The Art of Writing’s newest lecture and why understanding it is imperative.
Laurel Cohn, Editing and Manuscript Development Services
In this second part of our look at backstory, we wanted to cover how to covertly insert your character’s history. And why we do that. Our new lecturer on backstory, Laurel Cohn, says the art of inserting backstory is crucial. Something we all need to learn and understand. Laurel is the newest member of our teaching team and is a regular workshop presenter for Writing NSW, Writers Victoria, Queensland Writers Centre and Byron Writers Festival. She has a PhD in Literary and Cultural Studies. (Read Part 1 here.)
Literary agents and publishers often turn manuscripts away because backstory has appeared way too early. Writers have started with their character’s history before the reader has engaged with the character. Before story has been established. Backstory can notoriously bog down a manuscript, particularly in the early chapters. Laurel says she sees this again and again. How can writers avoid that?
Laurel: Yes, this is a common issue in manuscript development. And let me be specific – particularly in chapter 2 after a dramatic event in chapter 1! It’s as if the writer is saying to the reader, ‘I’ve started with something to grab your attention, but hang on a minute, let me pause to fill you in.’ I understand why writers do this; you need a certain amount of backstory for a reader to engage and identify with characters and places but need to steer clear of what editors call ‘info dumps’, slabs of information that slow the pace or stall the narrative. The problem writers often have is recognising which bit of backstory is necessary for the reader to know and where to put it. From my experience, it's a lot less than you think. And, a lot later than you think.
There are loads of clever ways to incorporate backstory. Slip it in, rather than blatantly laying down great slabs of background text - which is what we want to avoid at all costs. Inserting character’s history can be as simple as:
-
It reminded him/her of when …
-
A shape took place in her mind’s eye…
-
The sharpness of Frank’s tone jolted images of her father. She bristled thinking of…
-
Or more simply…She remembered when
It is a writing trick that can and must be understood and used. In the Art of Writing retreat, we also discuss this during our Sense of Place class.
Writing styles have changed in literary circles over the last few decades. There have been incredible shifts in the last ten, even five years. What was acceptable in prose a few years ago is now being discarded by agents and publishers because your story must start with some kind of emotional urgency. A need for readers to turn the page.
From now on, when you read, always notice how the author is handling their backstory. It’s become a bit of a thing with me (among many other ‘things’ when I read. I am definitely thingie). I’m always looking at how writers cleverly include backstory. How they’ve stayed in the present with the story yet slipped back in time to an event that caused the characters’ current reactions and responses.
***
Looking forward to hearing more about your use of backstory! My best from Florence and happy writing, Lisa
If you’d like to share any comments or thoughts, I’d be happy to hear from you. Email me directly at lisacliffordwriter@gmail.com