Unbeknownst to Richard, Annan has also been offered the job of assassinating either the King himself or the King’s new Queen, Berengaria of Navarre. He was approached, before the King’s vanguard ever embarked from England, by Bishop Roderic’s emissary, and offered a hefty sum for killing the King.
At the time, this was everything I knew about the character and the inciting event. I used this information as a foundation to explore Annan’s motivations and history. At this early stage in the story, I had only the vaguest sense of who this character was and what he would have to do to reach the climax. Not until I began exploring his backstory did I truly come to understand him as a character—and, indeed, to understand that almost all my preconceptions about him were incorrect. Almost nothing in those original three paragraphs made it into the final story. He remained “tacit and solid,” but in the final version of the story, he actually declares he is “never an assassin.” After further exploration of both Annan and the other characters’ backstories, it turned out the bad guy Roderic of Devonshire, not Annan, was in King Richard I’s retinue. And, in fact, King Richard’s involvement in the story ended up being limited to a single scene.
This, in itself, is a fabulous example of why outlining is so valuable. An outline offers an indispensible amount of flexibility. Had I entered my first draft with these misconceptions about my character and my plot, I might have written half the book before realizing I was headed down the wrong road. The freedom found in crafting a backstory—and, indeed, every part of the outline—is the realization that nothing is set in stone. Explore every side alley, leave no stone unturned, and never be afraid of changing your story, no matter how radically, when a better idea comes along.
Exploration of Influencing Characters
After writing your general statement, you can progress to an exploration of the character’s past. I generally begin with my character’s place and date of birth, then move on to the relationships that have defined his life. Who are his parents? What are their backstories? Although, obviously, I don’t have time to explore the parents’ backstories in the same depth as the main character’s, I want to get a sense of the people who influenced the protagonist’s early life, particularly if his parents play an important role in the story proper. For example, in Dreamlander, the protagonist Chris Redston’s relationship with his alcoholic father is key to his own character development. Because the father was an important character, I was willing to devote several paragraphs to him:
His dad was a worker at the Motorola factories and moonlighted as a moderately successful writer of detective mysteries (his series was called Jack Hansen, P.D.). He was a bluff, handsome man, a good dad, and a loving husband—until the car accident that killed his wife and younger daughter. Chris broke his leg and cut open an arm that went through the window glass. Lisa, Chris’s older sister, suffered a minor concussion. Paul walked away with only minor bruises.
After that, Paul hit the bottle, barely hanging onto his job until Chris was in high school. Lisa took Chris in until he graduated. Neither of them maintained a good relationship with their dad. He was never mean—just self-absorbed in his guilt and his booze.
You’ll also want to explore your character’s relationship with his siblings and other important figures. In Marcus Annan’s case, the prominent figure in his youth wasn’t his father, but Lord William of Keaton, the knight to whom he was apprenticed. The depth to which you explore your character’s early relationships will depend on how integral each relationship seems to the story. Explore anything that looks like it might offer a crucial event in your character’s past or a grain of truth about his motivations.
Exploration of Education, Jobs, and Travel
How has this character spent his life? What’s his level of education? What jobs has he held? Where has he traveled?
The answers—or lack of them—may be portals to important discoveries about your character’s past. In researching Chris’s backstory, I learned his job as a foreign correspondent for an international magazine had given him plenty of opportunities to travel—and to escape his father. In Annan’s case, I stumbled across some shocking revelations: most notably that Annan had spent time, as a young man, in a monastery:
After Annan’s sister-in-law (and the twins she was pregnant with) were accidentally killed in a fight between Annan and his brother, a grief-ridden Annan joined a severe clan of monks to mend his ways and make up for his sin. His parents, even his brother, and especially Lord William of Keaton, were opposed to his ending such a promising career as a knight. But Annan cut off communications with them all.
That monastery—which I had no notion of prior to writing Annan’s backstory—became the catalyst for the entire book. It changed everything I thought I knew about both the characters and the plot.
Exploration of Personal Epochs
Although every detail in a backstory is important, since it contributes to the author’s understanding of his characters and plot, what you’re really looking for as you explore your characters’ histories are the epochs, the catalysts, and the notable events that have marked your characters’ lives, for better or worse, in ways they’ll never forget.
Usually, each backstory I write provides at least one nugget that transforms my understanding of the character: the car accident that tore Chris’s family apart, the time Annan spent in the monastery and the secrets he carried away from it. These are the bits of gold you’re searching for. The deeper you dig, the more likely you are to strike a rich vein, so don’t let yourself get off easy with a few sentences: “Sam was born in Massachusetts. Married his high-school sweetheart after college. They have two kids. He works as an accountant.” That kind of backstory gives you no insight into Sam’s character and no treasure trove to fund a luxurious plot.
