How to develop character history and backstory?

Sunbreaker2 · Mar 10, 2016

Hi, i am just looking for advice on how to go about developing character history.
I am working on a fictional character who is supposed to be more like an unseen god or energy
but at the same time its power is manifest in the wielder. I already have its name, but am
having trouble with developing its being, as in what it is, is it a star? is it a god?
It is supposed to be the God/star of the alien army but its power can still be wielded by
humans. The problem is, i do not know how to make the character fit these tenets in a
flowing way.

leifwright · Mar 10, 2016

Sunbreaker2 said:
Hi, i am just looking for advice on how to go about developing character history.
I am working on a fictional character who is supposed to be more like an unseen god or energy
but at the same time its power is manifest in the wielder. I already have its name, but am
having trouble with developing its being, as in what it is, is it a star? is it a god?
It is supposed to be the God/star of the alien army but its power can still be wielded by
humans. The problem is, i do not know how to make the character fit these tenets in a
flowing way.

Is it absolutely necessary that it have a backstory?

A being of pure energy or other unknowable power could be much more riveting if its motivations and history are unknown. Describe its actions, but then realize it's too far beyond the people it's affecting to care if they understand why it's doing what it's doing.

Think of God in the Bible. Moses asked where he came from (or something very similar), and God simply answered, "I am that I am." In other words, "none of your business."

God has absolutely no backstory.

As far as what it actually is, again, look at the God metaphor. What is God? No. Idea. And the Bible (the novel about God, if you will), feels no need to explain what exactly God is.

dirtsider · Mar 10, 2016

Start by going backwards.

1. If the being's power can be used by humans, how is it being accessed? By prayer? By mechanical means, similar to solar energy via solar panels?
1a. What is the power being used for? Healing spells? Destructive laser blasts?
1b. Who is using those spells in what way? Are the humans using the power in a destructive manner? Are the aliens? Are both sides? Are both sides using the power in a similar manner?

2. If the being is supposed to be the God of the alien army, how did the humans gain access to its power?
2a. When did they gain access to its power?
2b. Why did they gain access? (From the human's POV)
2c. Why did the being allow them to access its power when it's supposed to be the God/star of the aliens?

3. What is the being's history with the alien army? Did the aliens view natural phenomena (such as lightning, the sun, moon, oceans/water) as having intelligence or being controlled by a God?
3a. How is the way the alien army looks at this being different from how the humans look at this being? Do the aliens view the being as God and the humans view it as natural phenomena like light, heat, etc.?

Sunbreaker2 · Mar 10, 2016

leifwright said:
Is it absolutely necessary that it have a backstory?

A being of pure energy or other unknowable power could be much more riveting if its motivations and history are unknown. Describe its actions, but then realize it's too far beyond the people it's affecting to care if they understand why it's doing what it's doing.

Think of God in the Bible. Moses asked where he came from (or something very similar), and God simply answered, "I am that I am." In other words, "none of your business."

God has absolutely no backstory.

As far as what it actually is, again, look at the God metaphor. What is God? No. Idea. And the Bible (the novel about God, if you will), feels no need to explain what exactly God is.

Well, about the none of your business, i would have to Respectfully disagree, I am, that I am, is very clear a verse later he says "tell them that I am sent you" I am gives the indication of present existence, no end and no beginning just undefined being. But, i get your point!

Richard White · Mar 10, 2016

There are two basic questions here:

Do you need to know the character's backstory?
Do your readers need to know the character's backstory?

These are quite different questions. As Liefwright said above, there are perfectly good reasons for the readers never to know a character's backstory. Some characters are walk-ons (to use stage terminology). They enter, say their lines and leave. While they advance the plot (else why are they there?), does it really matter if Billy Bob, Jasper, or Horace deliver the lines? If you're dealing with cosmic beings, or characters from mythology who've been deconstructed to death, then probably not, unless you're putting a more subversive spin on the myth - why did Jason really want the Golden Fleece?

