A Writer's Comprehensive Guide to Backstory (S16:E6)

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Welcome! I'm K.M. Weiland, the award-winning and internationally published author of acclaimed writing guides such as Structuring Your Novel and Creating Character Arcs. I mentor authors on story theory, technique, and all the wild and wonderful highs and lows of the writing life!
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Use this essential guide to backstory to share the history of your characters and story world with your audience at just the right moments.
Read transcript here: helpingwritersbecomeauthors.c...
TIMESTAMPS
What Is Backstory? 01:41
Backstory Creates Character Motivation 02:56
The Ghost in Your Character's Backstory 04:32
How Much Backstory Do You Need? 08:02
Three Methods to Convey Backstory
1. Sharing Backstory With the Backstory Drip 10:05
2. Sharing Backstory in a Prologue 14:21
3. Sharing Backstory in Flashbacks 15:52
The Single Most Important Rule About Backstory 19:41
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Backstory: The Importance of What Isn’t Told: www.helpingwritersbecomeautho...
Backstory Techniques: www.helpingwritersbecomeautho...
The Only Rule About Backstory That Matters: www.helpingwritersbecomeautho...
Your Character’s Ghost: www.helpingwritersbecomeautho...
What’s the Difference? Your Character’s Ghost vs. Wound vs. Lie vs. Weakness: www.helpingwritersbecomeautho...
Book - The Anatomy of Story by John Truby: www.amazon.com/dp/B0052Z3M8A
Book - Creating Character Arcs: kmweilandstore.com/b/bsmu1
How to Write Character Arcs: www.helpingwritersbecomeautho...
Most Common Writing Mistakes: Info Dumps: www.helpingwritersbecomeautho...
The Sneaky Secret Life of “As You Know, Bob…”: www.helpingwritersbecomeautho...
Find Out if Your Prologue Is Destroying Your Story’s Subtext: www.helpingwritersbecomeautho...
Most Common Writing Mistakes: Flabby Flashbacks: www.helpingwritersbecomeautho...
Video - How to Plan and Structure Multiple Plotlines in Your Stories: • How to Plan and Struct...
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Image Credit: State of Play (2009), Universal Pictures.
Video edited by Usvaldo de Leon, Jr.
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BOOKS
For more on archetypes, check out my book Writing Archetypal Character Arcs: www.helpingwritersbecomeautho...
For more on character arcs, check out my book Creating Character Arcs: www.helpingwritersbecomeautho...
For more on story and scene structure, check out my book Structuring Your Novel: www.helpingwritersbecomeautho...
For more on theme, check out my book Writing Your Story's Theme: www.helpingwritersbecomeautho...
WORKBOOKS
Outlining Your Novel Workbook: www.helpingwritersbecomeautho...
Structuring Your Novel Workbook: www.helpingwritersbecomeautho...
Creating Character Arcs Workbook: www.helpingwritersbecomeautho...
GUIDED MEDITATIONS
Archetypal Character Guided Meditations (previews): • Archetypal Characters ...
COURSE
Creating Character Arcs Course: kmweilandstore.com/b/mBoHK
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[@jeffj4440]

Excellent! Thank you!

[@sconchee]

Great!!!

[@AEmiliusLives]

Cool subject. I'm currently developing a fantasy thingy I want to do in animation. And it's the type of thing that feels like a small story set against a much bigger backdrop. I'm not having a lot of trouble coming up with the backstory, but it's difficult to pepper it all over the smaller story. I fear people will tell me they'd rather I told them THAT story instead of the one I'm telling, but I have to try. Haha.

[@andyclark3530]

Great job with the video and informative.

[@TheZetaKai]

Great video, as always, thank you. Question: How do go about revising after your first draft is complete? So many writing guides talk about outlining and drafting a first draft, but give little advice other than, "Do it again, but better." I'd like to know if you have any specific tips, tricks, and strategies for writing a second, third, or fourteenth draft. Also, thank you so much for boosting your audio. My only complaint about your videos is that they are often very quiet, even with my speakers at the max.

[@amitvasava5652]

After we have sufficiently excited the viewers about the backstory, what is the beat way to show it? I want my story to be very immersive would showing flashback break the continuity of the experience? But on the otherside would saying out the backstory by the character be impactful? What do you suggest. Thanks in advance.

[@amitvasava5652]

And great range of helpful videos. Thanks a ton.

[@KMWeilandAuthor]

@@amitvasava5652 Which technique is best for sharing backstory at any given moment will largely depend on the context. Check out this series I wrote, talking about the pros and cons of various backstory techniques: www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/prologues-vs-flashbacks/

[@amitvasava5652]

​@@KMWeilandAuthor Superb compilation. It's great to see you taking time from your own stuff and helping others.

[@amitvasava5652]

One more question... i have avoided all backstories despite the story having beginings in ancient India. However the story has to show the wounds of hero, love interest and the villain, without which their motivations and behaviors cant connect with the audience. However it can only come later in the story when the audience really want to know and when the characters really need to reveal the backstory wound. The problem is : before i get to reveal the sad backstory of the hero, his actions will not be justified in eyes of the audience and they will not care for him. Whats the way around such an issue of empathy towards the character

[@KMWeilandAuthor]

If not sympathetic, then characters should at least be *interesting* enough to captivate audiences even before backstory and motivation are explained. My recommendation would be to hold back on full backstory reveals until absolutely necessary, but just tease pertinent bits until that time.

[@amitvasava5652]

Wow. Tease is perfectly possible. Not the reason behind the behavior but at least the hint that there is something. The curiosity it generates is the bonus ! Thanks 😊