Is it bad if I sidetrack to a backstory that’s not really necessary but is interesting?
Asked by: Mike Kim
Is a backstory necessary?
Yes, as I’ve said before, backstory should play an integral role in your narrative. Short stories and novels without any kind of backstory will often leave readers unsatisfied. When all you do is focus on the current narrative and never delve into the history of your characters, the reader might feel cheated in a way.
When should you reveal backstory?
We should discover character backstory only when it’s natural and necessary. For example, I wrote a novella in which the main character is missing three fingers from his right hand. This detail is clearly established in the second scene, yet the reader doesn’t immediately know where his fingers went.
Does every main character need a backstory?
Not every character needs a backstory. Many minor characters in fiction only need to appear consistent with their context and the purpose they have in the narrative.
Why is a backstory important?
Backstory has two main jobs to fulfill in your story: (1) to reveal important information about the main characters, and (2) to help depict a fully realized story world. A character’s backstory comprises all the data of his history, revealing how he became who he is, and why he acts as he does and thinks as he thinks.
Why do characters need backstories?
Backstories are a crucial part of character development and character creation and are developed by authors so they can have a strong sense of the character’s background that will inform the action in the main narrative.
What are the 4 types of point of view?
In order of how common they are, the 4 most common types of point of view include:
- Third-person, including: Third-person limited point of view. Third-person omniscient point of view.
- First-person point of view.
- Second-person point of view.
How do you write an OC?
You should start with a concept, personality, or backstory, and make your character’s appearance based on that. Don’t try and rush the creative process! If you can’t decide on something, give it time. Not all OCs were made in a day – in fact, redesigning and adding new features on is part of having an OC!
How do you make a backstory interesting?
Here are some tips to help you write compelling backstories:
- Build a timeline of your character’s life events. …
- Make sure backstory details are relevant. …
- Draw inspiration from real life. …
- Show, don’t tell. …
- Don’t overload your first chapter with backstory.
What is the effect of a flashback?
Flashbacks break up the chronological flow of a story, making it more interesting and realistic. Flashbacks make readers more connected to the characters. Effective flashbacks provide a deeper insight into who a person is.
What are flashbacks triggered by?
Flashbacks can be triggered by a sensory feeling, an emotional memory, a reminder of the event, or even an unrelated stressful experience.
What are the types of flashbacks?
The definition of flashback is identical to that of analepsis, which comes from the Greek for “the act of taking up.” There are two types of flashbacks—those that recount events that happened before the story started (external analepsis) and those that take the reader back to an event that already happened but that the …
What is the difference between a flashback and a memory?
is that flashback is a dramatic device in which an earlier event is inserted into the normal chronological flow of a narrative while memory is (uncountable) the ability of an organism to record information about things or events with the facility of recalling them later at will.
How can I tell if a memory is real?
There is currently no way to distinguish, in the absence of independent evidence, whether a particular memory is true or false. Even memories which are detailed and vivid and held with 100 percent conviction can be completely false.”
What is a dissociative flashback?
Some people experience PTSD flashbacks as a type of dissociation. This mental state causes you to feel disconnected from your thoughts, emotions, memory, or identity. You might feel like you’re in a movie or have no recognition of where you actually are.
What does a PTSD flashback look like?
Seeing full or partial images of the traumatic event. Noticing any sense that is related to the trauma (such as hearing, smelling or tasting something) Feeling physical symptoms that you experienced during the trauma, such as pain or pressure.
Are flashbacks painful?
Flashbacks are a form of multisensory memory that are experienced with a “happening in the present” quality. Pain flashbacks are a re-experiencing of pain felt at the time of a traumatic event.
Why am I having flashbacks of my childhood?
Emotional flashbacks are often associated with a diagnosis of complex trauma, or c-ptsd. Complex trauma can occur from ongoing adverse childhood conditions, including abuse, neglect or abandonment – especially if the perpetrator was close to the child (such as a parent or other relative).
Can I have PTSD from my childhood?
PTSD is common in patients with a history of childhood trauma. However, when trauma occurs in childhood, the flashbacks may well be experienced as a flood of emotion, disconnected from the narrative in which the trauma originally arose.
How do I know if I had trauma as a child?
Signs of childhood trauma
- Reliving the event (flashbacks or nightmares)
- Avoidance.
- Anxiety.
- Depression.
- Anger.
- Problems with trust.
- Self-destructive or risky behaviors.
- Withdrawal.
How do I know I have trauma?
Suffering from severe fear, anxiety, or depression. Unable to form close, satisfying relationships. Experiencing terrifying memories, nightmares, or flashbacks. Avoiding more and more anything that reminds you of the trauma.