That character backstory I swore was essential took me 11 hours to write

I spent all of last Saturday trying to craft a three-page origin story for a side character that appears in one scene, and it still felt hollow. Has anyone else burned a full day on background details that never made it into the actual story?

3 comments

3 Comments

xenaf511mo ago

The 11-hour side character pit is real. What worked for me was writing a quick 3-bullet list of their core motivation and personality, then letting the rest of the details come out naturally as they interact with the main story.

the_miles1mo ago

You ever try to plan out every little detail for a side character before you even start writing? That was me for years. I used to think I had to know their whole life story, favorite color, middle name, everything. @xenaf51's method here flipped a switch for me. Now I just jot down three quick points on what they want and why, and the rest reveals itself as I go. Like I had this bartender character who was supposed to just serve drinks, but his motivation was "wants to protect his regulars." That one bullet point turned him into the guy who kicked out a slimy ex-boyfriend in chapter four, something I never would have planned ahead. It gave him room to breathe instead of me choking him with a backstory no one cares about.

torres.grant29d ago

Man yeah I feel that one hard. I used to spend way too much time building out these huge backstories for characters who barely show up, and then I'd get stuck because nothing felt right about them. @the_miles that bartender example is perfect though, it's wild how one simple want can just unlock so much without you having to force it. I still catch myself slipping into old habits sometimes but it's way more fun just letting them surprise you.