#writing backstory | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

writingwithfolklore · 4 months

Text

Backstory is Revealed When You Need It, Not Before

Recently I shared my first 30 pages with my writing mentor, and now I'm sharing her advice with all of you (This is part 2! Find part 1 here). She told me my beginning read very slowly because I was giving backstory before it was relevant in the story, rather than intertwining it with the action.

What I mean by that is, I was giving a lot of exposition on my world just through my character noting it to herself. I worried that if I didn’t lay down the basics right away, when I did mention it later it would come as a bad shock to readers.

While that might have a logic to it, it's very slow to read just exposition on the world. To get these details through naturally and when they're relevant, while still conveying them in the beginning, we needed to create a conflict for my main character to react to right away.

This way, I could spend the first couple pages revealing the essentials of my world and main character without halting the pacing to a stop.

Okay, consider these two examples:

Character A avoided the alleyways as they travelled to the store. The city was overrun by gangs who liked to lurk in their dark corners, jumping out at unaware passerby’s for coin or favours.

Vs.

The back of Character A’s neck prickled as they passed an alleyway that swallowed all light. They were steps away when they heard a raspy voice, “don’t you know you gotta pay the fee to pass through our turf?”

How this character resolves this conflict will betray who they are as a person. Do they cower? Do they fight back? Do they reveal they have connections to another gang, or the police?

This little conflict, as well as establishing a vital part of your world and character, should in some small way connect to the bigger conflict up ahead, aka the inciting incident.

In this example, this specific gang would probably be where the main antagonist is from—or the consequences of how they deal with this follow them into the inciting incident in some way.

Backstory only when it’s most relevant, not to anticipate when it will be important later.

Good luck!

#writing #creative writing #writers #screenwriting #writing community #writing inspiration #filmmaking #books #film #writing advice #writing backstory #backstory #exposition #writing exposition #backstory when you need it not before

876 notes · View notes

authorkarajorgensen · 1 year

Text

How I Develop Characters

This week's post is a practical how-to on how I flesh out my characters into people who feel real. Click the link to learn more!

As I mentioned a few blog posts back, I asked around on Twitter if there was anything anyone wanted me to write about on my blog (PS- hit me up in the comments if you have ideas), and one of my Twitter peeps asked if I ever use character sheets and if so, how detailed are they. Today’s post will be about how I develop my main characters. To answer the question very succinctly before I run…

View On WordPress

#backstory #character development #character driven #characterization #characters #how to build a main character #writing #writing backstory #writing characters

10 notes · View notes

thelandswemadeofpaper · 2 years

Text

Good to Evil

Evil Former Friend

Broken Bird

Fallen Hero

Fallen Angel

Deceptive Disciple

Rival Turned Evil/Rival Final Boss

Revenge Through Corruption

Minion Manipulated into Villainy

Les Collaborateurs

Corrupt Church (or any Former Good Organization/group)

Then Let Me Be Evil

More than Mind Control/Not Brainwashed

Being Tortured Makes You Evil

Create Your Own Villain

The Corruption

With Great Power Comes Great Insanity (Abilities? Experiment? Object? Political Power?)

A More 'Mystical' Reason? Reincarnation? Magical Sickness or Injury? Dark Corruption? Vessel? 'Magical' Position? Transformation? Supernatural Deal?

Drunk on the Dark Side

Became Their Own Antithesis

Despair Event Horizon

Love Makes You Evil (Obssession? Betrayed? Rejected? Seduced by the Dark Side? Lost Lenore?)

Go Mad from the Revelation (the opposite variation is a reveal that makes the villain help you or turn sides)

A Pupil of Mine Until He Turned to Evil

Temporarily a Villain

Knight Templar

Peer Pressure Makes You Evil

He Who Fights Monsters

Hidden Villain Reveal

In Between

Neutral No Longer

True Colors

Heel Realization

Going Native

Moral Pragmatist

Falsely Reformed Villain

Came Back Wrong

Becoming the Mask

Well-Intentioned Extremist

Face/Heel Double-Turn

Literal Change of Heart

Ignorant Minion

Rivals Team-Up

Post-Mortem Conversion

Reforged into a Minion

Forced Transformation

Brainwashed and Crazy

Face–Monster Turn

Heel–Face Brainwashing

Freak Out

Madness

Fake Defector

Predator Turned Protector

Amnesiac Villain Joins the Heroes

The person has Heel/Face Turn and their friend follow.

Creating your Own Rival (this one is Intentional. For a thrill seeker? death seeker?)

