If you’re a new author, you may not realize what a back story is. The best way to describe it is to think of the very first Star Wars movie. A few years later, what did it become? EPISODE 4!!! In other words, Episode 1, 2, and 3 were back stories, or how the characters became who they were and what transpired earlier.

Fully developing your backstories always pays off. Not only do they contribute to the quality of your characters and plot–they also make writing easier when you have a well-developed foundation.

You don’t have to define all this background before writing your story. Much of it may evolve along the way as you get to know your character better. Some of it will manifest as flashbacks. Some of it may constitute a short story in and of itself, yet wind up as no more than a sentence or two in your novel.

The main thing is that they constitute the detail that makes your characters and story come alive. They’re never wasted effort. They might even become full-length prequels that you eventually publish. If not, you can always offer them as freebies to potential readers.