How Important Is Backstory In A Romance Novel?

Today we’re looking at the importance of backstory in a romance novel.

‘Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die’. Welcome to The Princess Bride by William Goldman. In this one sentence, we are introduced to the character, Inigo Montoya. We know some of his backstory (his father was murdered), and, as Inigo thinks he knows by whom, his raison d’être in the book (revenge).

His other reason for being a character in the book, apart from supplying one of the most famous lines in literary and cinematic history, is to be one of the problems the hero and heroine must overcome.

How Important Is Backstory In A Romance Novel?

Why Is Backstory Important? Because Without It You Have:

1. No story.
2. Cardboard-cut-out characters.
3. No foreshadowing.

But backstory is often seen as anathema. Remarks such as ‘Don’t bore me with backstory! Tell me what’s happening now!’ are often shouted from the peanut gallery.

The most common piece of advice in this regard is ‘DON’T bore readers with backstory’. Or anything else for that matter.

So how does an ink-stained author use backstory to their advantage?

The Russian Doll Effect

A romance novel can be best described as a literary form of a Russian doll. One story within another within another. The skill you need to master is when to reveal the necessary bon mots of backstory.

Backstory Should Reveal:

1. Upbringing which explains why the character behaves or speaks the way he does.
2. History between characters which explains their current feelings towards each other.
3. History of the era or location that impacted the characters.
4. Why the plot has taken the turn it has.
5. How the backstory is actually driving the plot – while not a romance, the entire Harry Potter canon by J K Rowling is a very good example of this.

In Pride And Prejudice by Jane Austen, we only discover and understand why Darcy loathes Wickham as he does when Lydia is seduced by the dastardly rogue. We learn that Darcy’s much younger sister, Georgiana was also seduced by Wickham. This explains everything and, as one, readers turn their backs on Wickham and embrace Darcy as the hero of the novel.

As with the Inigo Montoya line, a vast swathe of backstory is revealed in Pride And Prejudice in a very short sentence or paragraph. It’s not something we need to wade through before the book begins. But Jane Eyre (Charlotte Brontë), I hear you cry. In a 447-page book, it’s nothing but backstory for 112 of those pages. Only on page 113 does Jane have her meet-cute with Edward Rochester. So…

How Long Is A Piece Of Backstory String

When it comes to integrating backstory in your romance novel, you must decide:

1. How long you want your book to be.
2. Does setting triumph over backstory in revealing character development and foreshadowing.
3. When and where backstory is best revealed. 

And Now For Something Completely Different

Another way to write a romance novel is to make the entire book backstory, as in The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. Apart from the very beginning and the end, which are both present day, (and, spoiler alert, the ending, tragic) the rest of the book takes us on the journey of how we arrived at the Creekside Assistance Living Facility. The backstory is the story.

The Last Word

How are you using your backstory to build your characters and plot?

P.S. Do you want to learn how to write romance? Sign up for our romance writing course: This Kiss

by Elaine Dodge. Elaine is the author of The Harcourts of Canada series. Elaine trained as a graphic designer, then worked in design, advertising, and broadcast television. She now creates content, mostly in written form, for clients across the globe, but would much rather be drafting her books and short stories.

More Posts From Elaine

1. Setting & Description In A Romance Novel
2. How To Pace A Romance Novel
3. 9 Must-Have Ingredients In A Romance Novel
4. 5 Things To Remember To Do When Publishing A Romance Novel
5. 5 Things To Remember Not To Do When Publishing A Romance Novel
6. What Is The Meet-Cute And How Important Is It?
7. 5 Things To Remember When Outlining Your Romance Novel
8. 5 Ways To Get You Through The Middle Of Your Romance Novel
9. 5 Ways To End Your Romance Novel
10. 5 Ways To Begin Your Romance Novel

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