However, as the writer, you'll probably want to at least sketch out a back story for your major characters. It doesn't have to been a full-blown dissertation, but the more I know about my major characters ahead of time, the more realistically I can write their dialogue and it helps me avoid the old cardboard cliches that people complain about reading. Also, as I get to know the characters better (between the prep time and the actual writing), I find myself adding more back story because I realize what might motivate them to do X or Y when they're in that situation.

Now, 90% of this back story never sees the light of day in the actual novel, but I believe it makes my characters richer by rounding them out - they are more than just the events of that one story. Plus, sometimes, working on back story helps give me ideas for follow-on stories (provided they survive the current one).

So, this is one opinion. Others, esp. those who write on the fly, may have a different approach.

Sunbreaker2 · Mar 10, 2016

dirtsider said:
Start by going backwards.

1. If the being's power can be used by humans, how is it being accessed? By prayer? By mechanical means, similar to solar energy via solar panels?
1a. What is the power being used for? Healing spells? Destructive laser blasts?
1b. Who is using those spells in what way? Are the humans using the power in a destructive manner? Are the aliens? Are both sides? Are both sides using the power in a similar manner?

2. If the being is supposed to be the God of the alien army, how did the humans gain access to its power?
2a. When did they gain access to its power?
2b. Why did they gain access? (From the human's POV)
2c. Why did the being allow them to access its power when it's supposed to be the God/star of the aliens?

3. What is the being's history with the alien army? Did the aliens view natural phenomena (such as lightning, the sun, moon, oceans/water) as having intelligence or being controlled by a God?
3a. How is the way the alien army looks at this being different from how the humans look at this being? Do the aliens view the being as God and the humans view it as natural phenomena like light, heat, etc.?

Those are great questions, to which i have only few answers?

The aliens are somehow Descendants of Sol.

But i do not know if it is literal, related to an ancient god or a literal sun?

Its Central power is enabling

the transcending of time.
( immortality)

It has also been referred to as a Blaze.

Some worship it, and draw power

from it. Ausir bathed in the

sun's light and melted his
body. he was merged with Sol i guess, allowing other humans to wield the power.
and now, a fire once

wielded by the dark,
now burns indiscriminately.

This is what i am thinking about using, it is not my actual work.
How can i personify or what is the character of Sol?
Is it a source of power revered as a god or is it a god?

Sunbreaker2 · Mar 10, 2016

Richard White said:
There are two basic questions here:

Do you need to know the character's backstory?
Do your readers need to know the character's backstory?

These are quite different questions. As Liefwright said above, there are perfectly good reasons for the readers never to know a character's backstory. Some characters are walk-ons (to use stage terminology). They enter, say their lines and leave. While they advance the plot (else why are they there?), does it really matter if Billy Bob, Jasper, or Horace deliver the lines? If you're dealing with cosmic beings, or characters from mythology who've been deconstructed to death, then probably not, unless you're putting a more subversive spin on the myth - why did Jason really want the Golden Fleece?

However, as the writer, you'll probably want to at least sketch out a back story for your major characters. It doesn't have to been a full-blown dissertation, but the more I know about my major characters ahead of time, the more realistically I can write their dialogue and it helps me avoid the old cardboard cliches that people complain about reading. Also, as I get to know the characters better (between the prep time and the actual writing), I find myself adding more back story because I realize what might motivate them to do X or Y when they're in that situation.

Well, you are right about that, but i just need something to give an overall purpose to the character. as i have to have a piece written about it, whether it is a poem, a cryptic message, a set of questions, something to give an idea of what im dealing with.

Twick · Mar 10, 2016

What do you mean this is not your work? You're taking the character from another writer?

morngnstar · Mar 10, 2016

Sunbreaker2 said:
It is supposed to be the God/star of the alien army but its power can still be wielded by humans.

So how does anyone, the aliens or humans, wield this power? Is it some magitechnical means, like the underlying principle of their weapons and/or machinery is the power of this god?

