Backstory
Abackstory,background story,background,orlegendis a set of events invented for aplot,preceding and leading up to that plot. Inacting,it is the history of thecharacterbefore the drama begins, and is created during the actor's preparation.[1][2]These terms are also used in espionage.
Usage
[edit]As aliterary device,backstory is often employed to lend depth or believability to themain story.The usefulness of having adramatic revelationwas recognized byAristotle,inPoetics.[citation needed]
Backstories are usually revealed, partially or in full, chronologically or otherwise, as the main narrative unfolds. However, astorycreator may also create portions of a backstory or even an entire backstory that is solely for their own use.[3]
Backstory may be revealed by various means, includingflashbacks,dialogue,direct narration,summary,recollection,andexposition.The originalStar Warsfilm and its first twosequelsare examples of a work with a preconceived backstory, which was later released as the "prequel"second set of three films.[citation needed]
Recollection
[edit]Recollectionis thefiction-writing modewhereby a character calls something to mind, or remembers it. A character's memory plays a role for conveying backstory, as it allows a fiction-writer to bring forth information from earlier in the story or from before the beginning of the story. Although recollection is not widely recognized as a distinct fiction-writing mode, recollection is commonly used by authors of fiction.
Orson Scott Cardobserved that "If it's a memory the character could have called to mind at any point, having her think about it just in time to make a key decision may seem like an implausible coincidence..." Furthermore, "If the memory is going to prompt a present decision, then the memory in turn must have been prompted by a recent event."[4]
Shared universe
[edit]In ashared universemore than one author may shape the same backstory. The later creation of a backstory that conflicts with a previously written main story may require the adjustment device known asretroactive continuity,informally known as "retcon".[citation needed]
Acting
[edit]Actors may create their own backstories for characters, going beyond the sometimes meager information in a script. Filling in details helps an actor interpret the script and create fully imagined characters.[5]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^Backstory at Merriam Webster online
- ^Backstory at Dictionary.com
- ^Backstory: The Importance of What Isn't Told
- ^Card, Orson Scott (1988), "Character & Viewpoint", p. 113. Cincinnati, OH: Writer's Digest Books.ISBN0-89879-307-6.
- ^Homan, Sidney; Rhinehart, Brian (2018). "3".Comedy Acting for Theatre: The Art and Craft of Performing in Comedies.Bloomsbury Publishing.ISBN9781350012783.Retrieved26 November2018.
