![]() Hey, I’d read a book that gave me insight into that decision. Story specific backstory would have revealed why she has abandonment issues and why that lead her to becoming a hit woman. Show me the person who doesn’t have abandonment issues, and I’ll show you the person who hasn’t figured it out yet. Finally, he blurted, “Um, because she has abandonment issues?” Nice try. Like the client I had who, when asked why his protagonist became a hit woman, paused for so long that it was clear he’d never even thought about it. ![]() So when asked why their protagonist did something, they’re stumped. Because writers are often discouraged from using backstory, it implies that they therefore don’t need to create backstory, either. The damage done by the avoid-backstory-myth goes even deeper. She wants unconditional love, she fears rejection. Without it, your protagonist has amnesia, so she can’t read meaning into anything, nor can she desire or fear anything except, of course, generically. The surprising truth is that backstory is the most seminal layer of any novel. Ironic, because by avoiding backstory, writers tend to doom their novels right out of the starting gate. ![]() Backstory is something writers often struggle with, largely because of the writing myths out there that make it seem like something that’s best avoided. ![]()
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