Relating your character’s backstory requires you to find the right moment in your story and the right method. If you go too soon, you could lose the impact of the revelation, but if you wait too long, your reader might not invest in your protagonist at the level you want. You also don’t want to dump backstory, but you also shouldn’t leave events so vague that your reader is left guessing what happened. If the reveal involves personal trauma, this task becomes even tricker.
In a post on Writers in the Storm, Lisa Hall-Wilson offers advice for helping your characters disclose trauma. The revelation of trauma is a personal decision and everyone goes about it a different way, she notes. Instead of offering instructions, she suggests a list of questions you can ask yourself to guide your decisions:
- Why has the character kept this secret? You probably have an idea, but Hall-Wilson suggests you go deeper. Does the secret involve a taboo topic? Another character? Does the character feel guilt, shame, fear, or confusion about the trauma?
- To whom does the character disclose their trauma? Why do they trust this person? Why do they believe this person will react appropriately? Why does this person make your character feel safe? Hall-Wilson suggests building up to this moment by showing the characters interact and build trust. However, she also suggests considering whether your character chooses the wrong person to confide in. You can add tension if your reader knows the individual is not trustworthy or create a big surprise by keeping your reader in the dark as well.
- Why is the character telling this secret now? The timing of the revelation should be important to the character. They’ve kept a secret this long, so what prompts them to reveal it now? Do they need validation, moral support, or protection? Have they acted in some manner that requires an explanation that only the revelation of their secret can provide? Are they looking for help?
Hall-Wilson also offers suggestions for handling the internal dialogue around these disclosures, assuming they are coming from your POV character. “Their internal dialogue will be exploding with the what ifs and why they musts,” she writes. “The voices in their head will be clamoring for attention, and among the objections will be voices convinced that this has to happen. We FEEL emotions, we don’t often think about them, so the emotions will be shown in body language. Use the character’s thoughts to show their doubts, fears, whys and musts.”
