In the realm of storytelling, a backstory, or background information, serves as a crucial set of events that either establishes a character's past or precedes and leads up to the main plot. This literary device is frequently employed to imbue a story with greater depth and believability, making the narrative more compelling for the audience. For actors, a backstory involves creating a fictional history for their character before the main plot events,
a process undertaken during their preparation for a role. The strategic use of backstory can significantly enhance the audience's understanding and engagement with the narrative.
Unveiling the Past: Methods of Revelation
Backstories are typically revealed, either partially or in full, as the main narrative unfolds. This revelation can occur chronologically or through other narrative structures. Story creators also have the option to develop portions of a backstory, or even an entire backstory, purely for their own internal use, without necessarily presenting all of it directly to the audience. The methods through which backstory can be conveyed are diverse, offering writers a range of tools to integrate past events into the present narrative.
These methods include flashbacks, which are scenes that take the narrative back in time to depict events that occurred earlier. Dialogue is another common means, where characters discuss past events, revealing crucial information to each other and to the audience. Direct narration, summary, and exposition also serve as effective ways to deliver background information. Recollection, a specific fiction-writing mode, plays a significant role in conveying backstory by allowing a character to call something to mind or remember it, bringing forth information from earlier in the story or from before its beginning.
The Role of Recollection in Narrative
Recollection, while not always recognized as a distinct fiction-writing mode, is widely utilized by authors. It enables a fiction writer to introduce past information through a character's memory. However, the use of recollection requires careful consideration to maintain plausibility. As observed by Orson Scott Card, if a character recalls a memory at a pivotal moment to make a key decision, it might appear as an implausible coincidence if that memory could have been accessed at any point.
To make recollection more believable, Card suggests that if a memory is intended to prompt a present decision, then that memory itself must have been triggered by a recent event. This approach ensures that the act of remembering feels organic and integrated into the narrative's flow, rather than a convenient plot device. By thoughtfully employing recollection, authors can provide valuable backstory without disrupting the narrative's internal logic or the audience's suspension of disbelief.
Backstory in a Shared Universe and Continuity Challenges
In the context of a shared universe, the creation and management of backstory become more complex, as multiple authors may contribute to shaping the same historical narrative. This collaborative environment can sometimes lead to challenges, particularly when a newly created backstory conflicts with a previously established main story. In such instances, a narrative adjustment device known as retroactive continuity, or "retcon" for short, may be employed.
Retcons are used to modify or reinterpret past events in a fictional universe to accommodate new narrative developments or to resolve inconsistencies. This ensures that the overarching continuity of the shared universe remains coherent, even as new elements are introduced or existing ones are re-evaluated. The careful management of backstory, especially in expansive shared universes, is essential for maintaining a consistent and believable fictional world for the audience.