If this power is a god with a will, and not merely a mystical form of energy, then how is it that this god allows humans to access his power? Perhaps he has been the patron god of the aliens in the past, but he does not approve of the aliens wiping out or subjugating all other forms of life, so he lends his power to humans in order to maintain balance of power.

It seems like this being is a secondary character in your story, and the humans and aliens are the primary characters and their conflict is the primary story. As such, this star / god character is and does whatever he needs to to make the rest of your story work. Go from there, and then work backward to what his motivations might be.

Sunbreaker2 · Mar 10, 2016

Twick said:
What do you mean this is not your work? You're taking the character from another writer?

No that is not what i meant LOL, i mean this is not what i wrote, word for word, as this is not an excerpt or anything like that as i do not want to break the rules and put anything up for critic, it is just my concept.

Sunbreaker2 · Mar 10, 2016

morngnstar said:
So how does anyone, the aliens or humans, wield this power? Is it some magitechnical means, like the underlying principle of their weapons and/or machinery is the power of this god?

Actually you are very close to what i am writing, Sol, Light of Undying Suns, is actually the full name, the thing is actually something of both, it is a mystical energy but it stems from a being or star called Sol.

leifwright · Mar 10, 2016

Sunbreaker2 said:
Actually you are very close to what i am writing, Sol, Light of Undying Suns, is actually the full name, the thing is actually something of both, it is a mystical energy but it stems from a being or star called Sol.

I still think the power itself doesn't necessarily have to have a backstory. The humans or humanoids can be intensely curious about that, but that doesn't mean you have to reveal it to them. Especially if you're planning a series. It can be an overarching mystery throughout the entire series.

Sunbreaker2 · Mar 10, 2016

leifwright said:
I still think the power itself doesn't necessarily have to have a backstory. The humans or humanoids can be intensely curious about that, but that doesn't mean you have to reveal it to them. Especially if you're planning a series. It can be an overarching mystery throughout the entire series.

That is what i was going to do!
But, what i am trying to do is not write a total history, but maybe give it a purpose.
Like have you ever seen the grimoire cards in destiny? They are cool because they dont all have an
answer to a question, but they pose a question or an action that kind of serves the same
purpose as a backstory, when it is put together with a story plot it tells a story.
That is what i want to do, but i do not know how to go about it.

leifwright · Mar 10, 2016

Sunbreaker2 said:
That is what i was going to do!
But, what i am trying to do is not write a total history, but maybe give it a purpose.
Like have you ever seen the grimoire cards in destiny? They are cool because they dont all have an
answer to a question, but they pose a question or an action that kind of serves the same
purpose as a backstory, when it is put together with a story plot it tells a story.
That is what i want to do, but i do not know how to go about it.

Then I'd say you need to develop a mythology in your mind, at the very least. But it needs to be something you're both proud of and willing to (mostly) keep to yourself.

Since "Sol" is the name of our sun, I assume you're referring to it. What I would do is make the power non-sentient, yet transcendent of the need for sentience. In other words, it's so beyond us that it's not self-aware because it's beyond self-awareness.

It guides its followers and everything under its influence in a specific way, but not because it's trying to do so, or even aware that it's doing so. Its guidance, like the power it lends its devotees, is just an attribute of Sol, like the cloud of bacteria that follows each human around. They are completely dependent on the human, and their fates are explicitly tied to what the human does, but the human is completely unaware of them and indifferent to their individual needs, wants, desires or fates, even though all those things are wholly dependent on the human.

Sunbreaker2 · Mar 10, 2016

leifwright said:
Then I'd say you need to develop a mythology in your mind, at the very least. But it needs to be something you're both proud of and willing to (mostly) keep to yourself.

Since "Sol" is the name of our sun, I assume you're referring to it. What I would do is make the power non-sentient, yet transcendent of the need for sentience. In other words, it's so beyond us that it's not self-aware because it's beyond self-awareness.

