What is backstory, and how do I remedy it?
Websters defines backstory as a story that tells what led up to the main story or plot. This doesnt quite explain it though, does it? Backstory includes that chunk of information about a characters background or history. Why is it frowned on in the book industry? Because it has a tendency to move slow and distract the reader from the current plotline and action. To avoid this writing no-no, here are some tips that may help you curb the amount of backstory you incorporate in your writing: 1. Ask yourself where the story startswhich should be some sort of action scene. Cut out everything before that scene and save it in a separate document. 2. As you work through the book, you can pull sentences or information from the deleted material to add for character development. But be careful not to give too much information; rather, tease the reader with tidbits of the history that information by only giving a taste. Many times the leftovers can be used to set up a sequel. 3. Take the deleted sc
