I’m at the Gideon Media Arts Conference and Film Festival this week and have asked author Lori Freeland to step in with her words of wisdom about backstory. Lori Ann Freeland is an inspirational writer for various Christian publications, blogs at lafreeland.com and Crosswalk.com, edits for The Christian Pulse and coaches writing for The North Texas Christian Writers.
I hope you’ll pay close attention to Lori’s article. This a post that could save your manuscript from the REJECT file!
The How and Why to Avoid the Dump, by Lori Freeland
So many new writers think they need backstory. Right away. On the first page.
“I need to explain why my character cries at sad movies or hates the rain or believes she’ll never find love. You don’t understand,” they say.
I do understand.
Like a real person, a fictional character carries a past laden with family, friends, and experiences. A character’s early life absolutely affects her later choices, reactions, and emotions.
In chapter two, if my character is paralyzed with fear and refuses to leave a burning building, the reader needs to know why, right?
Wrong.
If you want to emotionally impact your reader, hook them into your character’s life, and snag them on the journey you’ve set out, let the reasons unfold.
Keep them asking…
Be sure to read the rest of Lori’s great post at her site, L.A. Freeland…
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