It guides its followers and everything under its influence in a specific way, but not because it's trying to do so, or even aware that it's doing so. Its guidance, like the power it lends its devotees, is just an attribute of Sol, like the cloud of bacteria that follows each human around. They are completely dependent on the human, and their fates are explicitly tied to what the human does, but the human is completely unaware of them and indifferent to their individual needs, wants, desires or fates, even though all those things are wholly dependent on the human.

That sounds like an amazing idea, i think i will follow that advice, but how can someone become absorbed by it and in so doing they become transcendent?

MythMonger · Mar 10, 2016

Have you considered telling the backstory of your god through the people that have wielded its power? So the wielders' personalities and adventures become a substitute for actual knowledge about the god.

Maybe the wielders, in addition to the god's power, have some glimmer of insight about the god that they might share with others.

Piecing together the wielders' stories/legends could then lead to an overall perception of the god.

Sunbreaker2 · Mar 10, 2016

MythMonger said:
Have you considered telling the backstory of your god through the people that have wielded its power? So the wielders' personalities and adventures become a substitute for actual knowledge about the god.

Maybe the wielders, in addition to the god's power, have some glimmer of insight about the god that they might share with others.

Piecing together the wielders' stories/legends could then lead to an overall perception of the god.

Well, yes i have, and all i have come up with is the Visions of Ausiri, which is a small four part piece which i can't post here but it pretty much starts by asking an unknown person if Sol was a god or a star, and asking if it could transcend time or lend power. it then goes on to describe it as what sounds like a star. later it says Sol created a mystic fire from an energy known as the void, and that by bathing in its light, one can become immortal. in the last part it says to worship it and draw power from it and that a mysterious person called Ausir had already done it, and enabled future humans to wield it.

These contradictions were written by a scholar who received a vision after being exposed to the alien technology in a bad way, and wrote them down for others. I had written this a while back, i dont know if this is what you mean by insights, but i intend to write a piece from the perspective of Ausir himself using the advice you gave me.

MythMonger · Mar 10, 2016

Sunbreaker2 said:
Well, yes i have, and all i have come up with is the Visions of Ausiri, which is a small four part piece which i can't post here but it pretty much starts by asking an unknown person if Sol was a god or a star, and asking if it could transcend time or lend power. it then goes on to describe it as what sounds like a star. later it says Sol created a mystic fire from an energy known as the void, and that by bathing in its light, one can become immortal. in the last part it says to worship it and draw power from it and that a mysterious person called Ausir had already done it, and enabled future humans to wield it.

These contradictions were written by a scholar who received a vision after being exposed to the alien technology in a bad way, and wrote them down for others. I had written this a while back, i dont know if this is what you mean by insights, but i intend to write a piece from the perspective of Ausir himself using the advice you gave me.

It's a bit bigger than I was envisioning, but I have to admit that I'm more than a little lost in what you're trying to accomplish.

I was thinking about more subtle glimpses into Sol. For example, if the wielders suddenly find themselves wanting to do evil things, it could be understood that evil is a part of Sol's nature.

I tend to agree with leifwright, that a little mystery would be beneficial here.

I'm also assuming that Sol isn't the main character, but you'll have characters that wonder about Sol. For the story, it might be more important what your characters' perception of Sol is, rather than what Sol actually is.

Sunbreaker2 · Mar 10, 2016

MythMonger said:
It's a bit bigger than I was envisioning, but I have to admit that I'm more than a little lost in what you're trying to accomplish.

I was thinking about more subtle glimpses into Sol. For example, if the wielders suddenly find themselves wanting to do evil things, it could be understood that evil is a part of Sol's nature.

I tend to agree with leifwright, that a little mystery would be beneficial here.

I'm also assuming that Sol isn't the main character, but you'll have characters that wonder about Sol. For the story, it might be more important what your characters' perception of Sol is, rather than what Sol actually is.

