How To Write A Powerful Backstory | For Manga, Comics & Light Novel

Learn how to write a powerful and compelling backstory in your manga, comic or novel in today's video with Midnight Cross. Backstory is one of the most important aspects to writing brilliant characters, and in order to make your characters important and meaningful in the current moments of your book, their backstory needs to give them that reason behind their actions. Let's dive deep into the writing process together, and talk about how you can bring your character's story to life.
0:00 How To Write A Powerful Backstory Intro
0:54 Consider The Reason For Your Character's Most Prominent Traits
1:56 Dividing Your Character's Life Into Stages
3:12 Using Backstory To Make Goals More Important
4:14 Linking Senses To Your Character's Memories
5:30 How Their Childhood Affects Who They Are Now
6:15 Reveal How Backstory Affects Their Decision Making
6:52 Use Backstory To Show Their Perception Of The World
7:53 Revealing Backstory That Is Important To The Book
8:53 Slow Reveal Backstory Over The Story
10:20 Match Backstory Tone To The Tone Of The Book
12:20 Develop A Personal Goal From The Backstory
12:52 Show How Backstory Has Developed Their Personality
13:23 Show How Your Character Has Changed
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[@tjf42193]

The protagonist of my light novel although has a positive outlook on life and it hugely creative person always making music and diving head first into his work has a bit of a rocky early life in the sense his mother died when he was 7 do to a car crash and his father left his two boys and because of it the protagonist very much tries to not get to attached to people and when he does it makes him very protective of the people he attached to .

[@Goteireio1701]

I been trying to come up with a back story for each member of this antagonist group I created, thanks to this video now I have an idea of what I should consider when writing a back story🙂🙂

[@bell3409]

Same here! I’m working on my story that involves teenagers ranging from ages 14-19 disappearing after my story’s villain purposely blows up different part in Shinjuku, Tokyo to draw out subjects to experiment on, but of course there’s a lot of confusion with that like , “why was it necessary to blow up those parts of the city” or “why is the villain experimenting on teenagers”, this video really help me straighten these problems in my story

[@Goteireio1701]

@@bell3409 keep up the good work 🔥

[@midnightXcross]

Thank you! I am so grateful that my video helped 😊

[@midnightXcross]

@@bell3409 Thank you so much! 😊 I hope your story goes well

[@MsArtGarden]

Back stories are hard for me to include in the actual stories. I develop them and then I just start to exposition dump them and it starts to drag and make it boring so then I'm like, they'll be a mystery haha. These were super helpful, thanks!

[@calebrobinson7965]

I gave my main villain a really strong backstory.i sometimes feels like he should be the main character in the series. what do you think?

[@midnightXcross]

I think that's up to you. It can make a story very interesting when a villain is the main character, so if you feel like that is the best decision to make for your book, then it can definitely work. 😊

[@calebrobinson7965]

@@midnightXcross thanks you 👍🏾

[@ShadowRavencroft]

I am writing a novel. I usually come up with the character's basic things, like role in the story and description, and I come up with the backstory in the moment, like as I am writing the scene. A few characters however, I came up with the backstories in the planning stages.

[@midnightXcross]

@@ShadowRavencroft That's a really interesting way of doing it! I sometimes like to write that way too 😊

[@RavynUnderscoreArtYT]

You never really see any tv shows, movies, books, or games where the main character is the villain. I think it would be an amazing concept to see!

[@oswell_draws]

Thank you for taking your time helping us create our own worlds. Not a lot of people are doing this but you keep on helping each and every one of us, for that I just wanna say I appreciate it so much😁

[@midnightXcross]

Thank you so much 😊

[@anniefarrell9907]

Yes! really great tips! had to save this vid for future reference. great job!

[@midnightXcross]

Thank you so much! 😊

[@zekmann]

Awesome video, This helped me a lot. You’re the most useful channel I’ve found yet! I’ve been looking for a manga guide youtuber but they’re all non reliable or too complicated. Subscribed :)

[@midnightXcross]

Thank you so much!! I'm very happy to hear that you enjoyed the video 😊

[@littlesquishy3195]

Another great video Midnight X Cross! Keep it up! 😁👍👍

[@midnightXcross]

Thank you so much!! 😊

[@ssjgarfield]

Great video as always. When developing "Mikon no Mirai", one of the female main characters named Ina Isakaru has half of her face covered with a large bang to hide a cybernetic eye and facial disfigurement due to getting a nasty and life threatening burn wound that costed her eye and about a quarter of her face. She sustained the injury when a small splotch of lava hit her face during a freak volcanic eruption when she was only five years old when she was on a family picnic. Despite surviving that ordeal and years of mental help, she is still sensitive about that part of her face and is only willing to show that part of her face to her family and the closest friends.

