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whereby a character calls something to mind, or remembers it. A character's memory plays a role for conveying backstory, as it allows a fiction-writer to bring forth information from earlier in the story or from before the beginning of the story. Although recollection is not widely recognized as a
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observed that "If it's a memory the character could have called to mind at any point, having her think about it just in time to make a key decision may seem like an implausible coincidence . . . " Furthermore, "If the memory is going to prompt a present decision, then the memory in turn must have
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Actors may create their own backstories for characters, going beyond the sometimes meager information in a script. Filling in details helps an actor interpret the script and create fully imagined characters.
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more than one author may shape the same backstory. The later creation of a backstory that conflicts with a previously written main story may require the adjustment device known as
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Backstories are usually revealed, partially or in full, chronologically or otherwise, as the main narrative unfolds. However, a
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before the drama begins, and is created during the actor's preparation. These terms are also used in espionage.
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creator may also create portions of a backstory or even an entire backstory that is solely for their own use.
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Card, Orson Scott (1988), "Character & Viewpoint", p. 113. Cincinnati, OH: Writer's Digest Books.
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are examples of a work with a preconceived backstory, which was later released as the "
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This article is about the literary device. For "back-stories" of consumer goods, see
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distinct fiction-writing mode, recollection is commonly used by authors of fiction.
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Comedy Acting for
Theatre: The Art and Craft of Performing in Comedies
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81:, backstory is often employed to lend depth or believability to the
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Backstory may be revealed by various means, including
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289:Homan, Sidney; Rhinehart, Brian (2018). "3".
261:Backstory: The Importance of What Isn't Told
61:, preceding and leading up to that plot. In
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1013:Types of fiction with multiple endings
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239:Backstory at Merriam Webster online
24:
173:
170:been prompted by a recent event."
57:is a set of events invented for a
27:Events preceding a plot in a story
25:
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1416:Third-person omniscient narrative
186:, informally known as "retcon".
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804:Conflict between good and evil
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85:. The usefulness of having a
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1:
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147:" second set of three films.
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250:Backstory at Dictionary.com
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65:, it is the history of the
36:Back Story (disambiguation)
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29:
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1443:Stream of unconsciousness
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974:Falling action/Catastasis
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295:. Bloomsbury Publishing.
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811:Self-fulfilling prophecy
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1438:Stream of consciousness
901:Suspension of disbelief
139:film and its first two
32:Back-story (production)
979:Denouement/Catastrophe
960:Rising action/Epitasis
184:retroactive continuity
34:. For other uses, see
1325:Utopian and dystopian
210:Flashback (narrative)
1647:Narrative techniques
1642:Continuity (fiction)
879:Narrative techniques
659:Story within a story
471:Supporting character
160:fiction-writing mode
1584:Political narrative
1426:Unreliable narrator
1283:Speculative fiction
991:Nonlinear narrative
939:Three-act structure
799:Deal with the Devil
87:dramatic revelation
1562:Narrative paradigm
1557:Narrative identity
1487:Dominant narrative
1433:Multiple narrators
717:Fictional location
560:Dramatic structure
89:was recognized by
1624:
1623:
1567:Narrative therapy
1001:television series
946:Freytag's Pyramid
789:Moral development
692:Alternate history
402:False protagonist
16:(Redirected from
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1652:Plot (narrative)
1547:Literary science
1090:Narrative poetry
986:Linear narrative
