Step Into Your Story With Backstory

Step into a scene with backstory

In the last post, we addressed that sinking feeling you get when something's missing in a scene. Yet, the feeling isn't necessarily a harbinger of ill. If you're right about something being wrong, kudos for good instincts. Just don't ignore the feeling. Instead, ponder your query. The answer can be as simple as lack of backstory.

The subject of missing links came up while I was editing and early chapter in a novel. A new character appeared at the start of the chapter, but without much context. Once I revised the scene to create a more concrete setting, I realized I wanted to know more about this new character. It's like introducing two people you hope will hit it off. Pretty hard to do unless you know them both well enough.

So, what do you do when you realize you lack backstory for a character? One approach blends two techniques: Stephen King's imagining your way into a story and Robert Olen Butler's dreamstorming (see the Resources section at the end). In essence, if you don't have a ton of time to write an extensive character study, or if you already have and just need to round out your character, try this. Before you write the chapter, write a scene that involves the character and some facet of his or her past that impacts this section of the current story. But even before you pen to paper or fingertip to keyboard, imagine the possibilities.

Tip: Select a chapter where a new character is introduced. Ask yourself what you want to convey about the person in the context of the current chapter that will allow you to reveal the character's past and convey that to the reader. Before writing let your imagination roam.

Resource: For more on Stephen King's technique, see the August 2010 issue of The Writer, an archived piece by called, "Use Imagery to Bring Your Story to Life." For more on Robert Olen Butler's dreamstorming, see From Where You Dream, Chapter 5, "A Writer Prepares."

Happy writing!

     

The Missing Link: What's Missing in Your Characters

Have you ever, while revising a scene, said, there's something missing here? Rather than ignore the question, especially if you fear the response, ponder your query. The answer can deepen your scene, characters and story.

While editing an early chapter in a novel, I felt something was missing. In this case, a new character appeared at the start of the chapter without preamble and with barely a mention in the chapter before. The character was vivid and fairly well-defined, but the context was missing. Without that, the interplay between him and his daughter-in-law was one-dimensional.

Context enlivens characters

In this instance, the solution was to revise the start of the chapter to create a more concrete setting, where his daughter-in-law and son are already "on stage." Starting the chapter with a three-person dynamic provided the opportunity for more interplay among the characters, and a better sense of the father-in-law. Since he's new to the scene, we see him in sharper relief.

Tip: Select a scene that's given you the nagging sense that something's missing. In a quiet place, or even a noisy one that's not your usual writing habitat or home, reread the scene and mark the point(s) where something feels off. Ponder what that might be. Don't be afraid to give yourself time to confront the missing link. Sometimes fear keeps us from seeing what's right in front of us.

Insight: Sometimes the missing link is backstory. We'll cover that in the next post.

Resource: If you're looking for a master storyteller who's equally masterful at creating characters, visit Dennis Lehane

The Play's the Thing: Flash Fiction That Works for the Stage

Tom Carr, Adele Annesi, Aurora López Cancino

My flash fiction piece "Days of Obligation" recently appeared as a stage play for the Ridgefield Cultural Festival, sponsored by the Ridgefield Arts Council.  "Days" was adapted for the stage by playwright and director Joanne Hudson. The part of Antonia was played by Aurora López Cancino, and the part of Mauro was played by Thomas Carr. Seeing the play performed was a wonderful experience, but even more fun was preparing — watching a talented director coaching the actors, and me, and watching dedicated performers give life to the characters. The actors had great questions that made me think about the story, and they found levels of meaning I hadn't realized were there.

The other interesting experience is that this piece was a kind of pop-up story, meaning it popped up as a flash fiction piece from a short story I wrote called "Resolution," slated to appear in Midway Journal in November 2011. Pop-ups aren't a genre, really, that's just my word for them. They're akin to flash in that they're micro-mini stories, but their origin is from a work of short fiction. A great learning experience, overall.

A big thank-you to Joanne, Aurora and Tom! Thanks also to Frank Giarratana for the pics!