[@midnightXcross]

Thank you so much! 😊 It sounds like Ina had to go through a lot of difficult expriences. That type of backstory would definitely help to build her up as a character. I look forward to reading more about her in your story!

[@staticsgvisa7079]

You help me alot with my story thank you

[@staticsgvisa7079]

It's called velocity

[@harryblack460]

This video is spot on💀 I'm creating a Manga 💀 I've reached a point to give my main character a background story💀 this video just made my ideas to be more effective. For my main antagonists. I have a strong vision about their background story. Thanks for the information 🔥

[@midnightXcross]

I am so happy that this video helped you! I love writing backstories. I hope your story goes well, and I wish you all the best! 😊

[@cedricburkhart3738]

My chaotic backstory I Ey thoughts made it hard to pay attention to this. I'm totally going to listen to it later.🙂

[@midnightXcross]

Thank you!! 😊

[@ItsShaz1]

😊

[@greyonyt]

Amazing video super useful as always. I have my story planned out but to understand it i really need to give context through backstory so the reader understands the way mc acts and is personality wise. So how do I introduce the backstory without overriding the main plot? Do I introduce it in key events spread out the whole book? Or do I start the story right away at a previous stage of the mc´s life? (i feel this last option is bad cause it will easily fail to catch the readers attention in the 1st chapter, leading to the book flopping hard)

[@midnightXcross]

Thank you! 😊 I think it's best to reveal backstory slowly through the book, through your characters memories. This is also dependent on the POV of your story (if you're writing a novel especially). In first person, you might have your character see something or do something that triggers a memory of their past. In a third person perspective book, your character might tell one of the other characters about events in their backstory, or another character who knows the truth might reveal something to them. I recommend writing down the most important aspects of your character's backstory, and find a way to weave it into the story and slowly reveal it throughout.

[@greyonyt]

@@midnightXcross thank you so much for your insight, and for taking the time to answer my comment i really do appreciate it. I wrote everything down. Looking forward for more content, it's always top notch! :)

[@arnavwagh9410]

Can you please make a video on character development please

[@midnightXcross]

No problem 😊

[@emilioprado5513]

I been working on a new one and I did a power backstory and I also have another question how do I make the characters feel real or almost realistic. Even tho it is set in a futuristic city with giant robots and reptiles monsters I do wanna make the world feel real and the characters.

[@cedricburkhart3738]

I made up a bak story in wich a knight was very much in love with a beautiful lady and she loved him back. The problem that unraveled the relationship was that a dragon was killing peasants and any night that dared face it. So the knight of whom this story is about road out to face it. He was victorious but he was badly burned especially his face. When he saw his face and saw how disfigured he was he broke off all contact with the lady he loved and because a reckless and fierce warrior never removing his helmet when around others. He became known as the iron faced man.

[@marchere_69]

Who's the girl in the thumbnail? I might watch the anime so as to grasp some great inspiration :D Thank you Midnight! Your videos are very helpful! :DDD looking forward to new videos!

[@midnightXcross]

I believe she is Makima from Chainsaw Man. Also, thank you!! I'm happy you enjoyed the video 😊

[@marchere_69]

@@midnightXcross :)))

[@Lilas.Duveteux]

