It's All About Backstory
Backstory, the stuff that happens before the book essentially starts, is often the key to why a book won't go forward. At least it is for me.
I have to know a lot about the people I'm writing about -- and not just at the moment the book begins -- but about a lot of the moments that brought them to the beginning of the book.
I know that Spence is a self-made man, a boy who grew up in a hard-scrabble mining family in Butte, Montana. He was a boy who knew no one else was going to take care of him, so he had to take care of himself. And he did. He had ambition enough for twenty. And he was never afraid of hard work. That part I knew about Spence very early on. It made him who he very clear is -- wealthy, successful, hard-nosed, determined -- and a champion of the underdog. It was how he ended up getting a part in Theo's book.
But there are other parts of Spence's life that I don't completely know about yet -- like how he has always felt about Sadie. They've been a part of each other's life for as long as Sadie can remember. She was his buddy's kid sister. And, of course, early on she was a 'kid sister' to Spence, too.
But did that ever change? Did he ever -- when she was 16 or 18 -- look at her and see someone other than Danny's sister? Did he ever want her? And if he did, why didn't he ever do anything about it? If he didn't, why should that change?
Tricky questions -- and ones that Spence seems disinclined to answer right now. For all that he is frank and forthright about many things, he keeps his emotional cards very close to his chest. At least the emotional ones that matter. At least he isn't telling me much about them!
I bribed him with an island, and he's still ho-humming. Maybe he'll tell you guys what he won't tell me. Maybe if I invited him to blog . . .
What do you think?
I have to know a lot about the people I'm writing about -- and not just at the moment the book begins -- but about a lot of the moments that brought them to the beginning of the book.
I know that Spence is a self-made man, a boy who grew up in a hard-scrabble mining family in Butte, Montana. He was a boy who knew no one else was going to take care of him, so he had to take care of himself. And he did. He had ambition enough for twenty. And he was never afraid of hard work. That part I knew about Spence very early on. It made him who he very clear is -- wealthy, successful, hard-nosed, determined -- and a champion of the underdog. It was how he ended up getting a part in Theo's book.
But there are other parts of Spence's life that I don't completely know about yet -- like how he has always felt about Sadie. They've been a part of each other's life for as long as Sadie can remember. She was his buddy's kid sister. And, of course, early on she was a 'kid sister' to Spence, too.
But did that ever change? Did he ever -- when she was 16 or 18 -- look at her and see someone other than Danny's sister? Did he ever want her? And if he did, why didn't he ever do anything about it? If he didn't, why should that change?
Tricky questions -- and ones that Spence seems disinclined to answer right now. For all that he is frank and forthright about many things, he keeps his emotional cards very close to his chest. At least the emotional ones that matter. At least he isn't telling me much about them!
I bribed him with an island, and he's still ho-humming. Maybe he'll tell you guys what he won't tell me. Maybe if I invited him to blog . . .
What do you think?
posted by Anne McAllister at 2:21 PM
3 Comments:
I think you should let him blog.
Or maybe you should ask him -- if he did notice Sadie, why did he feel the need to pretend he didn't. What was he worried about losing? Why was it important for him NOT to notice her as anything but a kid sister? It seems to me from what you describe, he has some pretty important emtional reasons for making sure he only thinks of her as a kid sister, but maybe that is just me.
Heros can like to hold things back from writers.
Wow, there's just no pleasing some men! (Did you actually offer him a whole island?!)
I love the idea of inviting Spence to blog.
You know, I think that could really work for my hero too! Instead of doing a questionnaire (which my characters tend not to complete fully), I'll set them some blogging homework (for my eyes only, of course).
Thanks so much for this idea Anne. And I hope Spence spills the beans soon!
Michelle, I think you're absolutely right -- heroes very often keep secrets from writers. In this case, though, I suspect this may even be a secret Spence kept from himself. We shall see.
MsCreativity, yes, a whole island! He's a real estate investor, so it isn't just for him -- and it's a business deal, which is what he does best. No threat there. I think the blog might be. But I've tossed the blog offer on the table along with the island . . . now it's up to him! And good luck on your book! Hope the blog homework helps your characters, too.
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