LT Tips Post: How to make character backstories for AU's/OC's

✰ 𝑾𝒆𝒍𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝑳𝒊𝒕 𝑻𝒆𝒂𝒎'𝒔 𝑷𝒐𝒔𝒕 ✰

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

╔⊶⊶⊶⊶⊶✞⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷╗

Hello Cadets!

Have you ever wanted to add more depth to your Roleplay? Maybe give it something extra to make the characters feel more realistic? Then I suggest you keep reading, a backstory for your character might be just what you need! A backstory can really help your character, (canon or original), really stick out. The difference between making a Backstory for a original character is you're making one based on the canon universe while if you're making a Backstory for an Au of some kind then if can be a bit tricky!

We hope this is helpful and that you enjoy these tips!

             ╚⊶⊶⊶⊶⊶✞⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷╝

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

┊         ┊       ┊   ┊    ┊        ┊

┊         ┊       ┊   ┊   ˚✩ ⋆｡˚ ✩

┊         ┊       ┊   ✫

┊         ┊       ☪⋆

┊ ⊹     

✯ ⋆      ┊ . ˚

˚

Tip Set #1

Here are some amazing tips by Pato

Hi there!! I’m Pato from Lit Team and

today I’ll be helping you write a good

backstory for your original character.

and or just for any roleplay you’ll be...

in. Now a backstory, what I like to.......

think of, is like the foundation of your

character. The background will build..

up their beliefs, how they make..........

decisions, and what their personality..

is like! That background holds a lot of

the main points to that character!

Now what makes up a good backstory?

For one, it has to make sense and it has

to be realistic. For instance, if my oc......

grew up being told that chocolate is bad

their present tense wouldn’t just be.........

eating chocolate 24/7, they’d be hesitant

or even stray away from it. Or maybe for

instance like Sasha Braus, she grew up...

in a family that hunts. Meaning she has...

a sense for knowing what to hear for and

is skilled with a bow. The backstory has a

main job of how your character thinks and

their skills. The background has to fit with

the present tense of your character in a rp.

Building a backstory can be a lot to wrap....

your head around. So I like to start by brea-

-king down my character. I’ll use my oc for

example. He likes quiet environments and

fumbles when in hectic situations. I want to

give a reason to why he’s like that in my.....

backstory. He’s used to solidarity, and grew

up rarely hearing loud noises. It almost like

you’re giving reasoning to how your oc is...

the way they are. There is so much room

for creativity when creating a background

so have fun tossing ideas back and forth!

I hope this helped! Seee ya in the next post!

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Tip Set #2

Here are some good tips by Moon

The importance of developing a backstory should not be rushed, since a backstory is what makes a character or original character unique, it should be thought out thoroughly. For starters, a backstory is a history or background that relates to a fictional character. When thinking of a backstory, it should be coherent and should make sense, leaving no details behind.

For canon characters, developing a backstory would be most beneficial when roleplaying in an alternate universe (also known as a AU). You would need to make a certain character fit that type of roleplay that you are doing, by adjusting them into specific setting/ environment. Letting the character adapt that role over time.

For original characters, the backstory should be unique to them. Starting with the original character's name you develop their personality and their background.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Tip Set #3

Here's Zoey's way of writing backstories

Writing a backstory is very important as it is the driving point for not only your original Character but for Cannon characters as well because it will describe the events that they have been through and show us the reasons that they act a certain way. I am here today to give some tips on how to write a backstory.

When writing a backstory you need to get a strong foundation or rather how you want your backstory to be laid out. Creating a backstory can be so much fun as it allows for so much creativity as one way to write a backstory think about your character and where they came from, for example my oc Zoey Castle has a tragic backstory as when writing her I wanted to make a backstory that people will feel her emotions and how she is today.

Making a backstory is really fun for example when making your backstory you want to make sure that you you are being as descriptive and possible, being descriptive is a key factor when writing a backstory as you want to make sure that you are describe the characteristics of your character, the Emotions and feelings of what they went through and to where they are now as a person which can be very important because if you are just putting things without being descriptive than you are not going to have a well thought out backstory.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Tip Set #4

These fantastic tips were made by Cujoh

Hello everyone! Today I'll be giving tips about how to write a backstory for your character! Creating a backstory isn't as hard as many people think, it's actually really easy. Anyway, here are my tips!

So, first things first, you need to have an idea of how the backstory should go. I usually go from the character's childhood times, then the teenage years and then adulthood, depending on how old your character is. If you have trouble thinking of a backstory, think about your character's personality and use it to create the backstory. Ask yourself "Why does your character act like that? Why are they like that? What is the reason?" and try to incorporate it into your backstory. For example, if your character is a quiet one that gets scared or anxious very easily, try and think of a reason why they're like that; maybe a rough childhood for example?