Often, my backstory ends up being just as complex and detailed as the story itself. A relatively small amount of this backstory will show up in the novel, but this kind of in-depth background information provides an incredibly strong foundation. And the bits of backstory that do make an appearance will add extra sparkle to your story.
Using Backstory Correctly
The best backstories are those that influence a story without obstructing it. Backstory is often misunderstood, mostly because it has gained something of a bad reputation through misuse. As writers, we should neither underestimate this crucial storytelling technique, nor allow it to overwhelm our main stories. There’s a time and a place where backstory belongs—and a time and place where it doesn’t. Sometimes the only person who needs to know the backstory is the author.
It’s tempting to believe our readers are every bit as fascinated with our characters’ backstories as we are. But don’t be fooled. Readers are only interested in what’s gonna happen next. If your character’s favorite cat getting stuck in a tree when the character was six doesn’t affect what’s gonna happen next, readers couldn’t care less. So how do you tell about the cat in the tree without boring your reader into closing the book?
We need look no farther than Alexandre Dumas’s fanatically loved classic The Three Musketeers to find a masterful presentation of backstory. Athos, the de facto leader of the three musketeers, has a secret in his past. It’s a grim, astonishing, fascinating secret, and, as such, we might expect Dumas to have revealed it to the reader right away. Instead, Dumas holds back the secret for almost half the book, so he can deliver Athos’s backstory at the most poignant moment possible. And when he does reveal the secret, he gives the reader all he needs to know in a quick scene of dialogue that allows the story to proceed at full speed.
Dumas’s mastery of backstory teaches us a couple lessons:
• Hint early on that your character has a backstory, but don’t reveal what it is until the last possible moment, right before the information becomes crucial.
• Instead of indulging in lengthy flashback scenes that stall your momentum, present the backstory in a powerful punch with as few words as necessary.
&n
bsp; Another masterpiece of effective backstory is Fred Zinneman’s classic western High Noon, a movie that uses a rich and complex backstory to further the plot without overwhelming it. A viewing of High Noon teaches us that:
• We must give our characters a backstory. Every character in this movie has an intricate connection with the main character and the events that have brought the villain back to wreak vengeance.
• Sometimes the most effective backstories are those that are hinted at rather than told outright. We’re never told exactly what happened between protagonist Will Kane and the half dozen other main characters. We learn just what we need to know when we need to know it. You’ll find no lengthy flashback scenes in this story, and the result is a deepening of characterization that never slows the plot.
Backstory is there only because something had to come before Chapter One. It’s never the point of the story and, when we dwell on it too much, we risk deviating from our plot and testing our readers’ patience with our meandering and bloviating. Spending the necessary time to discover the depths of your story’s underwater iceberg, and then realizing how to properly use it to keep the rest of your story floating (instead of pulling it under), will pay rich dividends when the time comes to outline your novel’s plot.
Chapter Six Checklist
Identify your inciting event.
Write a general statement about your character.
Explore the influencing characters in your protagonist’s life.
Explore your character’s education, jobs, and travel.
Explore your character’s personal epochs.
Asking the Authors: Jody Hedlund
Bio: The award-winning and bestselling author of the historical romance novels The Preacher’s Bride and The Doctor’s Lady (Bethany House), Jody Hedlund received a bachelor’s degree from Taylor University and a master’s from the University of Wisconsin, both in Social Work. Visit her at http://www.jodyhedlund.blogspot.com.
Can you describe your outlining process?
First, I brainstorm for plot ideas. As I begin the research for a new book, I keep a running list of potential plot points. I jot down any and everything that looks interesting. I usually fill several notebook pages with all kinds of wild and crazy ideas.
Second, I brainstorm for my main characters. Again, as I read and research for the new story, I start writing down things I’d like to use for my characters. I keep a running list of possibilities in a notebook. Gradually, each character begins to take shape. Then, I transfer all the qualities I want to keep into my extensive character worksheets.
Third, I make a rough outline of my plot. From my brain-storm list, I pick and choose the “set pieces” or the most vital events in the story. I put those events in order and begin to fill in the other scenes that must happen to get from one major event to the next.
Fourth, I get to the point where I’m ready to write a short paragraph for each chapter. The paragraphs are not complex but are fleshed out enough that I can see in each a clear beginning, middle, and end to my story.
What is the greatest benefit of outlining?
The outline gives me a road map. I know the destination and a few of the major stops along the way (those “set pieces”). The rough map keeps me focused as I drive the story along.
What is the biggest pitfall of outlining?
