Character Backstory Playlist, Tag!

Character Backstory Playlist, Tag!

I've been writing a lot of character backstory lately for Enchanted Illusions, and listening to a lot of music, so I figured it would be fun to have a tag game relating to backstory writing in that light.

Rules: Pick 5 songs you feel represent/inspired your OCs' backstories, or just otherwise fit their past's vibe/aesthetic. Choose as many or as few OCs as you want.

Augustus Grimmure

Where Is The Justice - Death Note

Birth To My Creation - Frankenstein the Musical

Friends on the Other Side - Princess and the Frog (rock cover)

The Hearse Song - Rusty Cage

Me and the Devil - Soap and Skin

+ Bonus: Proud of Your Boy - Aladdin

Harriet Sharppe

Atlantis - Seafret

A Million Dreams - The Greatest Show (female cover)

Family Jewels - Marina and The Diamonds

Achilles, Come Down - Gang of Youths

Husavik - Will Ferell, My Marianne

Evangeline Daemitya

Father's Lament - Poor Man's Poison

Tough Love - Villain's Lair

Milk and Cookies - Melanie Martinez

I'm Here - Matilda, the Musical

Am I Supposed to Apologize? - Maria Mena

+ Days in the Sun - Beauty and The Beast

Cailean Telkerly

It's Alright - Mother, Mother

My Petersburg - Anastasia

Brother - Kodaline

Run, Boy, Run - Woodkid

Bottom of The Deep Blue Sea - Missio

Valentine Concordium

The Longer I Live - Dracula the Musical

Just Missing You - Emma Heesters

Broken Crown - Mumford and Sons

Black Flies - Ben Howard

They're Only Human - Death Note

Tagging - @tabswrites, @oh-no-another-idea, @little-peril-stories, @writernopal, @clairelsonao3, @gummybugg, @sm-writes-chaos, @dreaminggoblin, @lassiesandiego @memento-morri-writes, @inky-duchess, and @liv-is

Exploring Character Backstory

1. Start with the essentials: Begin by outlining the basic information about your character's past, such as their family background, upbringing, education, and early experiences. Consider their cultural, social, and economic background, as these factors can shape their worldview and values.

2. Identify key events and milestones: Determine significant events or milestones in your character's life that have had a profound impact on them. These could include positive or negative experiences, such as the loss of a loved one, a major achievement, a traumatic incident, or a life-changing decision. These events help shape your character's personality, fears, and aspirations.

3. Examine formative relationships: Explore the relationships your character has had with their family, friends, mentors, or romantic partners. How have these relationships influenced them? What role models or influences have shaped their values, beliefs, and behavior? Relationships can provide insight into your character's vulnerabilities, strengths, and emotional attachments.

4. Dig into their beliefs and values: Understand what your character believes in and values. Examine their moral compass, political views, religious beliefs, or philosophical outlook. Consider how their beliefs might clash or align with the conflicts they encounter in the story. This will create depth and authenticity in their character development.

5. Uncover secrets and hidden aspects: Delve into your character's secrets, hidden desires, or aspects of their past that they prefer to keep hidden. Secrets can create internal conflicts, fuel character growth, and add intrigue to the story. They can also reveal vulnerabilities or flaws that make your character more relatable and complex.

6. Consider the impact of societal factors: Explore how societal factors such as gender, race, class, or historical context have influenced your character's experiences and identity. These factors can shape their struggles, opportunities, and perspectives. Understanding the societal context in which your character exists adds layers of depth to their backstory.

7. Connect the backstory to the main story: Once you have explored the character's backstory, identify how it relates to the main story. Determine how their past experiences, relationships, or traumas influence their present motivations, conflicts, and goals. This connection will ensure that the backstory serves a purpose in the narrative and contributes to the character's growth.

8. Use backstory selectively: While backstory is essential for understanding your character, avoid excessive exposition or information dumping. Introduce elements of the backstory gradually, through dialogue, memories, or subtle hints. This helps maintain reader interest and allows the character's past to unfold organically throughout the story.

Remember, not all aspects of the character's backstory need to be explicitly mentioned in the narrative. It's important to choose and reveal elements that have the most significant impact on the character's present circumstances and development.

drop this sunflower 🌻 into the inboxes of the blogs that make you happy! lets spread a little sunshine ☀️

Aw, omg thank you so much, @pluttskutt! This made my day! And here, right back at ya, 🌻!

blorbo blursday! 🐕 - you got a blorbo that's loyal to a fault? that will stand up for their friend/cause no matter what anyone else thinks? share!

Yay! Thank you so much for the Blorbo Blursday Ask, @pluttskutt! Sorry for the late reply, things were crazy busy over here yesterday, so here we go! (:

You got a blorbo that's loyal to a fault? That will stand up for their friend/cause no matter what anyone else thinks?

YES. In fact, I think every single one of my WIPs has a character who is like that in some way or another. It's one of my absolutely favorite character tropes/archetypes!

Let's take a look at a few of those from my WIPs Enchanted Illusions, Tales of Wilted Flowers, and Mutant Inquiries! I'm really excited to answer this ask!

Enchanted Illusions.

Augustus Grimmure - the crew's resident necromancer (and Harriet's boyfriend that no one is supposed to know about)! Surprisingly, behind his dark magic shenanigans and utter disregard for his enemies' lives, Augustus is a highly loyal person to those who prove themselves worthy of it. He considers his friends as family and holds them in very high esteem. But I'm talking dangerously loyal - he wouldn't hesitate to immediately obliterate and slaughter anyone who even remotely poses a threat to his friends, with very little regard for his own safety - because hey, even if he dies, there's a 50/50 chance his magic will just bring him back stronger.

