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Friday, January 24, 2014

TYING YOUR BACKSTORY TO SETTING by CHERYL PIERSON



We’ve talked some in the past about backstory, but I thought it would be interesting to look at why we choose the backstory we do to create our “front story”—or what the main thrust of the novel is about. A backstory does lots of things for our setting, plot and characters.

Why do we choose the particular backstory we decide to use to create our setting? For me, the backstory must bring the setting to life to show why the characters were so affected by what has happened in their pasts.

A male character, our protagonist, that is “tall, dark, and handsome,” could be one of any type of characters in any time period—until we create his backstory. Of course, the backstory shapes his character in the plot of the book, but the setting is such an integral part of the equation that it would be hard to say what’s more important to your character’s development: where he came from, or where he’s going.

Here’s an example of what I mean. In my novel, Fire Eyes, the hero, Kaed Turner, has been denied a family by one twist of fate or another since he was a small boy. His parents were killed when he was eight by the Apache, and though he was kept with his sister and brother by first the Apache, then the Choctaw, they were so much younger than he that they quickly forgot what he felt compelled to remember—the deaths of their parents, and their lives before.


He loses his young Choctaw wife and their two children, ironically, to a group of white men who don’t want Indians to settle in the community where he’s built his house.

So, there is no room in his heart to totally embrace the ways of the Indians, but he is being shown physically that he is unwelcome now in the white world. This is further illustrated when Fallon’s band captures him and tries to kill him, but he is saved by the Choctaws. Where does he belong?

Could Fire Eyes have happened the way it did if Kaed’s backstory hadn’t included these incidents? No. The entire feel of the character would have been changed if he had not had these experiences. And to show his growth in the frontstory, we have to show what happened to him before. The setting is indispensable in shaping all the other elements of the story, in this case. Kaed has come from rough beginnings due to the things that happened to him that were beyond his control. Now, what kind of man will it make him?

Could these things have happened to him in any other setting? No. When we begin to delve into the history that is pertinent to a particular area and/or time period, there are certain events that have happened that are unique to both time and place. Just as the events of history shape the setting your story takes place in, those same happenings also shape your characters both directly and indirectly.


How much description of the setting do we need in the backstory to set the scene? And how do we deliver it?

In Fire Eyes, we know none of the facts about Kaed’s upbringing at the beginning of the story. In chapter one, when he sees he must give himself up to save the two Choctaw girls, we begin to realize that he knows them, and therefore, has an affiliation with the Choctaws. It isn’t until later, even after the Choctaws rescue him, that it comes out as to why he knows Standing Bear, the chief, and what happened to him as a child. Even later in the story, we learn of the tragedy that happened to his own young family ten years past.

In creating a world we are not familiar with, such as in science fiction or fantasy writing, more of the backstory must be told in the beginning. The stage must be set, and in order to let us know about the world that has been created, more description has to be given toward the front part of the book rather than waiting.

Frank Herbert’s “Dune” series would have made no sense without some description of the world and customs, the people and landscape he created. The same with Tolkien’s world, and even the Harry Potter books, which are a mix of a created world and one we are familiar with.

Letting the setting affect your character is easier than you might think—it’s really inevitable. Even if your novel is set in contemporary times, the city, state or country and even the matter of picking a rural or urban setting will make a huge difference in your characters and your story overall. Was your hero raised on a ranch or was he a city boy? This will definitely determine his reactions the first time his new love interest suggests they go riding next weekend.

(I know, it's contemporary, but this novel really illustrates tying backstory to the setting and boy, is there a "tall, dark and handsome" Indian undercover detective in it, tough as they come, with a saucy heroine.)

How much should your reader know? Not as much as you, the author, does. The art of backstory and description of the setting is in doing it interestingly and seamlessly. Dumping all the information on the reader at once will prove overwhelming.

The saying goes, “The devil is in the details.” Blending your setting, characters, and plot successfully in the backstory of your novel proves the truth of that statement!

In the excerpt below, Kaed talks to Jessica about what happened to his parents and his brother and sister. He is showing us why he feels like he does now, his fears at trying to hold on to family of any kind, after what happened. What we don’t know yet, is the rest of the story about what happened ten years ago, to his wife and children. This is a kind of turning point for Kaed. Will he let events, the setting of his life in the past, shape him? Or will he try again—will he be strong enough to risk everything one more time and shape the setting that is yet to come, the future?

FROM FIRE EYES:


“Family seems to be a hard thing for me to hold on to.” He shifted, and Jessica moved to lay her head on his shoulder. Her long hair trailed across his bare chest, and he felt her breathe slowly, relaxing in his embrace. “I lost my parents when I was eight.”

“It still hurts, doesn’t it?” Jessica laid her hand across his side, tracing his ribs.

He drew a long breath, and spoke quietly. “Yeah. I guess it does.”

“What happened?”

“My father was determined to have some bottom land to farm. Never mind that the place he selected was unprotected, away from the rest of the small settlement there in Cale Switch. The land was good, and it was what he wanted. But the Apache saw an easy target. They came in the night and took us. My younger brother, Kevin; my sister, Marissa; and me.”

