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.
  
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'.
 +
*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?
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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?
  
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.