I'm bad at backstories.
Notoriously so.
I've come to realize that there are two parts to any character, their history, and their personality. Both have a massive influence on who they are, how they act and dress, what drives them, what their goals and dreams are. But I seem to be far better at pinning down a particular look, feel and persona for a character than what happened to them in their past to get them where they are now.
I can imagine up countless details of their costume, hairstyle, eye color, the way they walk, what weapons they carry, how they talk, and on and on. But ask me where they were born? What defined their childhood? What their job was before this? I have no earthly idea. And coming up with a complicated or even just layered backstory when I create the character in my mind is seemingly beyond me.
That's not to say my characters are all history-less personas with no past whatsoever, I simply tend to create backstory as I go, filling in events and past meetings as needed for the plot. A character needs to sympathize with another? Add in some past shared experience. The protagonist needs a good-talking to learn a lesson? Boom. Side character had a father who told stories, and she proceeds to give him one.
I'm pretty sure this isn't the best way to go about this, for a number of reasons. Continuity... Oh, of course these two characters have met before! Wait... they can't recognize each other later... Never mind. Progression of character arcs, clear ideas of goals and dreams, knowing how a character would respond to a given situation... the list goes on.
So I don't know which way is better. And I doubt I'll get any better without actually doing it, which I seem unable to do, so I don't know if the problem will ever solve itself.
Who knows? Maybe someday, but for now, I'll stick to what I do best. Picking out hairstyles and trench coats.
It is hard, getting everything into writing that needs to be there. It is a long list of trail and error. Find what works for you now and later, you can always try something new. I wish I had some grand advice for you, but my characters always come fully fleshed out, nine times out of ten, so I don't know how to add back stories or anything like that. Mine tend to just show up with them. I don't even know of any good writing blogs I could point you toward....but hopefully it all works out and you can find a way to get in back stories without too much of a problem.
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