A Manipulative Bastard 'turns' one Hero character into a 'Villain', giving him a excuse to kill/betray/use/usurp said Hero or convince other people to do so.

Forced into Evil/Trapped in Villainy (maybe you are in a faction since childhood, its a family things or you are just a soldier).

Antagonists that are too young, pawns most likely manipulated against the Heroes.

Good all Along/Not Evil, just Misunderstud (the villain had a good reason to rebel? They are just pretending to be the enemy? The ghost/monster/mysterious or divine being was secretely helping or trying to help? Working with the Evil Empire because of self-preservation? Some situation like Te Fiti? Or even Wei Wuxian?)

I love when there a 'Evil Folk/Race' and the hero character ends up spending time with them and finds out its bullshit and they are good (not perfect, sure) people. How? Infiltration? They saved him? Or can just be a 'Evil' Person, you were send to kill him maybe? Then him/her decided to adopt you into their found family. And reveal because you were most likely hidding you identity. Or one of the Hero Team was one all the time.

And now needs to convince the people they aren't bad?

Changelings in MLP, HTTYD's Dragons, Wildlings in Asoiaf are good examples

Related Tropes

Army of Child Soldiers

Bring Them Around

Pretends to be Evil/Good all Along

Neutrality Backlash

Identity Breakdown

Tomato in the Mirror

Morality Pet

Redemption Rejection

Rejected Apology

Villain Decay

Heel–Face Door-Slam

Hazy-Feel Turn

Heel–Face Revolving Door

Villain with Good Publicity/Hero with Bad Publicity

My Master, Right or Wrong

Blind Loyalty

Second Chance

Villain Has a Point

Freudian Excuse

Hidden Heart of Gold

Misery Builds Character

Cynicism Catalyst

Pretend to Be Brainwashed

Bootlicker (can be friendly, romantic or servant, change sides as long it suits him, generally joins the winning side)

The child of a enemy begin given a second change to prove themselves good and to not be killed.

Evil to Good

The Atoner

Love Redeems

Conspiracy Redemption

Evil Redeemed in a Can

Face Realization

Befriending the Enemy

Break the Haughty

Create Your Own Hero

Copied the Morals, Too

Heel–Face Return

Heel–Face Town

Mook–Face Turn

Heel–Face Reincarnation

Heel–Race Turn

Power of Trust

Redemption Equals Affliction

Redemption Equals Death/Death Equals Redemption/Redemption Earns Life

Redemption Quest

Siding with the Suffering

Deliver Us from Evil

Heritage Face Turn

"They Still Belong to Us" Lecture

Trauma Conga Line

Defeat Means Respect

Your Tradition Is Not Mine

Sudden Principled Stand

Reformed Criminal/Former Villain

Reformed, but Not Tamed

#tropes #writing tropes #writing #my writing #writing story #writing characters #story plot #writing plot #writing ideas #story writing #plot inspiration #plot ideas #writing backstory #writing origins #grey characters #heel face turn #face heel turn

8 notes · View notes

saraswritingtipps · 6 months

Text

Exploring Character Backstory

1. Start with the essentials: Begin by outlining the basic information about your character's past, such as their family background, upbringing, education, and early experiences. Consider their cultural, social, and economic background, as these factors can shape their worldview and values.

2. Identify key events and milestones: Determine significant events or milestones in your character's life that have had a profound impact on them. These could include positive or negative experiences, such as the loss of a loved one, a major achievement, a traumatic incident, or a life-changing decision. These events help shape your character's personality, fears, and aspirations.

3. Examine formative relationships: Explore the relationships your character has had with their family, friends, mentors, or romantic partners. How have these relationships influenced them? What role models or influences have shaped their values, beliefs, and behavior? Relationships can provide insight into your character's vulnerabilities, strengths, and emotional attachments.

4. Dig into their beliefs and values: Understand what your character believes in and values. Examine their moral compass, political views, religious beliefs, or philosophical outlook. Consider how their beliefs might clash or align with the conflicts they encounter in the story. This will create depth and authenticity in their character development.

5. Uncover secrets and hidden aspects: Delve into your character's secrets, hidden desires, or aspects of their past that they prefer to keep hidden. Secrets can create internal conflicts, fuel character growth, and add intrigue to the story. They can also reveal vulnerabilities or flaws that make your character more relatable and complex.

6. Consider the impact of societal factors: Explore how societal factors such as gender, race, class, or historical context have influenced your character's experiences and identity. These factors can shape their struggles, opportunities, and perspectives. Understanding the societal context in which your character exists adds layers of depth to their backstory.

