Backstory that makes or breaks your characters

So did you write yesterday?  If so, A big HUUUEEY to you (and me).  If not, GIMME FIFTY, Sucker. (Click the link if you don't know what that means--then come back after you've finished the fifty.)

 

The Mystery of Your Protagonist

I want you to pull out the inciting incident from yesterday and reread it. Don't edit.  Now think about clues to your characters that come out of this incident. 
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Characterization is like slowly revealing a series of clues to a fictional person. Done well, it creates the illusion of seeing into his soul.  An effective character is someone we care about.  And it has to start right here, at the start..  

Choose a character--any character--at the moment of the inciting incident.  How did he get here?  Why?  We need to know his BACKSTORY so we can project effective clues to his soul as we write the book.  This backstory may never appear in the book.  Or maybe just a few words will seep in now and then, but it will be in your head and will come out between the words.

That's it's calling. 

I repeat, it should seep into your story mostly between the words. Through the character's voice, attitude, style and actions, we start to understand his past.  Then when you throw in a tidbit of fact from the backstory, it fills in a gap for us. Like finding out your next door neighbor's hidden past ... scintillating.

So choose one character.  If he's a killer, why?  How come he painted the victim's nails?  If she's the star of your novel, how did she get to this inciting moment?  What kept her from her childhood dreams? --made her leave her husband?  

I'm working with a plumber sleuth in my current WIP so I'll share what I'm working on today.  This guy is thirty-five, pot-bellied and spends a lot of evenings at The Pink Flamingo--the local titty bar.   He was once the star of the football team--ripped and handsome.  He made almost straight As and went off to a good college.  

So what happened?  That's his story.  I need to know that before I can write any further.  

Have a great write, 

Lucie