Like to know if I am going about it in the right way...

Lets say I was to write a huge novel/saga/trilogy. Would creating a back story for everything help with the writing, even If you don't include it in the finished work? It would seem so, since I think it would help get you into the mood of the world.

Please leave your opinions on this.

For me, it helps. It does serve to get into the mood of the world, yes, but it also helps me get it all out. Normally, when I have a new story idea, I want to put it all down at once. If someone had something happen to them prior to the start date of the story, I feel the itching need to blurt it out at the nearest opportunity. This is also know as telling, not showing.

It also gives me more of a feel for the characters because if I write it, then I know it and it sticks, so I always have a clear picture of where they're coming from.

I haven't really considered using a back story for everything though. If I'm only using a character for one part of the story, even if it's a crucial scene and the cameo character is important, I don't tend to make a back story on the character. If they're hanging around for one chapter, depending on the length of the chapter, I think I'll be able to hold their past in my head long enough.


I prefer to use back stories and in the long run, they do make things easier for me. But only for relevant things. In the end, it depends on the writer. If they can hold everything in their head just fine and they know all the details, and they jsut want to write their story, writing up back stories may be a waist of time for them. At the same time, though, when writing out the back story, new ideas and possibilities can pop up... and so can plot holes and problems.

Temeraire,

I think the big thing is, that the more you know about what you are writing about, the better it is going to be. But, that doesn't mean you have to include it in the actual work. That actually can be problematic. Back stories can be useful when you allude to the past or something that is not the main focus of your story.

You do not want to include every little bit at the start, or even ever, because you want to keep that mystery for your reader to entangle.

If you have any specific questions feel free to ask or PM me.

Ta,
Cal.

Thank you both for your replies.

And Caligula, I believe you misunderstood me. I said if it is needed for writing back stories for things, even if I don't include the back story in the final design.

Temeraire,

I think something was missed in the translation.



I think you should at least have back-story notes written down for your own self, even if you don't include any of it in your actual story.

Ta,
Cal.

Ditto to all that, and the fact that in the beginning you've got to build your novel up, foundation to paint job. That doesn't mean making up your present-set story, then adding random drama as the backstory, because there's going to be some flaw, unless you're very good at it. If you're wanting to do backstory, then you should've built that up from the very beginning of story structure.

Also, the bright side of backstory is that it offers bone to the story.

My rule of thumb is this: the more epic it's going to be, the more you need a backstory. (Epic can also just mean long/involved; it doesn't actually have to be swords and sorcery save the world stuff.)

Most of my prose centers on a handful of characters, and so all I do is get to know them a tiny bit and set them loose. However, when I'm working on something more involved (read: something with an actual plot) I like to get to know the characters a little bit and develop their world before just dumping them into the setting and letting them run. I, personally, find that if I don't have a well developed world (part of which is knowing the backstory of that world) then the story is generally terrible because the setting is weak. (This also applies to characterization: the more characters there are, and the more involved the plot is, the more I need to know about them all individually and as a group.)

Long story short: backstory is your friend, just be careful not to infodump when you get into the actual writing part.