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.

Does every character need a backstory?

No, not all characters need a backstory. While backstories can be helpful in fleshing out a character and making them more relatable, they are not always necessary. In some cases, too much focus on a character’s backstory can actually detract from the story itself.

Is there such a thing as too much backstory?

Too much backstory can sink a story—because you’re not moving the story forward. You’re giving background, and while that can be interesting, readers really want the story to keep moving forward not backward.
 

Why is it important to have a backstory?

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.
 

How can I make my backstory interesting?

Here are some tips to help you write compelling backstories:

1. Build a timeline of your character’s life events.
2. Make sure backstory details are relevant.
3. Draw inspiration from real life.
4. Show, don’t tell.
5. Don’t overload your first chapter with backstory.

How can I make my backstory unique?

Contents

1. Brainstorm formative events that shape your characters.
2. Choose where to tell character backstory.
3. Balance telling backstory with showing.
4. Keep backstory relevant to current choices and actions.
5. Strip excess backstory from narration.
6. Use backstory to reveal drives.
7. Draw character background from familiar places.

How long should your backstory be?

Try not to give too much too soon to the reader. Instead, place the backstory into the story in doses or short sections. Include only one to two lines of backstory in a scene set in the present. This way, the backstory doesn’t feel too distracting to the reader.

Does a character need a sad backstory?

Every character needs a backstory and tragedy is a powerful motivator. Dead family, razed homes, and enemies who have left a character scarred all serve to get a would-be hero up off their butt and out into adventures. It gives characters an emotional arc and trauma to work through in game.
 

What makes a sad backstory?

A dead loved one: parents, siblings, best friend, spouse and children, or a whole Doomed Hometown. Physical and, sometimes, sexual abuse by parents or lover. Being abandoned by one or both parents. Being tortured or raped, or being Forced to Watch it happen to a friend or loved one.

Are flashbacks necessary?

Flashback is necessary when information from the past explains what is happening in the present. It also can be used to provide information which would otherwise not be revealed in the present.

Does a character need a tragic backstory?

Every character needs a backstory and tragedy is a powerful motivator. Dead family, razed homes, and enemies who have left a character scarred all serve to get a would-be hero up off their butt and out into adventures. It gives characters an emotional arc and trauma to work through in game.
 

Does every villain need a backstory?

No, as long as they are interesting or entertaining to watch. A backstory can add a lot to a villain but they definitely do not need a backstory to make them an interesting antagonist. It’s not really about making them interesting, it’s about making you sympathetic towards them.