Fleshing a character versus spanning paragraphs and chapters

[NotaNuffian]

I have been there before; read about a chill old druid self sacrificing himself for his party and suddenly, backstory time.

For just chunky three paragraphs, his entire sad story got vomitted out and while I still feel emotional for the character, the backstory thing is still jarring.

Then in the other work, I read a character that I did not care about but the author insisted I should. Why? Four bloody chapters kept on flashing his "sad" story and then tens of chapters later, dude died. I recalled my emotion was "that was a waste of my time".

Authors, how do you gauge *wibbly wobbly backstory hoki poki* amount versus spending words on them?

 

[Envylope]

I stop thinking about the emotional impact as much, and I start thinking about the relevancy. If you think too much about emotional impact, you will find yourself forcing things to make the reader sad.

There was this story I was writing. The main character's mother died soon after she was born, but the story never went over it until it became relevant. I didn't linger on it, I simply delivered it. Also, this character had a piece of trash father, but his death was sad. Mostly because she realized that her regrets wouldn't be realized, yet she forgave him.

Again, this second scene didn't linger. His death played out, she cried for him, and she lamented that all of their trauma wouldn't be mended. Guess what? The story continued after that. I never thought too deeply about the emotional impact of that scene. I was just playing it as natural as possible, yet several readers told me they cried. So I think I did something right.

 

[JayMark]

I stop thinking about the emotional impact as much, and I start thinking about the relevancy. If you think too much about emotional impact, you will find yourself forcing things to make the reader sad.

There was this story I was writing. The main character's mother died soon after she was born, but the story never went over it until it became relevant. I didn't linger on it, I simply delivered it. Also, this character had a piece of trash father, but his death was sad. Mostly because she realized that her regrets wouldn't be realized, yet she forgave him.

Again, this second scene didn't linger. His death played out, she cried for him, and she lamented that all of their trauma wouldn't be mended. Guess what? The story continued after that. I never thought too deeply about the emotional impact of that scene. I was just playing it as natural as possible, yet several readers told me they cried. So I think I did something right.

I just write what is interesting and relevant in the moment too. I know the moment is sad if I start crying while writing it, which I've done alot when I'm too emotionally invested in the process.

 

[NotaNuffian]

I stop thinking about the emotional impact as much, and I start thinking about the relevancy. If you think too much about emotional impact, you will find yourself forcing things to make the reader sad.

There was this story I was writing. The main character's mother died soon after she was born, but the story never went over it until it became relevant. I didn't linger on it, I simply delivered it. Also, this character had a piece of trash father, but his death was sad. Mostly because she realized that her regrets wouldn't be realized, yet she forgave him.

Again, this second scene didn't linger. His death played out, she cried for him, and she lamented that all of their trauma wouldn't be mended. Guess what? The story continued after that. I never thought too deeply about the emotional impact of that scene. I was just playing it as natural as possible, yet several readers told me they cried. So I think I did something right.

I just write what is interesting and relevant in the moment too. I know the moment is sad if I start crying while writing it, which I've done alot when I'm too emotionally invested in the process.

So at that moment.

Got it.

That's 1400 words about to be deleted/ shelved, again.

I am sad that I am basing my writing on word count.

I no longer write for joy, just for quota.

This is an unpaid job T_T

 

[CharlesEBrown]

If the backstory is important to the MC or the main plot, it will eventually come out. Otherwise, it either stays in my head or becomes a note to maybe use somewhere else.

 

[CinnaSloth]

idk. if a backstory wasn't important enough to talk about when they were alive, it isn't important afterward.

I HATED watching a 3-4 episode backstory of some dying character in Bleach, right smack in the middle of the fight vs Ichigo they're currently dying in.. Hated it. I didn't care then. Don't care now.

it's like a boss character in a videogame summoning random BS adds to fight you because you just whooped their ass in phase one
and yet.. phase two for some reason ALSO needs random enemy summon instead of just letting me kick ass..

 

[NotaNuffian]

If the backstory is important to the MC or the main plot, it will eventually come out. Otherwise, it either stays in my head or becomes a note to maybe use somewhere else.

Problem with my head is leaking.

And even if I put into words, future me will still fudge it.

*shrug*