| You've got an idea for a novel. You have been | | | | something that will appear in your books, but it will |
| thinking about it for a certain amount of time, and | | | | vastly help you write, and will make them |
| you have hopes that one day your novel will be | | | | believable on a deep level. |
| published, read and enjoyed. And you can feel | | | | When you create the back story, go to at least |
| satisfied knowing that your idea, your story has | | | | three different areas in your characters past, and |
| been expressed, accepted and enjoyed by many. | | | | invent situations that when taken collectively, will |
| Perhaps you have already started a draft; | | | | give them real life in the present time of the |
| perhaps you're in the beginning stages. | | | | narrative. For example, if your character has a |
| One thing that can dramatically boost the success | | | | strong aversion to organized religion, the three |
| of your novel is real and believable characters. | | | | scenarios might be as follows: |
| There is one technique that can powerfully | | | | When he was six, his beloved grandfather died, |
| enhance this, making your characters more | | | | and nobody gave him a satisfactory answer why. |
| accessible to your readers, and making them | | | | When he was fourteen, he witnesses a priest |
| much more easier to write. | | | | performing an illicit act with a nun. |
| Every character has weaknesses, anxieties, | | | | When he was in high school, a girl he had a crush |
| prejudices, and lack of skills in certain areas. Just | | | | on a girl who wouldn't date him because he didn't |
| like ordinary people. It is these frailties that make | | | | belong to the proper church. |
| it incredibly engaging when they overcome them | | | | Now in the present day, your character has a |
| and succeed. An easy way to do this is to think | | | | deep, believable loathing for religion. It will help you |
| of three or four weaknesses to give your | | | | greatly if you can write a few pages for the |
| character. Once you come up with these, then | | | | above scenarios. You will be amazed how well it |
| you can think of a "back story" of how these | | | | will help you write not only your characters |
| weaknesses came to be. This doesn't have to be | | | | behavior, but their dialogue as well. |