“They killed your parents?” Her voice was hesitant, and Kaed was silent for a moment before he responded.

“My father tried to stop them. He just couldn’t defend us against so many. They killed him, then my mother, and took their scalps.”

At her sharp intake of breath, Kaed stroked Jessica’s long hair. “Barbaric?” he asked, reading her thoughts easily.

She nodded her head against him. “I’ve been afraid of the Indians ever since we came here.”

Kaed smiled at this admission. “Standing Bear won’t hurt you, sweetheart. The Choctaws aren’t as—”

“Cruel?”

“Taking scalps was a practice the Indians learned from the Europeans, Jess. Barbaric, cruel—yes. But remember, they only fought back using the methods the white men used first.” He cupped her chin and she raised her eyes to his. “You can trust Standing Bear.”

“That’s what he told me about you.”

Kaed grinned. “He knows me pretty well. After the Apache had had us for a year or so, he bartered for the three of us. We lived with the Choctaw after that. I left when I was seventeen. Kevin and Marissa were so young, the way of the People is all they knew.”

“They stayed with the tribe? Even when they had a choice?”

“It’s how they were raised. Kevin was only five when we were taken; Marissa was two.” He was silent a moment. “I was the only one old enough to remember.”

“Do you ever see them?”

“I walk in both worlds, Jessi. I come and go freely in the Choctaw camp. Kevin and Marissa are married and have families. They’re both more Choctaw than white by the way they’ve been raised. I lost them to a way of life I couldn’t fully embrace. I guess it’s harder for me, because I remember our parents, our home.” He shook his head and felt her fingers moving gently, absently, over his bronze skin.

“I wondered how he knew you. Standing Bear, I mean.” Jessica lifted her head and met his eyes. “You’re like a son to him, aren’t you?”

“I’ll never think of him as my father, but he saved us from the Apache.” He smiled caustically. “They’re a pretty rough bunch. The Choctaws are reasonable, at least. I owe him for what he did. Can’t ever repay that.”

“He’s a good man. He raised a good man.” She kissed his side. “Whether you want to think of him as your father or not, it seems he did what he could to do right for you.”

I will be giving away a print copy of FIRE EYES to one lucky commenter today! Please be sure to leave your contact information in your comment! Thanks so much for coming by.

If you just can't wait to see if you won, here's the Amazon KINDLE link:
http://www.amazon.com/Fire-Eyes-Cheryl-Pierson-ebook/dp/B0083JYET8/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1390546724&sr=1-2&keywords=fire+eyes

19 comments:

  1. Hi Cheryl! I loved Fire Eyes! One of my favorites. Kaed was a very special hero. Nothing typical about him.

    I totally agree that backstory is, in my opinion, the most important part of a story. It provides all the motivation for what the characters do and how they react when things happen. In my recent story, THE WIDOW'S HEART, if we didn't the backstory there would only be a wanted cowboy on the run. That would be so boring. And if we hadn't felt Skye's angst and knew her hopes and dreams and desires, the story would've fallen flat.

    Wishing you much success, dear friend!

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    1. Linda, that just means the world to me coming from someone like you, dear friend. I went through a lot of angst with Fire Eyes--being told a lot of my story wasn't "romance" and "had to go"--in the nicest possible way, of course, but I SO wanted to put those parts back in, and was given the opportunity to do so once I got my rights back and moved it to Western Trail Blazer.

      Yes, you are so right--if we didn't have the backstory in The Widow's Heart, there's a whole different story...and the setting surely did figure in with that! That was a wonderful story!

      Thanks so much for the kind words!
      Cheryl

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  2. Great post, Cheryl. Dialogue is a great way for readers to get to know what they need to know along with the characters. I agree, you can't get too wordy or heavy handed or the reader will skip long passages of description/backstory.

    Hugs...have a great weekend, my friend. xo

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    1. Tanya, your setting and backstory were a perfect fit with what I'm talking about in your story in Wishing For a Cowboy. And I loved how we didn't know the whole story until as the story progressed, but still, there were things we needed to know that fit with your setting. Dialogue is a great way for readers to learn about the backstory, you're so right! How boring it would be to have to have the backstory all laid out for us from the beginning and not be able to learn a thing as we were reading.

      You have a great weekend, too! Hugs, Tanya!
      Cheryl

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  3. Writers especially have to be careful to not dump too much backstory at the beginning of the story. You want some event, some action to work that backstory around. Keep some as a mystery to work in later. There is nothing more boring than sitting around waiting for something to happen while a writer describes what already happened.

    I haven't had a chance to read Fire Eyes yet. Just finished Jason's Angel last night. Wonderful story as usual, with a great backstory.

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    1. Livia, truer words were never spoken! When I have to sit and read about all the dreadful things that have already happened to the hero or heroine, I just want to lay the book down. I want to know the backstory, but it's got to unfold, as you say. And certain stories cannot take place anywhere else but where they are set.

