Difference between revisions of "Background"

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Backgrounds should roughly come in three parts of 6 or more lines each. Below is a set of loose guidelines for what staff looks at for a 'complete' background.
 
Backgrounds should roughly come in three parts of 6 or more lines each. Below is a set of loose guidelines for what staff looks at for a 'complete' background.
  
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The first part is the 'at a glance'. What is the character's immediate history? What is a thumbnail of their background and history? What major events did they participate in or what groups are they a part of? Someone unfamiliar with the character should have a passing acquaintance of their immediate past after reading the background.  
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The first part is the 'at a glance'.
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*What is the character's immediate history?
 +
*What is a thumbnail of their background and history?
 +
*What major events did they participate in or what groups are they a part of?
 +
Someone unfamiliar with the character should have a passing acquaintance of their immediate past after reading the background.
  
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The second section should focus on early life. Where was the character born? What major events impacted their early life? Did they come from a good household, were they raised by penguins under Gotham Zoo, or were they decanted from a cloning tank last year? How did they live during their early years?
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The second section should focus on early life.
 +
*Where was the character born?
 +
*What major events impacted their early life?
 +
*Did they come from a good household, were they raised by penguins under Gotham Zoo, or were they decanted from a cloning tank last year?
 +
*How did they live during their early years?
  
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The third section should be origins. What motivated them to become a hero or a villain? This is the 'call to adventure' that starts the Hero's Journey. It might be the death of a loved one, witness to a violent crime, or adoption by a more senior hero. This should bring the reader up to date on the character, though additional sections are permissible if the background gets very expository.
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The third section should be origins.
 +
*What motivated them to become a hero or a villain? This is the 'call to adventure' that starts the Hero's Journey:
 +
**It might be the death of a loved one;
 +
**Witness to a violent crime
 +
**Adoption by a more senior hero
 +
This should bring the reader up to date on the character, though additional sections are permissible if the background gets very expository.

Revision as of 20:13, 14 April 2018

Backgrounds should roughly come in three parts of 6 or more lines each. Below is a set of loose guidelines for what staff looks at for a 'complete' background.

The first part is the 'at a glance'.

  • What is the character's immediate history?
  • What is a thumbnail of their background and history?
  • What major events did they participate in or what groups are they a part of?

Someone unfamiliar with the character should have a passing acquaintance of their immediate past after reading the background.

The second section should focus on early life.

  • Where was the character born?
  • What major events impacted their early life?
  • Did they come from a good household, were they raised by penguins under Gotham Zoo, or were they decanted from a cloning tank last year?
  • How did they live during their early years?

The third section should be origins.

  • What motivated them to become a hero or a villain? This is the 'call to adventure' that starts the Hero's Journey:
    • It might be the death of a loved one;
    • Witness to a violent crime
    • Adoption by a more senior hero

This should bring the reader up to date on the character, though additional sections are permissible if the background gets very expository.