The biggest pitfall is being too rigid. Just because we have our destination in mind doesn’t mean we have to know every inch of ground we’re going to cover to get there. As we move forward, we need to let our creativity have room to take our story onto new paths, perhaps more thrilling and winding and adventurous than we could have initially planned. In other words, if we stick too much to the original outline, we could stifle the creativity that comes as the story unfolds.
Do you recommend “pantsing” for certain situations and outlining for others?
I’ve never tried pantsing. I’m a tried and true plotter. Even when I write blog posts, I usually do best when I start with a simple outline.
What’s the most important contributing factor to a successful outlining experience?
Keep your destination in mind for both the plot and character arcs. But be flexible. Be willing to take detours. Be on the lookout for the stops and scenery you may not have anticipated in the outlining phase. Enjoy the journey and let it show in your writing.
Chapter Seven
Character Sketches, Pt. 2:
Character Interviews
“Characters take on life sometimes by luck, but I suspect it is when you can write more entirely out of yourself, inside the skin, heart, mind, and soul of a person who is not yourself, that a character becomes in his own right another human being on the page.”
—Eudora Welty
In the words of W. Somerset Maugham, “You can never know enough about your characters.”21 Do you know the color of your hero’s eyes? Do you know where the bad guy went to college? Do you know your heroine’s most embarrassing moment? Can you rattle off a list of your main character’s idiosyncrasies? Typical expressions? Romantic history?
If any one of these questions has you fumbling for an answer, you’re missing a prime opportunity to deepen your characters and expand your story. One of the most useful tools you can utilize is the “character interview.” My own interview started out as twenty or so basic questions regarding physical appearance and personality issues. Now it contains over one hundred precise and penetrating questions, designed to get creativity flowing and characters talking.
The character interview is a vital part of my outlining process. I’ll often fill up half a notebook with narrative answers to the most probing questions about my characters’ relationships, beliefs, and secrets. I refer to these lists continually throughout the actual writing process, not only for on-the-spot inspiration, but for fact checking (How old was he when his mother died? Did he break his left or his right leg in that car accident?).
Below, you’ll find the list of questions I use. (A printable version is available online in my free e-book Crafting Unforgettable Characters: A Hands-On Introduction to Bringing Your Characters to Life, available on my website at helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/resources/free-e-book.) Character inter-views are a lengthy process, so you may only want to focus on the point-of-view characters, the antagonist, and maybe one or two important minor characters. This part of the outlining process should get your brain juices foaming and raise all kinds of interesting tangents and opportunities for deepening the plot.
Character Interview
Name:
Does he like his name?
What does his name mean to him?
Background:
Birthday:
Place of birth:
Parents:
What was important to the people who raised him?
Siblings:
Economic/social status growing up:
Ethnic background:
Places lived:
Current address and phone number:
Education:
Favorite subject in school:
Special training:
Jobs:
Salary:
Travel:
Friends:
Lives with:
Fights with:
Spends time with:
Wishes to spend time with:
Who depends on him and why?
People he most admires:
How do other people view him?
Enemies:
Dating, marriage:
Children:
Overall outlook on life:
Relationship with God:
Does he like himself?
What, if anything, would he like to change about his life?
What personal demons haunt him?
Is he lying to himself about something?
Optimistic/Pessimistic:
Real/Feigned:
Morality level:
Confidence level:
Typical day:
Physical appearance:<
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Physical build:
Posture:
Head shape:
Eyes:
Nose:
Mouth:
Hair:
Skin:
Tattoos/piercings/scars:
Voice:
Clothing:
What people notice first:
How would he describe himself?
Health/disabilities/handicaps:
Characteristics:
Personality type:
Strongest/weakest character traits:
How can the flip side of his strong point be a weakness?
How much self-control and self-discipline does he have?
What makes him angry?
What makes him cry?
Fears:
What people, places, situations does he avoid?
Talents:
What people like best about him:
Interests and favorites:
Political views:
Collections:
Favorite food/drink:
Favorite music:
Favorite books:
Favorite movies:
Favorite sports/recreation:
Did he play in school?
Favorite color:
Childhood daydreams/current daydreams:
Best way to spend a weekend:
A great gift for this person:
Pets:
Vehicles:
Typical expressions:
When happy:
When angry:
When frustrated:
When sad:
When afraid:
Most used facial expressions and gestures (smirk, frown, wince, hand motion, shrug, eye contact):
Idiosyncrasies:
Laughs or jeers at:
Ways to annoy this person:
Ways to cheer up this person:
Hopes and dreams:
How does he see himself accomplishing these dreams?
Worst thing he’s ever done to someone:
Greatest success:
Biggest trauma:
Outlining Your Novel_Map Your Way to Success Page 9