silhouette of person against sky, representing character backstory

I love talking about character backstory ideas!

Why are backstories for characters important in fiction and scripts? Because your character background helps you understand who they are and how they’re going to behave and make decisions in different circumstances. In some cases, you might know how you want a character to act in a given situation, but you’re not sure why. That’s where this post, a character backstory generator, can be helpful.

These are also great to use as writing prompts…and I’ve had a couple of requests to do this post for DND backstory ideas!

In a novel, we very likely won’t learn about a character’s backstory right away. We may get just a hint of it. The character may get an email or a letter from someone and refuse to read it, or they may tell someone they’re never going back to Boston. When we finally do find out why, it can be really satisfying.

You may be looking for a backstory that’s a trauma narrative, or for a different kind of background, so I’m going to divide this list into those two parts.

 

35 character background ideas - silhouette of person with sky
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Tragic Backstories for Characters

1. They were imprisoned or exiled for a crime they didn’t commit.

2. Their childhood home, village, or country was destroyed by war.

3. They were physically or sexually abused.

4. They witnessed someone being physically or sexually abused.

5. They witnessed a loved one’s death.

6. They discovered a dead body.

7. They were directed to commit crimes when they were too young to know better and/or to resist.

8. They were abandoned by a parent or a trusted adult.

9. They were abducted and forced into a terrible existence.

10. They accidentally killed someone.

11. Their error or critical decision led to disaster.

12. They were forced to choose which person to save.

13. They were brainwashed and manipulated by a cult leader.

14. One or both of their parents died when they were young.

15. The love of their life died young.

16. Their child died.

 

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Other Character Backstory Ideas

Some of these are painful, but they’re not necessarily as tragic as the ones above. Or maybe they are, depending on how serious the situation was. You be the judge!

17. They had several younger siblings and helped raise them.

18. When they were a child, they had few opportunities to interact with other children.

19. They were one of a set of triplets.

20. They were briefly famous in the entertainment world; maybe they were a child actor, for example, or the bassist in a one-hit wonder rock band.

21. They were raised in an extremely religious household.

22. They lived for several years in another country, or several other countries.

23. They had a serious disease or physical health issue and spent time in hospitals.

24. They had a serious mental health issue and spent time in hospitals.

25. They were mocked and ostracized as a child for being different.

26. They experienced a spectacular loss or failure in their career.

27. They survived an airplane crash, a train wreck, or a natural disaster.

28. They had an addiction to alcohol, drugs, or gambling.

29. They grew up in a wealthy or famous family.

30. Their parent or sibling is a criminal, either in prison or at large.

31. They grew up in poverty.

32. They served in the military in active combat.

33. They earned a PhD in an arcane subject.

34. They never finished high school.

35. They had an encounter, or several encounters, with the supernatural and/or with alien life.

 

What Are the Backstories for Characters In Your Story?

 

Feel free to share below…and feel free to link your story or your book for sale! Sometimes hearing about a character’s past can really motivate us to learn more about their future. Please share any other thoughts as well!

For more plot ideas and prompts, be sure to check out my book 5,000 Writing Prompts!

 

5,000 WRITING PROMPTS: A Master List of Plot Ideas, Creative Exercises, and More | BRYN DONOVAN |

The must-have resource for writers, teachers, bloggers, and other creators.

 

Thanks so much for reading, and have a great week, everyone!

 

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