The fun part of starting a new book—or in my case, a new series—is the opportunity to get acquainted with the characters whose stories I will be telling. In order to write characters who resonate with readers, I need to spend time getting to know them. Delving into their past–or backstory–is a part of the process that I really enjoy.
In my Home to Collingsworth series, five of the siblings had a similar upbringing and experiences with their grandmother, but because of their ages and personalities, they dealt with that backstory in different ways. My favorite sibling—though they are all special to me for different reasons!—is probably Cami from THE LONG ROAD HOME. She was the most rebellious of all the sisters. In the early books, what I knew about her was that she loved music, drank more than she should have and liked to provoke her sisters—particularly her oldest one, Jessa. It wasn’t until I started to write her story that more and more of her backstory came to me and with it, the understanding of why she was the way she was. The depth of her backstory took her from being a character that people didn’t necessarily like to one of their favorites of the series.
My new release, THIS TIME WITH LOVE, has two main characters—Eric and Staci—who had a previous relationship with each other that was not healthy for either of them. At that time, they were still under the influences of their pasts and the backstories that weighed heavily on them. Fast forward six years and their paths have crossed once again. Though they both have God in their lives now, the temptation to fall back into old patterns and roles is difficult to resist. The past they’ve each worked to overcome once again tries to assert itself. Eric and Staci have to make a choice. Do they allow the past to rob them of future joy? Or do they trust God to help them leave the past where it belongs and move on together?
In real life, we each have our own backstory as well. When I read stories of what some people have overcome—what they’ve chosen to overcome—in their past, I am always amazed by their strength and perseverance. Some people choose to let backstories like that drag them down and use it as an excuse for why they’re not a better person. Or why they continue to hurt others. Like Eric and Staci, we each have a choice on how we’re going to allow our backstory to influence our present and our future. Having a bad or difficult backstory doesn’t mean the future must be the same. With God’s help and guidance, even the worst backstory can be overcome.
Did you—or do you—have a backstory that you struggle with? Even those of us with seemingly idyllic childhoods can struggle with issues that have arisen from that time and the years since. In the midst of it all, I cling to the truth that He who is in me is greater than he who is in the world. No matter what life may have thrown at us—or will throw at us—with God’s strength, we can overcome!
The author of several bestselling Christian Romances, Kimberly Rae Jordan loves telling stories that encourage and uplift readers even as they entertain. From a very young age Kimberly has enjoyed using her imagination to create characters and stories. Being able to share those stories now with an ever-growing audience has been a joy for Kimberly. As shown in her books and the lives of her characters, faith and family are also an integral part of Kimberly’s life. She lives in central Canada with her husband and four children. Along with writing, she enjoys reading, baking and trying out the odd craft she finds through Pinterest. But as creating stories remains her favorite thing to do, Kimberly looks forward to sharing many more of them with readers in the years ahead.
Enjoyed this post on backstory. I like reading encouraging, uplifting stories and reading how someone overcomes their past make a great story. Gives me the faith and hope that when I face something I can overcome too.
Wow, Kim, it sounds like you found the perfect title for your newest book! We all do have different baggage, don’t we! I love that part of writing, too… figuring out what makes my characters tick.
Backstories or baggage that we all carry with us can make life complicated. I was blessed with a loving, God centered family but I had several illnesses when I was young that influenced how I interacted with people as I was growing up. Because God was in my life, it did not become a negative influence on my character. I was an adult before I realized how God could help me through anything. My growth with God has been a long road be He has given me so many blessing that I can imagine life without Him. That is one of the reasons I love your stories. Each character has their own road to travel and I loved traveling with them. Thank you for writing good books with the love of God as part of the story. Look forward to reading more.
Sally, that is how I feel, too! So encouraging to know that God is with us each step of our journey–even the difficult parts. And when I read those stories of things people have overcome, it helps put my own struggles into perspective. The sermon I heard on Sunday talked about Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan and I was reminded again of how much she (Helen) overcame in her life. God is good! Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting. :)
Val ~ I do love discovering the backstory of a character although I have to say sometimes it’s a little frustrating when they throw something at me in the middle of the story! :D And YES to the baggage! I know I’ve got plenty! lol Thanks for commenting!
I, too, was blessed with a loving, God centered family, but still came out of my childhood with some baggage and continued to add to it throughout the years. So very grateful that God never forsakes us and gives us the strength to deal with these things and move forward in His grace and love. I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed the characters in my books! Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing. :)
And one more thing…usually I really hate doing titles, but the one for my newest release is just perfect for it. I think it’s my favorite title in how it portrays the story so well!
Excellent post, Kimberly. I adore all the nuances of back story. After all, it shows how our characters were shaped and formed. For me, I like to think of my back story as one of five children growing up in a medical household. I never really thought I was smart, most likely due to my older siblings who were really high achievers. I was good at English and languages, but there was never praise at school for being a great writer. Nor was I ever encouraged to write by teachers or professors. One of the most important influences was the public library I grew up across the street from and my parents encouragement to read to my heart’s desire. Without those things, I wouldn’t be a writer today.
And we’re so glad you had those influences, Bellle! :D My backstory definitely planted the seeds for me to become a writer. Took me awhile to get to this point, but I think the additional experiences that have added to my backstory have helped me to be a better writer. Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting! <3
I know we all have our back stories, some good some bad, but we have a choice on how that affects our life now. I’ve had my share of trails, some not my fault (childhood & a really bad 1st marriage) some my own not-so-wise choices & anywhere in between. There were times that I asked God..WHY did I have to go through all the hurt, pain, anguish? But you know what He told me, he said you would not be the strong person you are today. He healed so many areas in my life & I allowed Him in those painful areas (yes, we DO have a choice to let Him do His job in us). I’m not saying it was easy or quick….not by a loooong shot! But I knew that if I didn’t let Him do His thing in me, I wouldn’t be able to move on & have the blessings that He had for me on the other side! I don’t even want to think about what my life would be if I hadn’t let God be God & heal those areas in my life…yikes! Not a fun thought. There is a scripture that I just love…something about God will restore what the Canker-worm destroyed…and you know what….He has, even MORE then I could imagine! Thank goodness I made the choice to let Him in…praise Jesus! I am a new creature & it feels wonderful :-) Thank you for this article Kim, I truly enjoyed it. And I love a storyline where the characters have a back-story they must overcome to move on & how they work through it (hopefully through prayer & leaning on God). It really sets the tone for a good story in my book (no pun intended, lol!). I love the sound of this story, guess I’ll be adding it to my to-be-read list!
Hi Trixi ~ Thanks so much for sharing your story. It’s wonderful to hear how God has helped you to overcome a backstory that could have dragged you down. I admire your strength and determination to keep going forward with God’s healing in your life. Thank you so much for stopping by the blog today and commenting!