The second thing I would like to mention for creating backstories is that you should try and make you character's backstory be similar to your own backstory. Give you character life, make him or her look more realistic with that kind of backstory! The most realistic backstories are the ones we, the people face in our lifetimes. I personally, for my RPG OC, mixed up my personal backstory with the Attack on Titan style of life, to make a unique backstory that is familiar to you.

Anyway, that is all from me! Hope my tips helped you with creating a backstory! See you in the next tips post, cheers!

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Tip Set #5

These amazing tips were made by Petra

When developing a backstory make sure to always show and not tell! For example.…

—Dialogue.

This allows interaction and to reveal secretive parts of the backstory with the other character, and allows others to compare their OC's or Cannon's backstories with them!

—Flashbacks!

Alters triggering or valid/important moments in their past to unlock the next interaction! Make sure not to make it so harsh otherwise youll not have enough detail during the next flashback.

— Actions with Relevance!

When writing character backstory, ‘relevance’ is key. Any event you describe in detail from your character’s past needs to be relevant to (i.e. needs to have an impact on) later developments.

Eg. How Levi acts and who he got it from - Kenny. We see him more emotionally cacooned just like his mentor, as said in the scene of their battle, Levi vs Kenny, we see the similarities and the struggles between both interactions.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Tip Set #6

These tips were made by Captain Abby

What is backstory? The simplest backstory definition is ‘a history or background created for a fictional character’ (OED). Backstory is a synonym for ‘character history’ in a way. It’s the web of formative experiences that help to explain your characters’ desires, fears and motivations.

Every time you create a new character, or modify one think about their history. What could explain the way they are now?

For example, if your character is extremely competitive, what past experiences could have shaped this approach to life? Perhaps your character:

•Grew up in a large family where siblings were always competing for attention and/or acknowledgment

•Was raised by parents who imprinted specific world views (e.g. ‘You have to be the best to succeed’)

•Failed in the past in something they badly wanted to succeed in, making them urgently want to not repeat painful past experiences

Once you have an idea of the earlier experiences that drive your characters, you can use these backstory ideas to craft scenes that show the impact of your characters’ histories.

For example, you might decide to show a character whose competitive nature was formed in sibling rivalries going home for the holidays where these old rivalries will resurface in an explosive family argument.

Then you have to share your character's history!

There are several ways to reveal a backstory

Firstly, you could simple ‘tell’ backstory. A basic example of this type of backstory is the ‘Once upon a time…’ used in fairy tales.

Lumping all your backstory in your exposition is risky, though. Too much telling up front may be overwhelming to your roleplay partner.

Balance giving some backstory upfront with gradually revealing characters’ foundations. It’s not always bad to tell the yor partner (rather than show) a character’s past. In epic fantasy novels, for example, prologues often give your Roleplay partner context for current events. In this case, telling backstory could seem the most efficient way to clarify how the past lives on in the present.

To keep character backstory given upfront from becoming an info dump, keep some information to reveal gradually.

How to reveal character information subtly?

You could reveal details about characters’ pasts using:

•Dialogue. Characters share intimate or revealing details of their pasts with each other as it becomes relevant to their unfolding experiences

•Flashbacks. An experience or encounter triggers vivid recollection

•Parallel time frames. A character’s story unfolds alongside an earlier time setting that shows a character’s past as it unfolded

Due to there are so many different ways to write character backstory, it’s easy to balance characters’ backgrounds with their present lives without info-dumping.

For example, in one piece of dialogue your character might reveal a difficult relationship with a parent. In another scene, an event (such as the parent being itted to hospital) could trigger a memory that deepens the reader’s understanding of this relationship.

Spreading out the events that happened earlier in characters’ lives this way makes it easy to build backstory subtly. Unlike an info-dump, this balances earlier events with narration that describes the ‘here and now’ of your characters’ present lives.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

╔⊶⊶⊶⊶⊶✞⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷╗

If you’re a literate roleplayer in search of a roleplay team then look no further! Lit Team is just the group for you. We are always in search of talented new , so why don’t you check out our information below and apply today!

Information | Application | Archive

             ╚⊶⊶⊶⊶⊶✞⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷╝

☆.｡.:*　　.｡.:*☆

Cover image made by Isolate :sparkles: :coffee: :tophat:

Art Credit: lolakasa

https://lolakasa.tumblr.com/