About the Book

Book: Focused Backstory

Author: Carol Alwood

Genre: Non-fiction, writing resource

Release Date: June 26, 2019

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, 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.

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.

Click HERE to get your copy.

About the Author

Carol Alwood has an unending passion for fiction, and she can’t think of a better way to spend her life than writing books for young adults and teaching about techniques she has learned along the way. With a Master of Education, experience as a content editor, and over a decade of establishing and working with critique groups, she is an excellent resource. An award-winning author, Carol finds joy in helping writers find the right tools to plan, draft and revise their novels so they can achieve excellence in storytelling.

More from Carol

Focused Backstory resulted from a personal quest to please industry critics who suggested I keep character history out of the first pages of my novels. My initial questions to this advice were: What? Why? I searched for resources to figure out how to write a more powerful beginning without relying on the past but found little help. On a mission to find answers, I studied popular books, television and movies to abstract what made stories work and — boom! I found it! We can break down backstory into simple pieces to use flexibly in any story without compromising artistry. This book provides definitions, examples, worksheets, templates, and comics to help writers study the art of using powerful character histories to keep readers turning pages. I’m so excited to offer this resource and hope it will empower your writing as it has mine.

My Review

At first glance, this book seems like an anomalous choice for me because I write book reviews and not novels, but it sounded interesting and I was hoping to glean some insights that I might be able to share with some of my friends who are writers. It never hurts to learn more about the craft you’re working with, either; I thought that I might learn something pertaining to the critical analysis of literature, which I employ in my reviews. I have to say, this book certainly surpassed my expectations!

Unlike many references books, “Focused Backstory” is not a dry, hackneyed text that might be accessed once in a long while for a particular topic but otherwise left to collect dust. On the contrary, author Carol Alwood brings her own expertise, honed by years of experience, to offer writers a vade mecum of character development. Regardless of the story you are writing, the characters become the focal point and can make or break the book. “Focused Backstory” concentrates on fictional writings, but the concepts have a ready application to other media as well. Alwood notes: “These tools will work when writing any story, from complicated literary works to short stories, screenplays, memoir, biography, and more.” For that matter, they are also appropriate for those interested in literary analysis.

“Focused backstory involves deep pain covered up with lies. A complete history is tedious. Focused backstory filled with pain is intriguing,” Alwood writes. “Once you have focused backstory, the core of your story, the possibilities are endless.” One of the best elements of this handbook is the way in which the author includes a multitude of examples, utilizing movie, book, and TV references to make her concepts easily understood. This book is such an engrossing study of developing engaging characters that I often felt like I was reading a psychology manual due to the incredible depth of the characters themselves.

“Focused Backstory” is a dynamic and interactive read. It identifies five focused backstories and the eleven elements that constitute them, branching out from there and building on how to compose a story with engaging characters. Alwood discusses the Enneagram Institute personality types and K.M. Weiland’s 8 ½ character archetypes, providing examples throughout the book for easy comprehension. Each chapter includes a brief epigraphic list of what will be covered and is bookended by a chapter summary and final writing tips. Within each chapter, Alwood employs tables for ready reference, templates, worksheets, and clues about an unwritten novel in order to demonstrate how to gradually reveal information to keep readers involved. She also uses bullet lists and endearing stick-figure illustrations. The combination of these methods reinforces learning in a practical and fun manner, and I highly recommend this book to all writers and to anyone interested in learning more about character development.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through CelebrateLit and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.