3
Looking forward to the next part then if it's regarding how a fight comes about. It's a fantastic topic, and really the crux of why we're all here in the first place!
But the topic at hand. I think point 3 is the single most important part of any backstory discussion. Exposition dump is the most frustrating part of any story (which I may or may not have been guilty of myself previously...). A backstory needs to be a) relevant and b) focused on how it affects the current situation the characters are in. Lets be honest here. Most people are here for the fight itself, or at least that's my observation. If they want exposition, they could always read a novel or watch a movie elsewhere. But, a quality backstory can absolutely enhance a story and provide context around the fight.
However, in my opinion it can be overdone too. A truly excellent story balances this. Much like the conversation around character description, your readers don't need their hand held. They can make connections, form their own opinions and fill in the blanks themselves. In some writing genres, backstory actually can be detrimental, as it reveals too much information before the payoff. One example of this in my opinion is in Star Wars, where Han Solo is a character who's roguish charm is actually enhanced by the fact that you know very little about his past, and what little information is revealed is unreliable anecdotes, drip fed throughout the trilogy. Solo, the movie which detailed more of his backstory, really was not necessary and did nothing to add to what was already a well rounded character. One could argue it detracted from the overall appeal of the character, especially when compared to Lando in that film.
That point about unreliable anecdotes is actually a great way to convey backstory though. Take, for example, a character who is put on a pedestal as a hero or well respected and regarded person, but has character flaws. Or a character who's past is sketchy and secretive. Having a third party or close confidant to those characters tell stories about those characters based on recollections or memories that may not be 100% accurate can give an aura of mystery and intrigue around the character you're describing, or even highlight where a character is viewed incorrectly by their peers.
It can be an incredibly valuable tool, but also hard to master where, when and how much you should include.
As for internal monologues. In my opinion they really should be confined to first person, or worst case a omnipresent narrator and sparingly at that. This ultimately gets back to the topic of character interactions. Why would Person A know what Person B is thinking? Unless they are a mind reader or Person A told Person B directly, it's impossible. Similarly, if you're watching a character from the eyes of "the audience" and the story is being narrated to you by a real person and not just a voice in the clouds, why would that narrator know what the character was thinking?
Think about it this way. By extension, an internal monologue is basically the character explaining to themself what is happening or what they are thinking. Do you ever do this in reality? No. I certainly don't. Certainly not to the extent of revealing large swathes of information in a block. Sure, there might be some narcissistic people who narrate their own life events in their head as they happen, but in the main I'd suggest those people are few and far between. There are obviously examples of when it might make sense in a story, but in the main, it tends to rip me out of a story I'm reading, and I rarely use it in my storytelling. This is another reason why writing in first person can be very difficult for some.
Note though, this is very different from a first person narrator. That is not an internal monologue. There's a difference between describing things to another person aka the audience, and describing things to yourself, where the audience has direct access into your mind. Read what you write and consider who the information is directed to.
Thanks again Kiva for your excellent series! As I said I definitely look forward to the next one!
Recent Posts? the canadian and said "bring them here and see mine are bigger" the crowd went wild and the Canadian was almost forced to press her tits against the latina. Their eyes met and the Canadian took a step back and launched forward to hit with her chest. The Latina took it as disrespect and grab a handful of hair.
