tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19161923.post115638966448819642..comments2024-03-18T03:00:34.609-07:00Comments on Story Sensei: How To Write Backstory Without Putting Your Reader To SleepCamy Tanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14577747925320907186noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19161923.post-13471318116389778972013-10-02T12:45:28.888-07:002013-10-02T12:45:28.888-07:00With tragic pasts in particular, you can often use...With tragic pasts in particular, you can often use psychological symptoms to hint at the trauma that caused them. For example, if Anna was sexually abused by her father, and you're writing a sex scene with her and her boyfriend Michael, have her passion abruptly turn to panic for no apparent reason. You could even have her try to calm herself by reminding herself that this is Michael, and she wants this. Just that thought will make it clear that she was a victim of some sort of nonconsensual sexual activity, without giving away too much detail right away. I don't know about others, but a scene like that would draw me in as I tried to figure out who abused her and when.ettinahttp://abnormaldiversity.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19161923.post-34889733418456966082009-08-10T12:14:00.465-07:002009-08-10T12:14:00.465-07:00It's fine to do just that--give hints to the r...It's fine to do just that--give hints to the readers to interest them in the character. If you can do that in a clever ways (versus narrative that "tells" the reader about the character), that would be best. "Telling" narrative tends to slow the story down, especially in the first three chapters.<br />CamyCamy Tanghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00790591988777275651noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19161923.post-49019390068414815372009-08-10T05:27:03.660-07:002009-08-10T05:27:03.660-07:00this was very helpful!
but im still a little lost....this was very helpful!<br />but im still a little lost.<br />what if im trying to hand out to the audience the main characters backstory, bit by bit?<br />my main character has a tragic past, and has a decent amount of things that happened to her.<br />but i use it as a way to interest the audience, because they want to find out about her past, if you get me.<br /><br />could he give me an example as to how i could approach that?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19161923.post-891771152556420752008-01-24T15:05:00.000-08:002008-01-24T15:05:00.000-08:00So Is it ok to like start without something boring...So Is it ok to like start without something boring like 'Johnny was at home and his mommy was making cake but he couln't have any because she was missing sugar so he got mad and told his daddy and thats Johnnys Family and they live in a trailer' <BR/>what if Instead you start with Johnny with a gun pointing it at his friend, threatening to kill him.. and then fill in the entire backstory in little situational spurts, that aren't quite flashbacks, but are aids to seeing why the characters thought processes are working that way.... because i detest flashbacks... ooor does that go against the show and tell thing mentioned in deep POV? because I really hate deep POV anyway... I don't like to talk like my character when i decribe things... my characters have bad grammar... and well... for example... I hated reading robinson crusoe with a passoin... it depleted my witing skills temporarily... anyways soorry i ramble, but im in a hurry... <BR/>latersAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com