Backstory vs. main plot: where to compromise

I reveal backstory when the plot demands it. Also, when the character remembers something from the past.

For lack of examples in my WIPs, I'm going to throw something out there that'll hopefully be helpful.

Ex 1, or how backstory should not be handled: I saw my sister, Susan, who had raided my closet last weekend, wearing my pants. She bowled me over as she walked down the hall, grinning to herself. I glared after her, angry that she had the nerve to steal my platforms and my pants on the same day, when, last weekend, she stole my favorite blazer.

Ex 2, or how I think backstory should be handled: My sister was wearing my pants again. "What's your problem? The blazer wasn't enough for you?"

"That was last week, not today. Ta-ta," she said, flouncing out the door.

Yeah, bad examples, I know. Basically, what I'm getting at is that the backstory should be revealed through the action in the novel. If you have to use flashbacks, etc, then the information you're revealing is unnecessary.

For example, a woman who was a middle sister, the balancing act in the family, always arbitrating between her siblings. It's the reason behind her motives as an adult, but doesn't merit a subplot or substory.

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I don't believe that arbitrating between siblings is a motivator in adult life. It may have caused a habit, or maybe she likes to do it, but sibling rivalry, in my experience, doesn't carry on into other aspects of life. I wouldn't work this into the character development at all.

a_sharp said:

What guidelines do you use to keep backstory from interfering with the flow of your main plot?

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I tend to write the story, then when I'm done, I go back and it's usually pretty obvious which parts are boring backstory. A lot of stuff you need to know as a writer, but the reader just needs hints here and there. I just cut 7k (2 full chapters) that were nothing but boring backstory about how one of my characters was abused as a child. I fixed it by writing a 1.5k scene where he has an anxiety attack. I got everything in that 1.5k that I needed from the 7k, and it was much more interesting... Not to mention my MC didn't come across as such a whiny bastard anymore.

I think everyone takes a different approach to this, but I figure, better to write too much and cut it later than to miss something important all together. I also think when reading over the "backstory" section later on (as in after things are finished), it helps the brainstorming process for fitting it in elsewhere (since you've already written the elsewhere).

Just my thoughts.

In general, the backstories are good for you (the writer) to develop your characters and plot, but the readers don't necessarily need to know, unless it's relevant to the main plot. In that case, a little goes a long way either by way of dialogue or some quick flashback. The trick is to keep the story moving and not stop it on its track with back stories, especially one that is not relevant.

Ask yourself: Do your readers need to know how those characters grew up, who their parents were, etc. etc. or do they only need to know they were orphans?

I bet JK Rowling had notes up to the ceilings on back stories (what's Harry Potter's grandmother's maiden name?)... but she doesn't include them unless it's important to the plot. But they help her write the stories and all the intricate connections between these characters.

So write the backstories. Jot them down. Keep notes. But do think about if you need to reveal them to your readers or not. I wrote 15,000 words of "back stories" about my protagonist and his relationship with one of the heroines. That helped me immensely in developing my characters and their relationships. But at the end I cut them out because as relevant as they were about the characters, they weren't relevant to the main story I wanted to tell. The book was much better and it sold.

I'm grappling with this myself as I go through my revisions. I have a very clearly defined idea of where I want to start my story, but there's a certain amount of backstory that has to be included straightaway, and that is immediately relevant to the events of chapters one and two. It would drag the story down to start off months earlier and incorporate the backstory into the proper plot...but elements of it HAVE to be there.

a_sharp said:

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I have imagined their origins and even written down a synopsis of their backgrounds. To introduce those events of the past through either flashback or dialogue revelation may be superfluous or contrived, but it might also enrich their characters and heighten the plot.

What guidelines do you use to keep backstory from interfering with the flow of your main plot?

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My own personal guidelines concerning backstory consist of one basic rule:

If the story calls for backstory, I'll put it in. If not, I'll leave it out.

I think your idea, BTW, of writing a synopsis of the backstory is an excellent way of fleshing it out without actually putting the majority of it into the story itself. I've done similar things over the years to enhance my own stories, and I find the effort pays off very well when it comes time to write the manuscript.

Sean D. Schaffer said:

I think your idea, BTW, of writing a synopsis of the backstory is an excellent way of fleshing it out without actually putting the majority of it into the story itself. I've done similar things over the years to enhance my own stories, and I find the effort pays off very well when it comes time to write the manuscript.

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May I also recommend writing another synopsis once you've finished the first draft? By then, you know whats really important, and what you can let go in later drafts, or what needs to be fleshed out.

Sean D. Schaffer said:

My own personal guidelines concerning backstory consist of one basic rule:

If the story calls for backstory, I'll put it in. If not, I'll leave it out.

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Good guideline, and if you'll allow me to expand on it just a tad: If the backstory furthers the present story, use it. If not, forget it.