One of my characters, who's the main character's father, has an interesting mixt of personality traits: stoic, cold, callous, emotionally unavailable, a workaholic, deeply religious, intelligent, erudite and with a certain degree of recklessness. Coming from an executioner family and losing his father at a young age, he was made to witness horrific things at a very young age. At age 20, he was already an experienced killer and he lost the love of his life and the mother of his two eldest children. He, throught his lifetime, had been on all the sides of torture (witness, inflictor and sometimes on the receiving end). He uses religion, work and science to keep whatever he can of his morality and sanity, and at the same time, wants to be useful to his community by being a charity doctor. That doesn't stop him from being dangerously callous to the point of occasional cruelty. By the age of thirdy five, he had witnessed and practiced most forms of execution, been subjected to life-threatening ostracism, was stress positioned, fathered seven children with more to come and tortured countless people. With so many people dependent on him and his brutal profession, he cannot afford to be soft. His character life stages would be: -The innocent (0-7) -The lil' helper (7-14) -Executioner in training, actively participating on the scaffold (14-20) -Young established father (20-22) -The glorious patriarch (22-35) -The paraplegic patriarch (35-60) In the current, stories, he's in the patriarch stages. At the beginning of the story, I plan to show him at the very top of his glory, before a heart attack left him half paralyzed. This paralysis changed him for the better as a person, no longer physically able to do his job, he could focus on more innocent tasks such as teaching his children how to recognize plants, read, write and be a cuddly grand-father figure, without completely loosing his creepy intimidation. No longer able to enforce brutal authority, he turns to much more innocuous means of giving his life meaning. He doesn't completely stop working towards dynastic glory, but let's say it doesn't take such a high priority anymore. This powerlessness gradually turned him into a much kinder person, which allows him for the first time in several decades, have close, warm connections. His mother was always manipulative and she wanted violent sons who were entirely devoted to her, which she perfectly achieved. He killed, tortured, used his second wife as a puppet, rejected his "true love's" memories and goals just for HER. When she died, even though he knew it would happen, he stayed deeply depressed and never quite as confident as he was before. His main goal seem to be the family glory, and he would use any means necessary to achieve it, because he was groomed all his life for that purpose only. He's a man who's vision of the world is very flickering and who's capable of extreme self-delusion as a coping mechanism. The story I am writing is not as much of a story as it is a series of events.

[@mu5314]

bruh!!

[@obitohernandez5417]

Have you thought about starting a pod cast, and just talk about writing, or a Spotify and just talk about writing and Manga topics?

[@midnightXcross]

I have thought about this! I might do it in the future. Thank you for your suggestion 😊

[@Daydream-247]

I write a character that have sad backstory. My English is not perfect . Its took place in the late 19th century where women Camilla was emotionally abused by her mother, controlled with how she dressed her, how she looked and the interactions with people, like she’s playing perfect doll, Camila confused and miserable thinking this is normal to be raised like that, she met Harry in school, Camila developed love interest in Harry. Her mother being to notice that Camila has changed and being to stalker her until she finds her someone is kissing her daughter, she stays silent and went home, whens she got home, she found her mother sleeping, thinking that she never sleeps early . Camila met Harry next day, this when her mother Mets him, she acted like she’s the good person, Camila surprised by her and doesn’t trust her at all, when she left him in pravite, Camila lied Harry about her mom that she is nice mom. When Camila finished her school, she married Harry and lived in their own house and after month of their marriage, Camila announced her pregnancy, people celebrated and congratulated on them “even” her mother. When her daughter was only six month old, her mother getting closer to Harry, Camila gets weird feeling about it until she noticed that she wants him more than her father, which she disgusting by her, got to the point she mad at her mother, but she threatened her by killing her husband and accused her the killer of the scene just like she killed her father, she thought that her father died due to drinking too much but she exposed herself, saying she poisoned her father with poison alcohol bc he cheated on her with her cousin. She have no choice but Camila argue with Harry and give daughter to him thinking she doesn’t need them anymore , Harry confused at her, Camila threatening him by killing her daughter and accused him the killer, Harry mad at her and walk away, Camila cries and mad at her mother, her mother slapped her thinking she wish never born, Camila slapped her back and wished she never called her mother, she had enough and decided to live by her own in ship bc her mother is living their house and kicked Harry out from his house. Harry went to live in small wood house on island where he raised before moving out to the city, raising her daughter with help from his friend.

[@mu5314]

Where is the Q&A video sensei😭😭😭

[@midnightXcross]

I plan on making a Q&A video within the next few weeks! 😊 Please leave any questions you have for that video in this comment section: kzbin.infoUgkx0vcn8YxNqPvUSqXFWb1S1AZCHQzj02mE

[@mu5314]

@@midnightXcross LET'S GOO‼️🔥🔥🔥

[@midnightgamingwithdarkstar2982]

I struggle with detailed backstories for my characters

[@midnightXcross]

The backstories are actually one of my favorite parts of the writing process! 😊

[@midnightgamingwithdarkstar2982]

@@midnightXcross mine are the intense fights. I'm writing a series inspired by MHA using OC'S fans give me permission to use. Already at 40 pages

[@RavynUnderscoreArtYT]

I agree writing (good) backstories is pretty challenging but what helps me is to make a vauge backstory with a few key points and then add little details to it. It is good to have backstories for all your characters (that need it)but you really only need to make complex backstories on your main characters.

[@avthendiarie9955]

Is back story about a girl trying end her life but a demon queen save her and girl because the demon queen future bride a powerful back story

[@midnightXcross]

I think that sounds really interesting! 😮

[@avthendiarie9955]

@@midnightXcross thanks