Learn how to write characters readers will love. Has an industry professional told you not to dump character history at the beginning of your story? If so, you aren’t alone. But what’s the solution to this common advice? Most writers take the time to design interesting characters with troubled pasts. They long for readers to care about the characters’ lives. However, the sad truth is on page one, … one, readers don’t care–yet. That’s why industry gurus tell writers to stop overusing character history, also called backstory, at the beginning of stories.Have you ever wondered…How to use backstory correctly?What are the ways other writers successfully incorporate backstory into their work?Do tools exist to help writers better plan stories so the backstory isn’t such a problem?In Focused Backstory: The Key to Writing Deep Character Journeys, you’ll find answers to these questions and more. You’ll learn how to avoid the dreaded info-dump and instead, harness curiosity so readers keep turning pages. This resource breaks down focused backstory into simple pieces to use flexibly in any story no matter what genre or length. Worksheets, tables, questionnaires, and templates will help you plan an engaging story with deep characters. Examples from popular stories will help you understand this method.You’ll learn how to* design a character around a troubled past.* create additional characters around the main character.* weave interesting sub-plots within a characters’ journey toward healing.* design proper obstacles which interfere with characters’ goals.* guide readers’ emotions so they have a satisfying reading experience.It doesn’t matter which genre you write. All the characters worth reading about, even those in memoir and biography, have backstories that bring pain they must reconcile so they can become new. Don’t believe me? Producers base reality television shows on this idea. Consider the woman whose baby died. Now she overeats to punish herself. There’s the woman whose husband and son died in her house, so she hoards to bury the pain. What about the unloved bachelor who gets one more chance at love? Can you see it?Unsuccessful stories have something in common. They lack focused backstory. In these stories, characters may vaguely mention what happened in the past, but they don’t fight or claw to forgive or acknowledge the pain over which they crave victory. As a result, viewers, or readers, care little about these stories. They might hang in there for the final kiss and feel-good scene, but they’ll probably say the story was cheesy and forget about it.We want more for our writing, so we need focused backstory. Consider this quote about falling in love written by William Shakespeare.”But that I know love is begun by time, and that I see, in passages of proof,time qualifies the spark and fire of it.” — HamletIf you use focused backstory, it will give the reader time to fall in love with the characters so they long to know more.No matter what kind of writer you are, if you take the time to analyze the use of backstory, it will enhance your style. Focused Backstory: The Key to Writing Deep Character Journeys is the missing gadget in your writing tool kit.
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This book is a good tool for someone who is wanting to write a book. There are many great examples of how to develop characters and keep the story flowing. I am amazed at authors for all the hard work they put into writing a book. The author illustrates how to make your characters come to life by slowing building who they are.
When I’m reading a book I want to know the characters slowly so I can connect to them. It is not easy to like a character if the author has told you everything about them in the first chapter. The author does a thorough job of encouraging writers to achieve their goal with information, charts and exercises. I have secretly wanted to write a book for years. There are even several chapters tucked away in a journal. With this informative book, I may some day be able to complete my dream.
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.
I don’t often select books about writing to review—this may actually be my first, now that I stop and think about it. The reason for this is simple: I am too new at writing myself to feel an adequate judge of the advice others might offer on the topic. Even so, this book really captured my attention, and I do feel capable of sharing when a book has been helpful in my own journey, and this one has. I think it is an invaluable resource, teaching me many new things, and also clarifying some of the more nebulous concepts with which I have been wrestling.
Alwood does a good job of defining her terms so even the most inexperienced writer can understand the point she’s trying to make, but I loved that she doesn’t leave us there; she not only teaches the terms, but then moves the reader to a deeper concept. For example, she defines “backstory,” then explains the components that go into a good one, how to apply it to the reader’s own developing story line, pitfalls to avoid, and examples to further illustrate the idea she focuses on.
There are also many helpful worksheets through these pages, helping writers to explore their own characters, creating further depth and helping us integrate the new ideas into our existing works. It is very much a tool to make our own writing better and best used in conjunction with a pen and paper, a work-in-progress in mind. Alternatively, it can be used to analyze other books and movies, if the reader is not looking to improve his or her own work.
Despite its relatively short length, this book provided a wealth of information that I cannot wait to explore further. Combined with Alwood’s notes and resources at the end of the book, there are enough solid tools to keep writers engaged and furthering their craft far beyond what the 162 pages might suggest. I highly recommend it for those who want to better understand the craft or improve their own writing—I will certainly be referring to it repeatedly over time.
I received a review copy of this book through Celebrate Lit but was under no obligation to post a positive review. The opinions expressed are both honest and my own.
Focused Backstory: The Key to Writing Deep Character Journeys by author Carol Alwood is a must for all budding novelists. It is a writing resource that will go on a shelf and be well used before “the end” is finally entered. I gleaned so much from this gem.
Author Alwood gives useful information on multiple topics in her Focused Backstory. Lists, charts, tables, and questions all help readers determine their best backstories for characters. Examples are provided to help.
There are tips on creating secondary characters, subplots, and evoking reader emotions. The book is a helpful teaching tool on writing. It won’t be for everyone, just those writing fiction or yearning to write on day.
I found Focused Backstory: The Key to Writing Deep Character Journeys extremely helpful. Certain sections were overdone, but all in all if you are writing a novel get this book. It will answer many questions. I rated it 5 out of 5 stars because I found the information extremely valuable. A copy was provided by Celebrate Lit but these are my honest words.