Building a backstory is a fundamental part of creating characters that feel real and relatable. Your character's story doesn't begin on page one; they have lived a whole life before the plot of your novel begins, with personal experiences, struggles, victories, and defining moments. This is what we call a backstory. A well-crafted backstory not only shapes your character’s personality, choices, and motivations but also informs how they react to events in your story.
In this post, we'll explore why backstory is crucial, how to write a captivating backstory for your characters, and how to avoid common pitfalls like stereotyping.