Character histories

Jeff Savage was going somewhere in his afternoon session and along the way, threw out a sentence that I've been thinking about.

He said your characters have histories, before they make their way into your story. I've got 3 main MCs in my project and currently focussing in on one. When I stop and examine where he comes from, it really helps define who he is. Mine is historical fiction but the character still needs his own history. The setting is real, the character fictitious. I must decide on the history I give him.

The place from which he comes defines where he's going, the way he responds to new events.

Just another random wifyr thought.