November was busy for me. I had an amazing trip with my best friend, filled out many job applications, and attempted to write 50,000 words. Normally, I would be discouraged if I didn’t accomplish my goal. However, I wrote and acted in a 24-hour play festival. It was equal parts fun and stressful. I’ve always enjoyed plays, but I never thought about writing one.

New experiences are hard, but the lessons you learn are worth it. This experience taught me that playwriting is worth taking time to improve my skills. My novel still needs to be finished, but I realized a few strategies to help me stay motivated to write.

Backstory

Backstories are my favorite part of books. Characters have a special item they always carry; I’m curious to know the story behind it. If the two protagonists have always hated each other, give me the story that started the feud. Multigenerational stories are my favorite because they tell the background stories of the families.

The problem lies with my work-in-progress. I feel guilty if I’m not working on the main storyline.

Write everything down. You never know when a fact about a character may help later in the story. Authors are experts on their stories. They know everything. A line might be important to the reader. The writer had to write ten pages to discover the significance of a single line. The reader will never see those pages, but the background information adds the context for the author to continue the story. For example, “Kiyoshi glared at the Queen, the woman who raised him, a small smile on his face, ‘Hoist the colors.”’ This sentence shows three pieces of information. First, it displays the relationship between the two characters.  Second, glaring at someone is a sign of anger, and third, the shift to a smile may indicate payback is on the horizon. Those ten pages of background might include scenes from Kiyoshi’s childhood, the cause of the change in their relationship, and whatever retribution is headed for the Queen. Details provide context to progress the narrative.

Take Your Characters Everywhere

My characters are always with me. I’m constantly thinking about how they would react to whatever situations life throws at me. Think of it as you have several narrators in your life. While you feel constantly occupied, you develop a deeper understanding of your characters.

It’s Worth the Time

One of my biggest problems is writing all the background information, which seems like a waste of time. Readers won’t see it, and I won’t profit from the extra pages. But honestly, you don’t know that. Bonus content is scenes that were cut from the manuscript. Readers love to discover new facts about characters.

Also, it’s obvious when writers must research the worlds in their books, especially in fantasy. Fantasy worlds can be simple. Rules are crucial. Once you set the rules to a fantasy novel, stick to them or have clear exceptions. Friends who are writers can be helpful by asking thought-provoking questions that challenge your perspective.

You will be so proud when you finally finish your story. Don’t worry about the time. Enjoy the ride, and keep going.