      Aw, thanks so much for your kind words about Jason's Angel. Jason really had some trouble in his past. LOL Sometimes I think I'm overburdening my heroes, but then I think...nah...LOL
      Cheryl

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  4. Backstory is hugely important and absolutely superfluous at the same time. When I start a story, I usually end up dumping information for about six pages to get to know my characters and to get it out of my system. Then I save that as notes about the story and move on. Couldn't write the story without it, but it's nothing a reader needs to see.

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    1. Now, Tracy, that is a smart way of doing it. I'm a pantser. I might try doing that next time. I sometimes am surprised by certain things that show up in the backstory, and I think that some stories need more backstory than others. Some stories can happen in a variety of settings. Others would only seem right exactly where they are set. Food for thought, Tracy.
      Cheryl

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  5. Cheryl--It's now all clear as day. Really, you have the talent and knack for teaching aspects of writing that elude so many. Using Fire Eyes as your example makes perfect sense, and I remember it so well from the story.
    I once began stories with too much back story, and even now, I'll do the same thing. Then I have to delete--and moved to an Edit Dump--a couple of pages, which become a vehicle for me to remember and recall things I want my readers to know as the story moves along. I never completely get rid of these pages until I'm sure the book is nice and published.
    Very good--a wonderful mini-workshop.

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    1. Thank you, Celia! I'm so glad you enjoyed it and got something from it. I have a series of these blogs that I've used in the past for mini-workshops, so you are right on target in that regard. I always write things out longhand first, and I guess that's why I don't start out topheavy on backstory any more. It's too cumbersome to write it all out by longhand first. LOL You have a good method--don't ever get rid of it until it's "out there." LOL

      Thanks for coming over, Celia!
      Cheryl

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  6. Even though I've heard much in the way of negative commentary by some authors about back story, I can't imagine not including it when it's so necessary to define a character's behavior and reactions to his circumstances. The bad part comes in when the beginning of a story is loaded down with back story and no action. I've done it. Not good...especially in an adventure story. The thing just poked along until the third chapter. I keep learning from my mistakes. I'm very experienced in mistakes. LOL Harmonica Joe's Reluctant Bride, For Love of Banjo and The Violin needed back story. In fact, I'm trying to think of a time when I didn't use some back story. Nope. I think I've used it in every story I've written. Just sayin'...
    Great blog, Cheryl, filled with the kind of information we all need, either newbies just getting the hang of things, or veterans who need reminders.
    Some day when you haven't got anything else to do (my eyes are rolling back in my head), I hope you write about Travis and Daisy who first appeared in Fire Eyes. I know you teased us with a little Travis after that, but I'm waiting for the day when you tell his story.
    Loved your post today, Cheryl.

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    1. Sarah, I think everyone is experienced in mistakes! LOL I remember when I thought I had to tell every thought the characters ever had in their heads. The toughest thing, I think, is learning what the READER needs to know and being able to get that across in the way we need to that makes it interesting, rather than a re-telling of their lives up to that point. But I do think that there are many books that wouldn't have the same meaning without backstory, and linking it to setting (which can't always be done as strongly as others) seems to help anchor the story in a way that keeps it memorable.

      Sarah, I would love to write Travis's story! I've thought of that a million times. And I hope to do it one day. Thank you for your interest and your unfailing support, dear friend!

      Hugs,
      Cheryl

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  7. Celia said it perfectly: a wonderful mini-workshop! You do have the most pleasant, easy-to-understand way of explaining and illustrating concepts, Okie. That's one of the things I love about you as an editor: You're a TEACHING editor. Those are rare. :-)

    HUGS, dear friend!!!!

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    1. Thank you, Kathleen! What a nice compliment! You know, I developed that through teaching classes, and through working with people one on one. I remembered how hard it was to hear someone rip my "baby" apart that I had written, and loved and wanted others to love. A lot of people don't understand that that's what an editor DOES--to help them learn, and make the story better. And hopefully, some writers will take it in the spirit it's offered. I was always so anxious to see what the editor had to say and to try to understand...and I hope that what I am able to do is to help others. It's hard not to keep making the same mistakes if you don't understand why you shouldn't do certain things.
      Cheryl

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  8. Very well said and so important. I also enjoyed "Fire Eyes". A great read. Doris

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    1. Thank you, Doris. You are always so supportive. I'm so glad you enjoyed Fire Eyes so much. Those characters are very special to me, and always will be.
      Cheryl

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  9. It's tough to decide when and where to give the reader tidbits of the past for the main characters, but that's what keeps the readers reading! linda@lindahubalek.com

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    1. That is so true. You never want to give away too much, but keeping too much a secret is frustrating for the reader and sometimes makes for a boring story that the reader has trouble identifying with!
      Thanks for coming by Linda!
      Cheryl

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  10. LINDA you are my winner for FIRE EYES!

    Congratulations, and thanks so much for stopping by and commenting!

    Cheryl

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