Backstory is one of the most powerful—and fun—tools we have as fiction writers.
It deepens character, enriches the present action, and helps readers make sense of a character’s motivations, desires, and emotional complexity. When done well, backstory doesn’t interrupt the flow of your narrative—it enhances it.
In this post, I’ll walk you through six key types of backstory, how they show up in fiction, and how to use them strategically in your writing.
1. Context
Context backstory provides readers with a look into your character’s past environments—both external and internal—through descriptive narrative.
These can be:
• Spatial environments (e.g., the house they grew up in)
• Temporal environments (e.g., a specific time period like the summer of 1978)
• Emotional environments (e.g., the mood and feel of a childhood household)
Example:
“The old, rusted out car at the side of the house wasn’t just a car; it was a silent symbol…” *
In this example, the physical object (the car) becomes a container for layered meaning—a tool to deliver emotional and historical resonance without breaking the story flow. We see both the sweetness of childhood memories and the trauma of a life-altering accident in one compact scene.
*For the entire example, view my video on backstory on YouTube.
2. Memory / Recollection
Backstory through memory typically emerges when something in the present triggers a character’s recollection.
Triggers can include:
• An event (a funeral, wedding, or birth)
• Another character (someone who resembles or reminds the protagonist of someone else)
• An object (a necklace, a flower, a familiar song)
This can take the form of:
A brief expository recollection
A vivid flashback scene
A drip of information spread throughout the story
3. Flashback
Flashbacks are full-blown scenes from an earlier time that interrupt the main story. Unlike descriptive context, flashbacks tend to be dramatized with dialogue, action, and vivid setting details.
Think of a flashback as a scene, not a summary.
Example from Miranda’s Garden:
“Her parents call again. Miranda takes one last look at her creation, wishes it well with a bow, and dashes back into the corn…” *
This excerpt plunges us into Miranda’s lived experience with rich detail and emotional intensity. The flashback becomes a living, breathing part of the story world.
*For the entire example, view my video on backstory on YouTube.
Novels that use flashbacks well:
• The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
• Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
4. Drip
Drip backstory is when you reveal a character’s past in small, carefully placed bits throughout the narrative—never all at once.
This technique keeps readers curious and engaged, often building suspense or emotional impact.
Example from Miranda’s Garden
“Miranda lived with a kind of Illusion, which had infiltrated her awareness many years before, starting with the death of her parents when she was five…”
Just one line, and yet we glimpse a major trauma that shapes Miranda’s inner world. The reader wants to know more.
Novels that use drip backstory:
• The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
• V for Vendetta by Alan Moore & David Lloyd
• Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
5. Exposition / Summary
Exposition is the direct telling of backstory, either through the narrator’s voice or through indirect cues like action, dialogue, or setting.
This can be:
Direct: The narrator explains what happened.
Indirect: We learn through implication, mood, or metaphor.
Examples:
• The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (direct explanation of hobbits and their lifestyle)
• The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (direct)
• One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez (both direct and indirect)
Use exposition sparingly—but don’t be afraid to use it. Sometimes, a quick summary is the most efficient way to ground your reader in the story world.
6. Dialogue
Dialogue is one of the most natural and seamless ways to slip backstory into your fiction. When done well, it reveals history, relationship dynamics, and emotional stakes—without feeling like exposition.
Example:
“So, how do you know Marcus?” Rochelle asked.
“Oh, we go way back,” said Ayla.
…
“Let’s just say we got into some things…”
“What kinds of things…?”
“Think vacant houses, a secret club, and a vow to never tell anyone about any of it.” *
Here, the backstory unfolds like a game of cat and mouse. The reader becomes part of the conversation, piecing together history with every line.
*For the entire example, view my video on backstory on YouTube.
Novels that use dialogue-based backstory:
• The Salt Witch by Martha Wells
• Your Fathers, Where Are They? And the Prophets, Do They Live Forever? by Dave Eggers
Final Thoughts: Why Backstory Matters
Backstory is more than filler. It’s an engine for character development, emotional resonance, and thematic depth.
When we as writers explore our characters’ pasts, we don’t just create richer stories—we come to understand their present-day fears, desires, and behaviors on a deeper level. And when we understand them better, so do our readers.
Backstory is where we connect the dots, where the emotional truth of a character is born.
Want to learn more?
My next flip book—What You Need to Know About Backstory to Write Good Fiction—is almost ready. In it, I’ll be sharing tips to help you decide which backstory approach best suits your characters, your genre, and your narrative structure.
To receive a notification about when it and other upcoming flip books are available, follow me on YouTube and Substack.
Until then…
As always, sending you mad writing mojo.
Happy writing!
— Johnnie