7. Connect the backstory to the main story: Once you have explored the character's backstory, identify how it relates to the main story. Determine how their past experiences, relationships, or traumas influence their present motivations, conflicts, and goals. This connection will ensure that the backstory serves a purpose in the narrative and contributes to the character's growth.

8. Use backstory selectively: While backstory is essential for understanding your character, avoid excessive exposition or information dumping. Introduce elements of the backstory gradually, through dialogue, memories, or subtle hints. This helps maintain reader interest and allows the character's past to unfold organically throughout the story.

Remember, not all aspects of the character's backstory need to be explicitly mentioned in the narrative. It's important to choose and reveal elements that have the most significant impact on the character's present circumstances and development.

#writing #writer on tumblr #writerscommunity #writing tips #character development #writer tumblr #writblr #writing advice #oc character #writing help #character backstory

5K notes · View notes

cjjasp · 1 year

Text

Characterization part 4 – Doling out the Backstory #amwriting

Every story has a past, a present, and hopefully, a future. The past shapes what we know as the here and now. The past also gives history to our characters, so when they first step onto the page, they are formed in the author’s mind and ready to begin their journey. Every writer knows the backstory is what tells us who the characters are as people and why they’re the way they are. At the…

View On WordPress

#writetip #bloated exposition #how to write backstory #writing #writing backstory

0 notes

3hks · 1 month

Text

Substitutes For "Dead Parents"

Okay you guys! I mentioned this in a past post, but when it comes to family, some of ya'll are just... not creative. And don't get me wrong, having deceased parents is deep, dark, and hard, but at this point, a lot of readers simply overlook that because it's just that common. Not to mention, a lot of you guys aren't doing nearly enough with that information! So, for this post, I'll give some new examples relating to "family struggles!"

>> Neglect: Neglectful parents often don't give their child enough attention, time, or care. They don't always hate their kid; quite the opposite, really, they can still love their offspring and are simply unaware that they are being neglectful. This happens for a multitude of reasons: all their attention is focused on a different child, they're busy, or they're just uninterested in their kid's activities.

>> Abuse: Abuse is rather straightforward; it can be physical, mental, or even both. Even if it's only physical abuse, it can heavily damage the child's mental health and make them question their self-worth.

>> Fighting: I think that a lot of us have endured our parents fighting, and I'm fully confident that none of us enjoyed it. It's incredibly difficult for a kid to listen to their parents fight without knowing how to stop it, being stuck in the middle, and even worse, being the center of the argument. As it escalates, the child may even feel neglected, because their parents are only focused on each other.

>> Absence: Like neglect, these parents don't devote nearly enough attention and time to their child. However, this is because they are hardly present in the household to begin with. Normally, it's their career that keeps them away, leaving their kid to raise themselves.

>> Controlling: Oftentimes, controlling parents are found in, believe it or not, more successful households. Kids who have parents that own a successful business or are powerful in general are sometimes raised to follow those footsteps regardless if they want to or not. If they don't want to, as a result, they are kept on a tight leash. Controlling parents can also be found in stricter households.

>> Toxicity: Toxicity, a form of emotional abuse, can come in many forms, gaslighting, demeaning words, constant criticism, comparison, etc. Frequently, the child is unaware that their parents are being toxic until a third party points it out to them. This is because they've only known their parents acting in toxic manners; thus, it becomes their norm. However, it's also entirely possible for the parent to be oblivious to the fact that they're being toxic.

>> Distant: Being distant doesn't always have to be because of some crazy reason; they might've been a very happy and close family once, but as time passes on, they just simply start drifting in their separate ways. It's not the same as neglect or an absence; the child is usually able to adjust to it easier, and it might've even been their choice to be distanced from their parents.

>> Child Responsibility: This is a scenario where the kid acts more like a parental figure--they have to take care of both themselves and their family. In some situations, they also have to work in order to supply their family with enough money to be able to pay for life necessities. This normally happens when a/the parent(s) are out of commission and struggle to provide for their family. If the household is poor, the child might be working alongside their parents in an attempt to make their lives easier.

Did I miss anything? Let me know what you guys think about these substitutes!

Happy writing~

3hks :D

#writing #writeblr #writerscommunity #writing tips #creative writing #writing inspo #writing backstories #backstories prompt #substitutes for dead parents #writing family struggles #family struggles prompts #writing advice #prompts for family issues #writing family issues #family issues prompts #prompts for family struggles

2K notes · View notes

mariannedonley · 1 year

Text

Those Who Forget the Past: Using Backstory to Enhance Your Novel

In Those Who Forget History: Using Backstory to Enhance Your Novel, students will examine how to use backstory effectively to enhance their stories using elements of a character’s past.

