Everything a character does before the story begins is part of their backstory. The character’s back story defines the character, in the same way that a person’s life shapes them. Their experiences with their friends and family, their level of education, and any useful skills they’ve learned are important.
A thoroughly planned out backstory will work its way into the story without conscious effort on the writer’s part. However, as the writer the character’s backstories should be part of your world building. Some of it will evolve naturally over the course of the story.
For the first draft/planning stages focus on getting to know the characters. Write down at least ten things the reader won’t know about them. It might be something like “plays the ukulele” or “has a cat and is allergic to it.” The more, small details you know about the character the more richly you will write them.
A good backstory doesn’t just focus on the things the character is good at. It also brings in their character flaws, fears, and motivations. When there is an explanation for why a character behaves a certain way, the character feels more real.
Take each character trait and ask, “why are they like this?” If you can’t figure out why a character has a trait, throw them in a situation that it’s an asset and see what they say. Then throw them in a situation where the same trait is a liability and see what they do.
Some characters will have known each other before the events of the story. How they interact will be determined by their history. Each character can have their own unique relationship if you utilize an intertwined past.
Everyone has good and bad things in their past. While you’re creating your characters decide how much their history is going to control them. For some people, the past is a foreign country. For others it’s a constant companion. Two individuals can experience the same event and take away different opinions.
Every person views themselves as the hero of their own story. If there is a side character or supporting character who doesn’t have enough life, rewrite a few key scenes from that character’s perspective. If they are at odds with the protagonist giving them a chance to share their perspective will add another layer to what the conflict is truly about.
Good, bad, or indifferent; everyone has a past. Giving Characters a realistic history makes them more tangible in their present events. Knowing those events helps the writer connect to the story. The stronger the writer’s understanding of each character’s back story, the deeper the reader will be pulled into the world.
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