I write up tons of backstory for my own use -- pages and pages, sometimes -- but in the story, I use it only where it would naturally come up in the narrative or the character's thoughts.

i think az is absolutely right ~ write it first as fat as it wants to be and then edit/revise. i strongly advise having an editing technique that works for you, though. it's hard to answer the question in anything other than general scenarios for me. in your case, i'd drop some backstory in gradually like clues that leads up to the 'big revelation' lest it come off as some out-of-left-field idea. and as maestro said, keep what you need, which is really the trick, isn't it? you can write the backstory as notes on the side or as part of the story, i think it depends on what way works best for you. for me, my characters either start off as being pretty obvious or somewhat with an untold past which gets trickled out as the story goes along. i don't do family trees or character sheets or any of that. then again, i don't work from outlines, either.

probably one reason why i don't get into young characters is because they have no past, nothing interesting has happened to them. or their past is so ridiculously abusive it's hard to imagine them ever being truly salvaged by the end of the story, having resolved witnessing their father killing the rest of the family, growing up a sex slave in the bordellos and having to kill people in the dark for food money, then, at 16 years of age, the end of the story comes along and true love has healed all the wounds. pretty cheesy, eh? lol.

a lot of backstory doesn't need to be said anyway: for me, ideal backstory is mostly inferences, maybe backed up with a couple of words. i think the overall riding theory for me is to use the past only if it relates to the current affairs, try to tie it in the story as characterization and/or plot resolution, and let the reader fill in their own backstory for the most part given the clues there. then try to hide the backstory as i would try to hide the exposition when i could. i mean, when you see a character popping medication like pez candy, it's a sure bet that somewhere down the line we'll find out why, no? as long as it's got something to do with the story. characters with scars, physical or emotional, that gets some early play are likewise bound to be elaborated on. subtle, less meaningful explanations such as how the MC had been trained to be a mediator through her family situation i think might just be okay to get out of the way in as few words as possible at the end of a sentence as flat-out background. it's not a sin or anything, and by way of being economic with words and getting straight to the point, i think it's sometimes better than winding dialogue in an attempt to hide it, imo. it's rather very situational for me. i mean, if she's a middle child, i think that's pertinent information eventho it really might not come into play anywhere else. if she's deathly afraid of heights, say, and there's a scene involving her needing to be high up (pretty cliche, i grant you), then perhaps even a flashback is warranted (i personally try to avoid writing flashbacks, but i'm not against them, either).

a lot of times what's in the backstory are reasons why the character is the way they are today. often the backstory is the impetus for character growth (overcoming a fear or past trauma). there are a lot of pretty obvious frameworks when that's the case, but i think what you're asking about are those little details what have naught much to do with the story, per se, but are still worth mentioning. i say there are times when you can simply mention one and get it over with, or you can mention it in some dialogue, or you can have her rifle through her purse, discribing the contents (a bottle of pills, a pack of condoms, a picture of her with her siblings, i wad of attorney business cards, a few .22 bullets, twisted engagement ring minus the two carot (karat? i always get those confused ~ i just know one is for gold, the other is for gems) diamond, and a new york state driver's license ~ okay, that's pretty cliche, eh? lol), or some other little device that paints the character the way you want him painted at that specific time in the book.

i used to think more about this stuff than i do now, lol. i'm sure there are lots of things that i do now as rote, but those are some of the options i'd consider now. that is if i actually thought about it which i probably should, lol.

Esopha said:

If you have to use flashbacks, etc, then the information you're revealing is unnecessary.

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On the contrary, it really depends on the flashback. I use those sometimes when the character is remembering something. In Cursed Blood, flashbacks are used as part of the curse, it's something Donna can't escape. It adds to the story, part of sympothy so the character want the cure to work. So far people who have read it have enjoyed it so it worked. It isn't going to work for every story but you can't rule it out either.

Amber

I agree, Azraelbane's words were true and truer. Write it, cut out the excessive backstory in the editing process. Chop chop! ^_^

-An

Also, we want to be careful here, because - IMHO - backstory has gotten a bad rap. In short, I think a lot depends on what you're writing. If it's a thriller, backstory can stop the story like a sandbar halts a canoe in a low lying stream. However, if you're writing emotional, character-driven literary fiction, backstory and flashbacks - if well executed - can be quite effective in achieving your means.

Too often, 'backstory' is confused with 'infodump'. This is because an 'infodump' - a lazy way of giving necessary background info - is often the way writers choose to execute backstory.

rwam said:

Also, we want to be careful here, because - IMHO - backstory has gotten a bad rap. In short, I think a lot depends on what you're writing. If it's a thriller, backstory can stop the story like a sandbar halts a canoe in a low lying stream. However, if you're writing emotional, character-driven literary fiction, backstory and flashbacks - if well executed - can be quite effective in achieving your means.

