COMMON BACKSTORY PITFALLS AND HOW TO AVOID THEM

There are many pitfalls in creating backstory that amplifies rather than stalls the story. Here are some common pitfalls and how to sidestep them:

• In your final editing pass, look for places where you've dumped backstory. Suspect any places where backstory runs for several pages and is used strictly to catch up the reader on past events and influence. Parcel the information into small bits if possible, and weave it into the fabric of the story so that it doesn't overshadow the front story, particularly the first chapters.

• Examine your manuscript for places where you've gift-wrapped the back- story. Backstory shouldn't be calling too much attention to itself. Sneak it into the story by spreading it around, withholding the most intriguing infor mation until the last possible moment to create suspense.

• Take the long view. Don't be in a hurry to explain all you know about a character or situation in the opening chapters.

• Tread carefully when using a viewpoint character to explain how your story world works. It's common for writers to use an adult looking back on

Source: Morrell, Jessica Page, Between the Lines, p35

Revealing Backstory:

• readers are always intrigued by characters' pasts and how those long-ago influences continue to shape them. But don't let the temptation to reveal all of your character's backstory through flashbacks overtake you. Instead, balance your character revelations, understanding that readers relate better to events happening in the present. After all, the shadows from the past affect our knowledge, but the dramatic events of the front story are generally most revealing.

Source: Morrell, Jessica Page, Between the Lines, p82

Editing for Pace:

• Evaluate the lingth of your flasbacks. As with scenes, you want to enter a flashback at the last possible moment, then leave as quickly as possible.

Source: Morrell, Jessica Page, Between the Lines, p136

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