Presented by: Cynthia Owens Date: February 1 – 28, 2023 (one month) Registration Closes: February 15, 2023 Pricing: A2P Member fee: $20 Non-A2P Member fee: $30 About the Workshop: In Those Who Forget History: Using Backstory to Enhance Your Novel, students will examine how to use backstory effectively to enhance their stories using elements of a character’s past. We will cover:• What is…

View On WordPress

#Aged to Perfection Online Class #Cynthia Owens #Online Class #Writing Backstory

0 notes

jvlianbashir · 1 month

Text

"the creator said in a reddit thread -" "the official twitter account posted that -" "the actors confirmed in a livestream that -"

i don't care and that's not real to me. put it in the text.

#for fun stuff like 'this character's favorite food is meatballs' im like cool but for worldbuilding and stuff? nah #i do understand some nuance with writers or w/e who were held back by corporate teams on confirming a character is gay or something #and wanting to talk about their hopes and intentions #but this is rly about the opposite with creative teams wanting the points for diversity or plot choices #or world building without putting it in the actual story #esp if its bc they just didn't want to piss off bigots or can't write well #sw giving backstory on the sith fleet situation in a TWEET will always be infamous to me #not st #doctor's log

1K notes · View notes

taohs · 9 months

Text

(some) Balalaika moments that lives in my head rent free

3K notes · View notes

poorly-drawn-mdzs · 5 months

Text

Gaslight, Gatekeep, Girl found dead in a hidden room.

[First] Prev <–-> Next

#poorly drawn mdzs #mdzs #lan xichen #jin guangyao #jiang cheng #wei wuxian #qin su #EDIT: Tumblr published an earlier draft with only half the notes I wrote so: late entry on my JGY thoughts.#Unlike the mystic powers of the stockmarket (what the OG meme is referring to) I think this situation calls for more active investigation.#qin su is such a deeply tragic character to me and I really wish we got a bit more from her.#Love everyone who sent me messages about her after the last time she appeared.#I think she needs a spin off of her being a transmigrator SO badly.#MDZS has so many interesting characters - but it sometimes fails to give them the proper room to really develop past a role in the plot.#That's just the consequence of writing a story like MDZS. Not every character in a book *needs* to have a rich inner life and backstory!#To do so would bog down the story and obliterate any notion of pacing. It's just not possible.#Jin Guangyao (nee Meng Yao) is unfortunately not free from this leeway rule. He is the culprit of this murder mystery plot #and thus NEEDS to encapsulate the themes of the book. And personally he's a 7 out of 10 at best on this front (in the AD).#MDZS is about rumours twisting reality and working towards truth. And about how people & situations are rarely ever black & white #JGY has his motivations. He's well written in regards to his actions making sense for his character.#What started as good traits (drive to succeed & improve his image) became twisted over time (do anything to maintain his image)#and it's a good parallel to WWX! He has the same arc (with different traits)! Bonus points for IGY in that regard.#but man....by the time we confront this guy for murder there's not a lot of grey morality. He's just...deep in the hole *he* dug.#There's a beautiful tragedy to it! More on JGY in later comics - this is getting pretty long already!

1K notes · View notes

runningwithscizzorz · 18 days

Text

Sacrifice of the flesh for freedom in the spirit

“M-May venom strike the evil from my broken heart, may a flood wash away my sins, may fire scald the demons in my skin. O, only in Death am I free…. I’m sorry, Umm, I’m so sorry…”

Incase y’all can’t read cursive

#liseysart #haha please don’t hurt me guys #fun fact: I don’t actually like giving my characters tragic backstories #writing Nour with this story is legit making me sad haha #illustration #cotl fanart #cotl lamb #cotl

517 notes · View notes

crabsnpersimmons · 3 months

Text

Y'all liked raincoat chibi!DCA, well it's been snowing a lot in my neighbourhood recently, which means it's time for...

Winter coat chibi!DCA

Expectation:

Reality:

#fnaf sun #fnaf moon #fnaf dca #dca fandom #traditional art #this au is just me putting chibi sun and moon in different outfits and sending them out to play #this began when I was out driving for work #and I saw a parent and toddler crossing the street #the toddler looked like a waddling little star with this pointy pom pom hat #and my brain just went “waddling winter stars sun and moon”#crab art #actually I've been thinking about an underlying plot for this au #yes there's a sad backstory #my writing muse already got to them #but afterwards it's all slice of life playtime shenanigans #it's also got a name!#I'm calling it the Rain or Shine AU #Rain or Shine AU

715 notes · View notes

shywhumpauthor · 8 months

Text

A Whumper with fire powers branding their Whumpee not just with their name or initials, but their handprints.

