For using when filling in a character's background in a story

1. Filling in a character’s background for the reader Imagine you have created a character –let’s call him Bob Brown (not a very exciting name I know)- and you have already introduced him into your story but you want to fill in some details about this person. If you are writing a story this might be in the second paragraph. If you are writing a story with chapters as we are this will come in Chapters 2 or 3. You fill in the background details of a main character because this will make them more “real” or “rounded” to the reader. Imagine that your character, Bob, is a nasty character who terrorises his neighbours by throwing rubbish over the fence, playing loud music at night and roaring up and down the street in his souped-up car. He is a bully. Now it might help the reader understand what motivates (makes) Bob do what he does and talk the way he does if we know something about his background. For example: This sentence might give us a clue: Bob Brown was born into a good family but his mother said later on that he always wanted his own way and he would do anything to get it. In primary school he was always in trouble. His classmates remembered him as the angry kid at the back of the class. He was the one no student wanted to be friends with. When he went to secondary school he got in with the wrong crowd. Soon he was truanting school and the police........................ Now the above paragraph might give a little clue into what makes Bob do the things he does. What about Jenny in our story? Well you can portray here how you want in Chapter 2 but it should not be out of character. The background to her character does not need to be very long. A paragraph is fine.