Sometimes, a character's backstory is key to their motivations. The trick is weaving it in smoothly, without pulling readers out of the present narrative. Here are some ways to do it.

The 5 w’s of story – where, what, why, who and when – can all change to create variety and interest. None of these elements must change. The characters in your novel or your setting could remain fairly constant. Yet change opens up possibilities for new developments and intriguing new scenarios. These keep your novel exciting and interesting. To avoid your story stagnating in a single location, shift somewhere new – another town or country, from the city to the countryside or vice versa. Make sure any change of setting makes sense in relation to the story.

This is the first in a series on writing and developing backstories. We'll cover more tips in upcoming posts. Let us know in the comments what else you'd like to learn!