Tonight on the Write Stuff — Focused Backstory: The Key to Writing Deep Character Journeys with Carol Alwood

Learn how to write characters readers will love. Has an industry professional told you not to dump character history at the beginning of your story? If so, you aren’t alone. But what’s the solution to this common advice? Most writers take the time to design interesting characters with troubled pasts. They long for readers to care about the characters’ lives. However, the sad truth is on page one, readers don’t care — yet. That’s why industry gurus tell writers to stop overusing character history, also called backstory, at the beginning of stories.

Have you ever wondered… How to use backstory correctly? What are the ways other writers successfully incorporate backstory into their work? Do tools exist to help writers better plan stories so the backstory isn’t such a problem?

In Focused Backstory: The Key to Writing Deep Character Journeys, you’ll find answers to these questions and more. You’ll learn how to avoid the dreaded info-dump and instead harness curiosity so readers keep turning pages. This resource breaks down focused backstory into simple pieces to use flexibly in any story no matter what genre or length.

Join me as I chat with Carol Alwood about effectively using backstory to create deep character journeys on Tuesday, June 29th at 7 pm Eastern. You can call in at 646–668–8485 and press 1 to be live on air. Download Stitcher on your mobile device. Follow us on iTunes and iHeartreadio. Add PJC Media to your Spotify library, or click on the link here: http://tobtr.com/s/11965956.