Welcome! April 12th, 2016 Thursday Do Now Find your seats. Write the date at the top of a new page in your journal. Once the bell rings, begin the freewrite. Prompt: What is your tragic backstory? (If you don’t have one, make one up!)

Character Goals and backstories In order to write complex, interesting characters, you need to know not only who they are, but who they have been. Today, we’re going to focus on character backstories. When done well, a character backstory puts the wheels of your story in motion. Your character should have a goal that they strive for, and their back story should deal directly with that goal in some way.

Character Goals and backstories For example… Think of Batman/Bruce Wayne. Batman’s Backstory: His parents, a wealthy couple who put much of their fortune into making Gotham a crime-free city, were killed in front of him by a mugger. This sets Bruce on the path to becoming a crime-fighting vigilante. Batman’s Goal: To make his parent’s dream of a crime-free Gotham a reality See how the backstory leads to character goals?

Character Goals and backstories Let’s think of a more subtle one: Harry Potter. Harry’s Backstory: After his parents are killed by an evil wizard, Harry is raised by his abusive and neglectful Aunt, Uncle, and cousin Dudley. He grows up without affection or friends. Harry’s Goal: Harry’s goal is eventually to defeat Voldemort, the wizard who killed his parents. However, is first (and most important) goal is for him to protect his newfound friends and family that he makes in the wizarding world. See how the backstory leads to character goals?

Character Goals and backstories Let’s try one more: Marlin (the dad) from Finding Nemo. Marlin’s Backstory: Marlin’s wife is killed by a predator and all of their eggs but one are destroyed. The one egg left is damaged, resulting in Nemo’s birth defect – his “tiny fin.” Marlin’s Goal: Marlin’s son Nemo runs away due to Marlin’s overprotectiveness, and Marlin has to overcome his own trauma and fears to find him. See how the backstory causes tension with character goals?

Character Goals and backstories In short, a backstory should lead to or cause conflict with a character’s goals. More examples: John’s father abused him and his mother when he was growing up. Now he runs a shelter for abuse victims. His past trauma lead to his current goal of helping people in similar situations. Luna was trained as an assassin from childhood. She grew up learning how to lock away her emotions and get the job done. After her partner is killed on a mission, however, Luna decides to retire and live a normal life. Her past training causes conflict with her current goal of living a peaceful, normal life.

Character Backstory and goals Today, you’re going to create a character whose backstory leads to or causes tension with his or her goals. 1. Tell me a bit about your character and his or her backstory. What event happened in their life that changed them in some important way? (3+ sentences) 2. Tell me about your character’s goal. What does he or she want? What motivates them? Remember, your character’s goal should be related in some way to their back story. (3+ sentences)

Character Backstory and goals You have two options as to how to can write this story. Write two separate scenes: one that shows your character’s back story (and I mean show – don’t give me a summary!) and one that shows their current goal. Each scene should be at least 200 words. Write one scene (at least 400 words) that shows your character’s current goal that flashes back to show your character’s backstory. Again, show – I want a scene, not a summary of a scene. 