When has the writer created too much backstory for a character? I’m not sure such a thing exists, but a writer can definitely spend more time than they have on creating backstory. Right now I’m treading that fine line. I need to get cracking on my new book, but without knowing the characters inside-and-out, it’s a waste of time.

Backstory is The Characters’ Oxygen

I’ve been working on the second Sean Joye Investigations novel for months, devoting a big old chunk of time to extensive planning, like a grown-up, efficient mystery author. I started actual composition with an ambition schedule and detailed scene plans. But my paper doll people didn’t want to play. The further I went, the less they had to say. It got harder and harder to sit myself in the chair and face the computer. 

After a short break and a trip back to my original inspiration for the piece, which was a setting image, I’m turning more to the specifics of the characters’ past. While many aspects of the characters’ history won’t play into the story at all, it affects how they react to situations, their values, and their drives. Also, the “story” in backstory is vital. While I can write a character as “jealous and possessive,” creating a specific event in the past when they behaved that way will make those character traits more authentic in the current work.

I started this blog thread on the gritty details of the writing process over on my Facebook Author page, @kbkathylbrown, but think I might be better served putting it over here. If you’re interest in following my writing process in an informal way, you’ll find a few posts on Facebook that might interest you. You can subscribe to the blog from the website landing page (scroll down).