896:Stylistic device
891:Show, don't tell
854:Figure of speech
644:Shaggy dog story
387:Characterization
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205:Characterization
167:Orson Scott Card
119:direct narration
47:background story
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1492:Fiction writing
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549:Deus ex machina
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476:Title character
461:Stock character
407:Focal character
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180:shared universe
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174:Shared universe
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133:. The original
79:literary device
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1616:Verisimilitude
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1519:Parallel novel
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1161:Action fiction
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382:Character flaw
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1601:Screenwriting
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1406:Second-person
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1310:Magic realism
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1241:Psychological
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1221:Philosophical
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1146:Autobiography
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1085:Narrative art
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1043:Flash fiction
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934:Act structure
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751:Worldbuilding
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598:Kishōtenketsu
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591:In medias res
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570:Foreshadowing
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565:Eucatastrophe
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528:Chekhov's gun
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417:Gothic double
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397:Deuteragonist
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377:Character arc
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1606:Storytelling
1421:Subjectivity
1411:Third-person
1401:First-person
1035:
844:Comic relief
696:
596:
589:
580:Flashforward
547:
521:Origin story
515:
503:
466:Straight man
421:
306:. Retrieved
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267:
256:
245:
234:
215:Origin story
193:
177:
165:
156:Recollection
154:
151:Recollection
134:
127:recollection
108:
101:
95:
82:
76:
54:
50:
46:
42:
40:
1611:Tellability
1577:Metafiction
1572:Narratology
1344:Theological
1236:Pop culture
1117:Short story
1095:Epic poetry
816:Time travel
629:Red herring
614:Plot device
585:Frame story
538:Cliffhanger
481:Tritagonist
456:Protagonist
308:26 November
1631:Categories
1497:Continuity
1366:Nonfiction
1330:Underwater
1226:Picaresque
1201:Historical
1186:Epistolary
1058:Fairy tale
969:Peripeteia
951:Exposition
707:Dreamworld
649:Stereotype
619:Plot twist
367:Antagonist
226:References
131:exposition
111:flashbacks
83:main story
51:background
18:Back story
1388:Narration
1337:Superhero
1261:Chivalric
1246:Religious
1231:Political
1166:Adventure
1151:Biography
1073:Tall tale
921:Structure
906:Symbolism
874:Narration
774:Leitmotif
702:Crossover
697:Backstory
654:Story arc
604:MacGuffin
575:Flashback
516:Backstory
392:Confidant
372:Archenemy
359:Character
351:Narrative
136:Star Wars
91:Aristotle
67:character
43:backstory
1594:Glossary
1589:Rhetoric
1396:Diegesis
1376:Creative
1349:Thriller
1298:Southern
1216:Paranoid
1211:Nautical
1122:Vignette
1080:Gamebook
1048:Folklore
955:Protasis
834:Allegory
779:Metaphor
737:parallel
732:universe
712:Dystopia
669:Suspense
555:Dialogue
543:Conflict
451:Narrator
423:Hamartia
199:See also
115:dialogue
1524:Prequel
1480:Related
1466:Present
1359:Western
1315:Science
1288:Fantasy
1256:Romance
1206:Mystery
1191:Ergodic
1156:Fiction
1112:Parable
1107:Novella
1037:Fabliau
1008:Premise
859:Imagery
849:Diction
727:country
684:Setting
664:Subplot
486:Villain
439:Byronic
220:Prequel
158:is the
145:prequel
141:sequels
123:summary
96:Poetics
1637:Acting
1528:Sequel
1512:Retcon
1507:Reboot
1471:Future
1305:Horror
1293:Gothic
1278:Satire
1196:Erotic
1063:Legend
965:Climax
839:Bathos
746:Utopia
634:Reveal
533:Cliché
511:Action
505:Ab ovo
444:Tragic
299:
275:
190:Acting
129:, and
63:acting
55:legend
1535:Genre
1502:Canon
1453:Tense
1371:Novel
1354:Urban
1266:Prose
1251:Rogue
1176:Crime
1171:Comic
1132:Genre
1102:Novel
1053:Fable
1031:Drama
996:films
826:Style
794:Motif
784:Moral
769:Irony
761:Theme
674:Trope
178:In a
104:story
93:, in
77:As a
73:Usage
53:, or
1540:List
1461:Past
1320:Hard
1273:Saga
1181:Docu
1137:List
1068:Myth
1023:Form
911:Tone
884:Hook
869:Mood
864:Mode
722:city
609:Pace
496:Plot
434:Anti
429:Hero
412:Foil
310:2018
297:ISBN
273:ISBN
59:plot
929:Act
1633::
1526:/
125:,
121:,
117:,
113:,
99:.
49:,
45:,
41:A
1139:)
1135:(
967:/
953:/
343:e
336:t
329:v
312:.
279:.
38:.
20:)
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