Tbh I just spent a full month stuck on a single character's backstory

I kept trying to make it this grand, tragic thing, but it just felt fake. Anyone else get totally blocked on something that should be simple?

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3 Comments

williams.kim6mo ago

Oh wow, that's so true.

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patriciareed7mo ago

Forget the tragic backstory, that's the problem. Most people aren't walking around with a grand opera in their past. Give them one weird hobby, a dumb grudge against a fast food chain, and a sibling they're kinda competitive with. That feels real. A month is too long to be stuck on one person who doesn't exist yet.

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murphy.linda7mo ago

You say most people don't have a grand opera in their past, but you're selling real life short. Quiet tragedies are everywhere, they just don't make a big show of it. Dismissing that depth makes characters feel fake, not real.

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