Too often, 'backstory' is confused with 'infodump'. This is because an 'infodump' - a lazy way of giving necessary background info - is often the way writers choose to execute backstory.

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I agree, to a point. But the problem with a lot of novels is that they start too early, or give too much lengthy backstory that could have been worked in elsewhere.

The 7k I dropped on my novel wasn't an info dump. It was a day in the life of my MC that was crucial, but I simply went too in depth, and it wasn't needed. I didn't actually drop the backstory in that case, I simply chopped it and made it punchier and more interesting.

The beginning of my novels usually has short, punchy (I like that word today) chapters with tons of "emotional action." It's my hope that people will get attached to the characters early, and then if I hit a snag that's a little slower later, they'll care enough to keep reading.

Of course, this is just the way I work, and my opinion.

Doogs said:

I'm grappling with this myself as I go through my revisions. I have a very clearly defined idea of where I want to start my story, but there's a certain amount of backstory that has to be included straightaway, and that is immediately relevant to the events of chapters one and two. It would drag the story down to start off months earlier and incorporate the backstory into the proper plot...but elements of it HAVE to be there.

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Yes, I'm having exactly the same problem!

I have "recent backstory" that could logically be the opening of the book--except I feared it was too slow a start for a book that's supposed to be mystery/suspense. (Woman goes into antiquarian bookstore, strikes up a friendship, and maybe more to come, with bookseller....yawn!)

But this ends up being the key to what drives the plot: a package she's carrying from the bookseller puts in her jeopardy, as she's off on her trip through the Balkans.

So is it ok to open the book with dramatic action (she's the victim of an attempted robbery in an airport) and then later in the chapter have her reveal through dialogue with her traveling companion that she has this new friend/potential romantic interest, he helped her find some fascinating old books....

Or does this automatically qualify as backstory or "infodump"?

Susan

Susan B said:

So is it ok to open the book with dramatic action (she's the victim of an attempted robbery in an airport) and then later in the chapter have her reveal through dialogue with her traveling companion that she has this new friend/potential romantic interest, he helped her find some fascinating old books....

Or does this automatically qualify as backstory or "infodump"?

Susan

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If they are relevant to the current plot and the back stories come out naturally, it's fine. But if they are only revealed for the sake of telling us things we may or may not need to know, then it's info dump. And by all means, avoid the "As you know, Bob" dialogue.

"As you know, Trish, I went to Paris last month and as you know, I met Pete, and as you know, I really liked Pete, and as you know..."

maestrowork said:

If they are relevant to the current plot and the back stories come out naturally, it's fine. But if they are only revealed for the sake of telling us things we may or may not need to know, then it's info dump. And by all means, avoid the "As you know, Bob" dialogue.

"As you know, Trish, I went to Paris last month and as you know, I met Pete, and as you know, I really liked Pete, and as you know..."

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Thanks! That was helpful!

Susan

Susan B said:

Yes, I'm having exactly the same problem!

I have "recent backstory" that could logically be the opening of the book--except I feared it was too slow a start for a book that's supposed to be mystery/suspense. (Woman goes into antiquarian bookstore, strikes up a friendship, and maybe more to come, with bookseller....yawn!)

But this ends up being the key to what drives the plot: a package she's carrying from the bookseller puts in her jeopardy, as she's off on her trip through the Balkans.

So is it ok to open the book with dramatic action (she's the victim of an attempted robbery in an airport) and then later in the chapter have her reveal through dialogue with her traveling companion that she has this new friend/potential romantic interest, he helped her find some fascinating old books....

Or does this automatically qualify as backstory or "infodump"?

Susan

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I agree with Maestro, with one small addition.

Is it okay to open with dramatic action? Absolutely.

Is it okay if a book starts slow? Define slow. If the scene isn't interesting, then no, in my opinion, it isn't. It's been repeated here a lot, that if/when you get a partial request, you have 1-2 pages to grab the agent's attention. If your first two pages are just a commonplace/uninteresting scene, it doesn't matter what that commonplace scene leads to later, as the agent isn't going to read that far. I'm not saying that you have to write an event of apocalyptic proportions in the first two pages, but those pages have to be interesting enough to make someone want to read more.

IMO, it's possible to make any situation interesting enough to grab a reader, but therein lies the real question. Do you feel you can make the scene interesting?

Just my thoughts, and I've yet to have a sufficient amount of caffeine today, so forgive the rambling.

