tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145236456769195141.post8812714946714216268..comments2023-09-12T10:19:46.166-04:00Comments on Christina Lee: How to Handle BackstoryChristina Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01799776834213400246noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145236456769195141.post-26500816464660782092011-07-15T17:31:31.648-04:002011-07-15T17:31:31.648-04:00My thoughts? That I totally need to use that more ...My thoughts? That I totally need to use that more often!Peggy Eddlemanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10241451940725996650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145236456769195141.post-82807614887677030932011-07-14T18:36:51.081-04:002011-07-14T18:36:51.081-04:00Love the example and will work harder to incorpora...Love the example and will work harder to incorporate this form of back story into my tales. Game of Thrones? Tried it; couldn't do it... Don't know why because I usually enjoy that type of show. Will probably have to wait for the rerun and give it another try...SharleneThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12180247939829055069noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145236456769195141.post-56638891016159642512011-07-14T14:08:15.689-04:002011-07-14T14:08:15.689-04:00I think chapter 1 should only have a sprinkling of...I think chapter 1 should only have a sprinkling of backstory, in the action if I can help it. I've heart you can have larger chunks in chapter 2.Theresa Milsteinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03477761307315565259noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145236456769195141.post-25552248852482173362011-07-13T22:40:38.616-04:002011-07-13T22:40:38.616-04:00Love, love, love the book Save the Cat! So much go...Love, love, love the book Save the Cat! So much good information!Nora MacFarlanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00575333078760106784noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145236456769195141.post-37614575872206105272011-07-13T19:54:05.196-04:002011-07-13T19:54:05.196-04:00So I heard someone mentions somewhere that backsto...So I heard someone mentions somewhere that backstory isn't as important as it used to be because readers don't have the attention span they used to. Is that even true?Liz Mayshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13960276167677132860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145236456769195141.post-73501695984784060772011-07-13T14:04:42.395-04:002011-07-13T14:04:42.395-04:00Definitely true - backstory is HUGE in my most rec...Definitely true - backstory is HUGE in my most recent work, but I'm trying to keep it interesting and engaging. And brief. Very difficult. :)Bethany Elizabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12829932931010851406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145236456769195141.post-76085695640303524532011-07-13T13:40:05.527-04:002011-07-13T13:40:05.527-04:00almost like subliminal.almost like subliminal.Louriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05477223472789865063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145236456769195141.post-47769676398410869282011-07-13T12:12:02.132-04:002011-07-13T12:12:02.132-04:00I'm working on the backstory thing. It's h...I'm working on the backstory thing. It's hard sometimes, when you love a character so much to remember that the reader doesn't need to know absolutely everything about them!<br /><br />Game of Thrones? Love it :)Sarah Tokeleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13273148070092101085noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145236456769195141.post-60421209353054422042011-07-13T11:33:37.841-04:002011-07-13T11:33:37.841-04:00Weaving the backstory into the action and dialogue...Weaving the backstory into the action and dialogue is absolutely crucial -- and oh, so hard to do! I find that I keep delving into boring exposition of backstory in my first drafts (because I don't know where I'm going to fit it in otherwise). Then as the writing develops, I notice opportunity to reveal things more cleverly -- and go back and delete the exposition. It took me quite awhile to learn this about myself. (Not to mention allowing myself to do it. Nobody likes the first draft to stink, but it's better if you accept the fact that it probably will and look toward better drafts in the future.)Dianne K. Salernihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16459839567235304842noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145236456769195141.post-25267223796636493992011-07-13T11:24:27.095-04:002011-07-13T11:24:27.095-04:00Good advice. I'll have to pay attention to th...Good advice. I'll have to pay attention to this in my manuscript and see if I'm doing this. Also this image is going to stick with me. Next time I think about backstory or world building I'm going to think about the Pope swimming laps.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18226974782422398270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145236456769195141.post-73359259999005024162011-07-13T11:16:38.031-04:002011-07-13T11:16:38.031-04:00That is brilliant! It's easier to put a senten...That is brilliant! It's easier to put a sentence hear or there in dialogue, but to get it in when all the action is going on and no one is thinking about it? Awesome!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08616276555920544920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145236456769195141.post-34406012515181118712011-07-13T10:05:40.163-04:002011-07-13T10:05:40.163-04:00Maddy, I don't know how but I got sucked right...Maddy, I don't know how but I got sucked right in. Hubz didn't until second episode and then he was a goner too.Christina Leehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01799776834213400246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145236456769195141.post-254737047419068482011-07-13T09:55:42.755-04:002011-07-13T09:55:42.755-04:00I like Matthew's points too! There's been ...I like Matthew's points too! There's been plenty of time when too much backstory of a story gets in the way of pacing for me. One example I can think of is the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series. Sometimes those stretches of backstory just go on and on and on. I would totally skim through those sections because they were so boring (in my opinion). <br /><br />BTW - I watched one episode of Game of Thrones and couldn't get into it. I may have to give it another go since you love it so much :)Maddyhttp://madheartsblog.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145236456769195141.post-5896758288388020592011-07-13T09:26:57.972-04:002011-07-13T09:26:57.972-04:00EXCELLENT points, Matt!EXCELLENT points, Matt!Christina Leehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01799776834213400246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145236456769195141.post-42132149924112898462011-07-13T08:42:41.872-04:002011-07-13T08:42:41.872-04:00Backstory is only one aspect that needs to be hand...Backstory is only one aspect that needs to be handled this way. I talk about this when I give advice about world building in Fantasy novels too. You, as the author, have to know as much as you possibly can about your world, character backstory, world geography, culture, the laws of physics, magic, whatever. But you have to keep in mind that the reader doesn't need to know everything you know.<br /><br />You have to let those details be revealed organically, when the plot or some characterization or dialogue calls for it. Otherwise it will get in the way of pacing, and rising or falling action, and end up boring the reader.<br /><br />Of course this is all so much easier said than done. I'm not very good at it myself.Matthew MacNishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03264738483763244969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145236456769195141.post-56568350267076563632011-07-13T07:55:43.271-04:002011-07-13T07:55:43.271-04:00Yay, now I know what I'm doing for my pope in ...Yay, now I know what I'm doing for my pope in the pool. Hot guys and make out scenes. :D<br /><br />Thanks for the suggestion!Stinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11415189347501942340noreply@blogger.com