For our September “Learn to Write by Reading” challenge, we invited you to examine books that had characters with mysterious backstories. Now, apply what you learned to your own manuscript.
Find the place where the author first really piqued your interest with a hint about the character’s past. How far into the story was it? What kind of hint did the author give you, and how explicitly was it written? Was it just one sentence buried in the rush of current events, or did the author spend more time on it? Did the hint come through dialogue, internal thought or a triggered memory? Or did another character drop the clue? Did the author give the character some physical manifestation–a scar, limp, a unique mannerism or affectation as a tangible manifestation of past trauma, or are the character’s scars all emotional?
Now using the book you read as a guide, look over the early sections of your own story for places where you can drop hints about your character’s past.
Ah, my dear fellow writers, it’s that time of my writing cycle again when life and all manner of distractions invade and paralyze my writing time. What about you? Perhaps its the beginning of the new school year, or that a new season is about to begin. (Can you smell fall? I can, and I wish to pete it’d get here.) Or the fact that I’ve had a poo-tastic week (and I mean that with every ounce of sarcasm I can muster). 