Two palms scarred against either side of Whumpee’s neck, fingers wrapping around their throat in a collar that can never be removed. Hands on their sides, just below their broken ribs, a touch that will never relent. Fingers wrapped around their wrists in shackles that won’t be unlocked. A handprint against their face, cupping their cheek that had already suffered so many punches. The small of their back. A single hand just between their shoulder blades. Dragging down their thighs.

Just. Branded handprints.

1K notes · View notes

writersexchangeepublishing · 2 years

Text

3D Fiction Fundamentals Collection, Volume 5: Three-Dimensional Fiction Writing by Karen S. Wiesner

Craft a story so lifelike, you actually feel like you can step into the world beyond the pages! You know it when you read it: In page after page and scene after scene, a truly engrossing story has qualities that set it apart. Authentic characters, a well-rounded plot, and immersive settings work in harmony to create a three-dimensional experience–one you can practically step inside and explore.…

View On WordPress

#howtowritebook #nonfictionbooks #referencebook #writingreference #bookblogger #books #Improve your writing #NonFiction #on writing well #reading #WritersExchangeEPublishing #writing backstory #Writing Fiction Books #writing help book #writing reference books #Writing Skills book #writing tips for novels

1 note · View note

triona-tribblescore · 9 months

Text

And so it begins...

Character ref sheets:

#FIRST LITTLE PART OF MY ROTTMNT PIRATE AU #Gotta have a lil backstory first no? ;)#and a hint of world building #Im not used to drawing comics ...#or writing...#so....sorry ;w;#excited for the ofmd refs to come in #ofmd x rottmnt #ANLFM #rottmnt lou jitsu #Rottmnt leo #rottmnt usagi #rottmnt au #rottmnt big mama #leosagi #tribbleart #anlfm

1K notes · View notes

little-pondhead · 1 year

Text

I forgot about this.

The whole reasoning behind the Supervillain Danny AU sketches was that his villain persona was the complete opposite of his normal, sane self and hero persona. Danny plays into the Fenton name really hard, and ramps up the “mad scientist” bit, taking inspiration from both his normal civilian life and his parents, thus using just his last name as a villain.

And then I wanted to add what Sam and Tucker might look like if they joined in on his shenanigans. To keep with the “opposite of their normal life” bit, let’s throw in some ghostly artifacts that help the two keep up with Fenton’s madness.

Sam would get an angel’s halo that helps her form ghostly wings, and she’d play into the good-two shoes angelic look, and then she opens her mouth and verbally assaults you. She pins her bangs back and wears clothes that better fit a celestial aesthetic and uses all the etiquette training her parents taught her. Manson looks like some sort of regal angel and people expect her to be the nicest out of all of them. She’s not. Manson is the sneakiest and most bloodthirsty one, and heroes regularly wonder if she has actually committed murder or not.

Tucker takes inspiration from his time as a pharaoh. He has a metal postiche that enhances his physical ability. (Maybe it gives him dreadlocks too, but I like to think Tucker is just wearing a whole ass wig.) He wears a strange mix of street wear and his pharaoh outfit, and throws his tech-obsessed self out the window. Fenton is the nerdy one here, so now Foley is the muscle. Foley plays up meathead American bully stereotype hard. He delights in throwing hands, and hunts down supers just for the sake of a fun spar. (For him not for the supers.) Foley’s favorite people to fight so far is Killer Croc and Superman. Heroes are concerned about what would happen if Foley fought for real, but then they saw what he did to the Joker “as a joke” and decided not to ask any more questions.

Basically, the trio looked at their civilian lives and picked out what they considered “villainous traits” from the people around them that they then played into as villains themselves. If that makes sense. Sam hates how her parents want a perfect child, so she makes herself look like one. She speaks in backhanded comments and has a snooty attitude, which she learned from other rich people. Tucker is constantly confronted by bullies everyday, and all the rogues that come to Amity are always fighting, so that’s what he decides to mimic. Yeah, he now gets to be the big and strong protector of the group, but all his experience with fighting have been bad ones, and that reflects in his style. And finally, Danny. Why does he take after his parents and play into the family name? Because the Fentons are one of the biggest obstacles and source of anxiety in his life. Danny associates mad scientists to pain and other bad things, so even if all he’s being helpful in a really annoying way as a villain, his parents and the threat of the GIW still influence how he presents himself. Because to Danny, those two things are far more scary than a kid with a pirate ship or a man wearing a bat fursuit.

3K notes · View notes