Damien Daemitya - a.k.a Evangeline's Dad. That man is committed to his family, 100% (arguably) the best divorcee dad in Ansburke. He's a very powerful man in the city as well and would do anything to make sure his family is safe and sound, even if it means disobeying his duties to the sorcerer's council, threatening his rivals/"making problems disappear", or taking the fall for his daughter's public mistakes/screw ups during her investigation (especially publicity-wise).

Agatha Greenwoods - She believes that honesty and loyalty are the basis of any worthwhile relationship, having been raised with a strict sense of justice - which is unsurprising, given she's the daughter of two of the most renowned detectives in the city. Agatha would absolutely stand up for her friends - or any underdog for that matter - regardless of the consequences or what other people may think of them, especially if they're being treated unjustly. Despite her initial distrust, Agatha can form strong attachments very quickly, even without other people realizing it. She just wants her friends to be happy and okay! She is also absolutely relentless in her steadfast commitment to her ideals and "cause" - which includes her mission to bring down the Hemlock Society.

Tales of Wilted Flowers.

Neoma'ka Ornasi - Loyalty is her code of honor, her rare currency with which she shows her affection. Only a precious select few can earn it. She may be a bit of a brute who loves a good bloody brawl more than most things, but if she gives you a slap on the shoulder and tells you "she's proud to fight beside you", she means it (at this point, it's basically her way of saying "I love you"). That girl would go to the ends of the earth and back at a moment's notice with those she considers her siblings-in-arms, no questions asked. She would also tear apart anyone who thinks otherwise.

Micah Rook - Micah may be a thief, but he has a softer heart than most and trusts incredibly easily - so much so it is surprising he's lived this long, especially in his line of work. He has loyalty to spare, and takes the saying "honor among thieves" very seriously. Sure, he may swindle you out of all your coins during a card game, and annoy his friends relentlessly, but when the moment comes and they're in most need of help, he's right there beside them, no matter the stakes.

Lorelai Wildwood - She knows what it is to be an outcast and have no one to turn to, and doesn't want her friends to ever few that way. Lorelai has an endless stream of second chances to give and will stick by and trust those she loves, even when that's an objectively dangerous and stupid thing - but correct, she's no fool- to do at first (ahem, Xarian and his past-). She's not naive (though she might have some attachment issues she's working through) but rather is willing to face the risks if it means her friends are safe.

Mutant Inquiries.

Cory "Diamond" Blythe - They get can attached real quick given the right circumstances and position of the moon, okay? It just depends on the person and their mood at the moment. It's both a character flaw and their greatest strength. When they found Becca (at the start of the story) in trouble, they didn't hesitate to help her and become quite possibly her most loyal friend in the story - even when she gets involved in a dangerous conspiracy and their lack of mutant powers makes him be in even more danger. No one messes with their crew. And anyone who does will have a 20-something-year-old menace running after them, likely on heels, with a switchblade.

Alexey Morikov - He is the definition of "taking secrets to the grave". He's not one to devote his ideals and self to a cause - he's done it before, and look where it got him- but that doesn't mean he can't extend his affection and loyalty to people he cares about, much to his chagrin and against his best efforts. He's like a stray cat who will hiss if you get too close and get sad when it doesn't get cuddles. Despite his "I don't give a damn, do whatever you want with your life, see if I care" attitude towards his friends, he cares immensely. The team, unfortunately, only finds out just how loyal he is and how much he does care when he gets kidnapped by the Agency - and promptly makes the agents' life hell by not telling them a thing about his friends until he's rescued.

Samantha Holborn - A team leader at heart, she built their little mismatched friend group of vigilantes on a foundation of loyalty and trust, of always being there for one another. She is highly idealistic - no price on this earth could sway her from her goals or change her mind from her beliefs, being steadfast and stubborn to an unimaginable degree.

Ten Songs Tag

I was tagged by the incredibly cool @memento-morri-writes for this one! Thank you so much for the tag, I love making playlists and listening to songs, especially ones that inspire me to write!

So here are ten of my favorite songs that have been I've been utterly obsessed with lately!

More than Anything - Hazbin Hotel

Slipping Through My Fingers - Abba, (Ethan Hodgers cover)

Insane - Black Gryph0n (1920s version)

Leave Luanne - 35MM Musical

Once Upon a Dream (Maleficent Version) - MilkyyMelodies

Just a Man - Epic the Musical

Birth to My Creation - Frankenstein

Russian Roullete - Tungevaag, Charlie Who?, Raaban

My Family - from The Adams Family

Goodbye - Ramsey

Tagging - @lassiesandiego, @little-peril-stories, @oh-no-another-idea @gummybugg, @your-absent-father @clairelsonao3, @doublegoblin @steh-lar-uh-nuhs and @rickie-the-storyteller + OPEN TAG

Take the character with endless optimism and put them in a scenario that their optimism can’t withstand.

Take the character who is strong enough for anything and put them in a scenario that they aren’t strong enough for.

Take the character whose pride never falters and give them no choice but to beg.

Take the character who can think of a solution to any problem and make their intelligence useless to them.

Take the character who can talk their way out of anything and give them an enemy who well and truly does not care what they say.

Break the most fundamental parts of your characters and see if they can still be put back together again.