Writing Tips and Reviews

Tragic Backstories

For a few characters, sure why not? For all of them? Are you even trying? Tragic backstories are meant to portray a certain light to a character. Maybe it's what defines them, maybe they want to change it or right what's wrong, or maybe they just want to move past it. In any case, you have to do it right. "My sister said something mean to me" is not a tragic backstory no matter how much you want it to be. Being rejected by your parents because you were born with something (let's say, the marking of an ancient organization that's known for its crimes) is a tragic backstory.

What's next to is to figure what they did after that time. Did they fight back? Did they coward away and sit in the corner crying? Did they run away from home to seek a new life? Or were they kicked out of their home? All reasonable.

How does it effect them now? What will they do when they face their past? How will they react?

My problem is when it's done wrong, and for every character it's just a copy and paste for each of them. And please, no character brags about their tragic backstory. "Feel sorry for me! I have a tragic backstory" that sounds like a whiny kid. Having a character cry when they're backstory is revealed is another thing entirely.

Backstories are different for each character, while some may have the same experience, how they feel isn't always going to be the same. Most don't even need a tragic backstory and some don't even have a backstory. Depending on which route you go, it still has to effect the character unless they've dealt with their past.