. One of the examples I used in that post was Harry Potter's scar.
Now, Harry's scar is symbolic for various reasons.
It was a remnant of the Dark Lord's attack on him; it identified him as Harry Potter to the rest of the world; it connected him to Voldemort, making him an unwilling Horcrux. To Harry, before the story, it was a remnant of his parents’ fatal car crash.
No matter the interpretation of Harry's scar, one thing remains. The scar is an integral part of Harry's backstory.
What exactly is a backstory?
A character's backstory is the sum of all their experiences before the start of the narrative.
Why does your character look like that? Why does your character think like that? Why does your character talk like that?
What made your character the way they are?
A rich backstory is important because it provides context, motivations, and a foundation upon which you develop your character.
How to create a rich backstory for your character
Excuse my handwriting.
One of the simplest ways to get your character's backstory down is to create a timeline. Just draw a straight line with alternating branches and summarise significant events that shaped their beliefs, fears, and aspirations.
Now, it is completely up to you to decide what events to include in your character's timeline but be sure to include the pivotal moments in your character's past.
Consider each event individually and how your character changed with each incident to become the person we meet at the start of the narrative.
When writing, unveil your character's backstory gradually, allowing readers to discover key details as the story progresses.
What not to do when crafting character backstories
The most important thing to avoid is, of course, info-dumping. There is a slight difference between info-dumping about your character and info-dumping about the setting of your world. A reader might suffer through long passages describing the setting of the world, especially if it's a sci-fi world or a fantastical world. Readers, however, are less likely to sit through long paragraphs of internal monologue. Source: my reading habits…lol.
For example, one of my best novels, “Dawn” by Yoshiki Tanaka is the first book in a ten-volume sci-fi series. The world of Yoshiki’s novels is so vast and different from ours that info-dumping is unavoidable. The prologue is a whopping 14 pages long (according to my e-reader) and contains information about how the earth we know now transforms into the interstellar setting of the narrative.
I sat through the entire prologue describing galactic travel, universal dictatorship and interstellar pirates. And I’ve skipped three paragraphs of a character reflecting on a past event.
Long monologues just seem more unbearable.
Whatever your reading preference, presenting too much backstory at once can disrupt the flow of the main narrative. Try not to overwhelm readers with excessive details, instead prioritise relevance.
The most important part of a character's backstory
While a backstory typically contains relevant moments and events in a character's life, the relationships they've previously developed and how they impact the character currently are also significant.
The relationships developed by a character in the past and the events that occurred in the character's life are slightly different.
Relationships can spill into the current narrative while events remain in the past. Harry's parents died. That was a pivotal moment in Harry's life and forms a significant portion of his backstory. However, the aftermath, Harry's adoption by the Dursleys and his subsequent isolation from the wizarding world, lingered into the narrative. The Dursleys’ aversion to magic (and to Harry, really) was the reason for Harry's complete ignorance before his Hogwarts admission.
If Harry had been adopted by Sirius and grown up in love and understanding, the story would have changed considerably.
Character relationships influence the thoughts, actions and personal growth of a character and can add depth to the narrative. It is, therefore, vital for authors to develop authentic character relationships and use them in the character arcs.
I wanted to write more about character relationships (even making it a separate post) but I feared I would be repeating information previously discussed and encroaching into future topics (character motivations and character development).
Summary
Good backstories are essential to developing a complete character. Note down any significant moments and events in your character's life. Avoid info-dumping and the inclusion of unnecessary details. Include authentic character relationships, using them to develop your character's arc.
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