by Peggy Bechko
Backstory can be a very important part of your novel or script, or it might not be needed at all at times. It depends on the scene and the characters involved. It’s something the writer needs to give attention to and think about.
If the backstory ties directly into the scene then it’s needed and will give the reader or watcher even more to chew on than the action directly in front of them. Or perhaps your story contains backstory that provides the reader information that will result in the reader gaining a deeper understanding as to what is at stake in the story you’re creating. Or, maybe the information in the backstory that’s being provided adds such punch, such power that the scene in question will be greatly diminished by the simple leaving out of that backstory information. You don’t want to leave out important information any more than you want to put in what isn’t important.