Definition of back-story nicked from Wikipedia:
“A back-story is the literary device of a narrative chronologically earlier than, and related to, a narrative of primary interest. Generally it is the history of characters or other elements that underlie the situation existing at the main narrative’s start.”
Back-story is different from a flash-back in that a flash-back actually takes you into the past (often making it as compelling as the present) but back-story simply builds background on the character.
The problem with back-story is that it leads to a lot of ‘telling’ rather than showing and can take your reader out of the narrative and the momentum is lost.
It’s easy to believe that by telling us where your character grew up, and how the defining incidents in their life affected them, you are bringing the character to life but it has the opposite effect. We need to experience the character in action to understand him/her fully and make our own individual judgment. (If you belong to a reading group you’ll know how vastly different these perceptions can be.)
I’m currently reading a well-written novel by a highly respected literary author – and since I don’t slag off other authors I won’t mention names or identifying details – but after a promising ‘in the moment’ start we have 14 pages of back-story and I’m thinking ‘I don’t even know this dude – why would I want to know all this stuff about his past? Why do I care?!’
So, how do you find the balance? Think about a friend describing a first-hand incident that happened to a friend of theirs. Your friend adds a couple of pieces of key background info to put the incident in perspective. Okay, second-hand story but still can be compelling.
Now think about that friend (we all have one) who tells you everything they know about a friend of theirs – someone you have never met. I don’t know about you but I quickly find that really tedious. Indigestible and quickly forgettable – like a big soggy pizza.
That’s the fine-line when you write back-story, it needs to be relevant and incorporated into the present story to add colour, dimension and perspective – not overdone so it drags the narrative down with the character’s ‘baggage’.