Oh, i get it now, and i am sorry i confused you, i really appreciate the help! What i mean is this, In the story, i am trying to make it part science fiction, and part fantasy, in the fantasy, i am trying to give
the aliens or the humans, a being of mystery. Kinda like the domain in halo, or the force in star wars. But i decided to call
the power or the being, Sol. So in some way the aliens are descendants of Sol. It may be an ancient alien god or might literally be a sun. ( this is what i need help deciding in terms of which it will be for good story reasons)

Future location/ ruins will contain the secret and power revelations, but for now, Sol is the central power of the aliens, allowing them to channel energy, and also to transcend time. it can be called upon by humans in an unknown way and reason at least for now. what i am trying to figure out is, should it be a god, and if so how? or is it a star, and if so what significance does it hold to the aliens or humans? since i cant figure it out i though i would come to you guys who might be able to see things i am missing, and i still believe it!

P.S what would you write if it was your story?
Thanks everyone!

zanzjan · Mar 10, 2016

Sunbreaker2: I have already bumped one thread of yours over to the Brainstorming Sandbox; this is another one that should probably either be there or in Basic Writing Questions. Perhaps take a few minutes to go look at those rooms and read the stickys. The SFF room is more for discussing larger issues of writing in the genre, or specific issues that are potentially relevant to multiple authors.

Thanks,

-zanz, mod

Sunbreaker2 · Mar 10, 2016

zanzjan said:
Sunbreaker2: I have already bumped one thread of yours over to the Brainstorming Sandbox; this is another one that should probably either be there or in Basic Writing Questions. Perhaps take a few minutes to go look at those rooms and read the stickys. The SFF room is more for discussing larger issues of writing in the genre, or specific issues that are potentially relevant to multiple authors.
Thanks,
-zanz, mod

Hi, i am sorry if this is in the wrong place, have not heard of these areas nor seen them, but i will definitely look for them.
Thank you!

Sunbreaker2 · Mar 10, 2016

I think i found it...i think...Hello everyone! :hi:

Sunbreaker2 · Mar 10, 2016

Like, i had intended to also include a name of something else, it is called The Undying Suns, I am trying to figure out if it should be a star cluster that birthed Sol, or maybe the name of the race of gods, perhaps even like a burning forge or a power source?

7luckyclovers · Apr 22, 2016

leifwright said:
Is it absolutely necessary that it have a backstory?

A being of pure energy or other unknowable power could be much more riveting if its motivations and history are unknown. Describe its actions, but then realize it's too far beyond the people it's affecting to care if they understand why it's doing what it's doing.

Think of God in the Bible. Moses asked where he came from (or something very similar), and God simply answered, "I am that I am." In other words, "none of your business."

God has absolutely no backstory.

As far as what it actually is, again, look at the God metaphor. What is God? No. Idea. And the Bible (the novel about God, if you will), feels no need to explain what exactly God is.

That is the most brilliant thing I've ever read.

JGRouse · Apr 23, 2016

I am not sure to real motivations of such a being/force could be properly personified or should be. I am not sure about the role of this being, but I would describe it through the character's POV. Let them define it, and maybe the actions of this being through your novel will contradict the presumptions. This way the character can "change" without changing it's "I AM" status.

How to develop character history and backstory?

Sunbreaker2

leifwright

Mired in the miry mire.

dirtsider

Not so new, really

Sunbreaker2

Richard White

Stealthy Plot Bunny Peddler

Sunbreaker2

Sunbreaker2

Twick

morngnstar

Sunbreaker2

Sunbreaker2

leifwright

Mired in the miry mire.

Sunbreaker2

leifwright

Mired in the miry mire.

Sunbreaker2

MythMonger

Willing to Learn

Sunbreaker2

MythMonger

Willing to Learn

Sunbreaker2

zanzjan

killin' all teh werds

Sunbreaker2

Sunbreaker2

Sunbreaker2

7luckyclovers

Lost somewhere in my mind

JGRouse