Just remember this: something has to happen. Even if it's back story on page 22, please make something happen, and not just describing someone's favorite colors and what school was like when he was 14. Make the back story interesting -- and the best way to interest your readers is to make things happen and to include some conflicts.

in response to fantasy backstory, part of the problem there is having to world build. i've too often seen 'creation prologues' where the history of the universe, replete with fifty gawds of light and shadow (moan), drones on and on without point or purpose. there's often the mentor hanging about whose main purpose is to tell the would-be hero (in true hero's journey formula) about the past, impart some useful information that winds up being the difference between life and death, then dies.

but, in building the scenery, some city/'land'/kingdom and its history usually works its way into the story in awkward ways in the hands of the less experienced. another fatal flaw is just because the writer thought up some detail, then that detail is something they think we should have to know. i think one of the reasons why so much fantasy revolves around castles and basically medieval settings is somewhat of a dodge in a lot of cases, that is not so much as having a setting the reader can connect with as much as the writer making himself comfortable as a result of their inexperience. i think that is part of the process for a lot of fantasy writers, no? it's kind of related to why you're more apt to find young writer doing fantasy than literary stuff, fantasy can, on the surface, seem to cover up a lack of life experience. can't figure out the budding love triangle between elf, dwarf and ranger? throw a battle scene in!

tons of fantasy also revolves around 'the ultimate evil,' or mysterious antagonists already seated in power, which supposedly needs explained. the need for tons of backstory is obvious there for a lot of writers, and then it's just a case of picking a way to impart that to the reader, maybe through a mentor, a magick scroll, a prophecy, a chatty bird what's really a gawd, swapping stories around a campfire, whatever. add to the apparently 'obvious' need for exposition (quite often done in a prologue, which is why a lot of people hate prologues, imo), the fantasy writer still needs to world build *and* do character backstory, so it's kind of like a triple whammy.

a_sharp said:

I have imagined their origins and even written down a synopsis of their backgrounds. To introduce those events of the past through either flashback or dialogue revelation may be superfluous or contrived, but it might also enrich their characters and heighten the plot.

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First, remember the Iceberg Principle: the part of the iceberg you see is only 1/6 of the total; the other 5/6 is hidden. Treat backstory like an iceberg--keep most of it hidden. Except 1/6 is usually too much. Make it 1/10, 1/20, or even less.

Just as the hidden part of the iceberg supports the visible part, the untold part of the backstory supports and informs your presentation of the character. You, the author, need to know it. The reader doesn't.

maestrowork said:

In general, the backstories are good for you (the writer) to develop your characters and plot, but the readers don't necessarily need to know, unless it's relevant to the main plot. In that case, a little goes a long way either by way of dialogue or some quick flashback. The trick is to keep the story moving and not stop it on its track with back stories, especially one that is not relevant.

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When in doubt, one way to determine what the reader really needs to know is to take out all of the backstory and run your MS past a beta or two. Look for the spots where they get confused, the spots where they don't understand why your character behaves a certain way. Then put a tiny bit back in, addressing only those specific questions, and let a different beta read it. Iterate.

(Unfortunately, this does tend to use up a lot of betas, which can be difficult. If you have one really dedicated beta, who is willing to read through multiple times, you can accomplish almost the same thing if you resist the impulse to explain anything between readings. But you still won't get the same perspective a fresh reader would bring.)

rwam said:

Too often, 'backstory' is confused with 'infodump'. This is because an 'infodump' - a lazy way of giving necessary background info - is often the way writers choose to execute backstory.

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Exactly! An infodump is a technique for presenting backstory and worldbuilding--a bad technique. Some people lately have been using the words interchangeably, but that's wrong.

Backstory is often a necessary ingredient. You just need to be selective about what to include and careful about how to present it.

preyer said:

in response to fantasy backstory, part of the problem there is having to world build. i've too often seen 'creation prologues' where the history of the universe, replete with fifty gawds of light and shadow (moan), drones on and on without point or purpose.

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When I'm browsing at the book store... if I encounter this, it's almost always an automatic put-back for me. Ugh, I hate boring prologues! If you're gonna do it, gotta make it interesting. And if the author isn't good enough to weave all of that stuff into the story... they're probably not good enough to interest me for another 600 pages.

Andre Jute, in Writing A Thriller, relates how, in his first (and ultimately bestselling) novel, Reverse Negative, his protagonists, a man and woman, had had an affair in the past, which colors their relationship in the present. So he was horrified when an editor insisted on cutting out their backstory. But he went ahead and did it, and afterwards was delighted with the results. He says conversations between the two which had previously seemed adequate, now crackled with hidden meaning -- it was obvious that the two had history, but since it wasn't revealed, this "untold" side to each of them gave them more depth and believability.

You might want to try his approach. Write all the backstory (so it's established in your own mind as you write the present-day stuff), then cut all the backstory you can from the finished draft. Just cut it whenever it seems to be bringing the narrative to a halt, then see if the story actually suffers from its absence.

In my experience, nothing transforms ordinary writing into professional writing like cutting. So much of what seems absolutely vital to the story while we're writing it, becomes dead weight when the whole story is presented.