How to Write Meaningful Backstories: A Lesson From “The Boys” TV Show
If you’re not familiar with the TV show “The Boys”, here is a one-sentence explanation:
Superheroes are celebrities and the chosen saviours of the world. Or are they?
I was recently introduced to “The Boys” (no spoilers please!) and there was one element I thought the show did really well: backstory.
I want to explore what worked and why.
(I will keep this post spoiler-free!)
Creating Intrigue
The key to “The Boys” is that the writers manage to create so much intrigue around the character backstories. From the first episode, we are introduced to several important characters, and over the course of the first season, a lot of their backstory has been revealed.
Here’s how they set it up:
Set up: A piece of backstory is mentioned for the first time. There is no explanation, no context — just pure intrigue.
Payoff: Not long afterwards — usually the end of an episode — the backstory is explained.
Examples:
Set up: One of the superheroes is filming a documentary about their life and is confronted with an object that triggers an outburst at the crew. At this point, the viewer has no idea what the meaning is behind this.
Payoff: Several scenes later, the superhero finds the item and a flashback shows the viewer why it is triggering to them (and how it is significant to their backstory).
Set up: We are introduced to Billy Butcher, our B-story character who helps the protagonist. He clearly holds a grudge against the superheroes, but we don’t know why.
Payoff: Later, it’s revealed that Butcher in fact has a very personal vendetta and is after one superhero in particular. This adds depth to his character and allows the viewer to see him in a new light.
How to know when to reveal
Backstory can be a very tricky element of storytelling to weave in. Obviously, introducing it in a TV show is different to introducing it in a book.
One of the hardest things to navigate is knowing which things to give away immediately and which things to keep secret so the “reveal” can be more impactful.
When to withhold:
One trick to start trying is to hint.
For example, if Character B is telling Protagonist that Character A knows better than anyone what Antagonist is capable of, that’s a hint. That is hinting at some major emotional stakes. Now the reader is curious and wants to understand Character A more. Protagonist is also curious.
Then, a few chapters later, Protagonist and Character A can have a big heart-to-heart in which Character A opens up about their history with Antagonist and this serves as an important moment for 1) developing the backstory to Character A and 2) acting as a lesson for Protagonist about Antagonist and the stakes.
Another way to withhold (but also hint at) backstory is to drip feed it.
Let’s say your POV character’s backstory is them being abandoned in a park by the parents. Throughout the book, they may dream of the same car over and over. They may recall sounds or smells from the day they were abandoned. The words that they spoke, crying out for their parents to come back, ring in their mind.
All of these little memories can crop up throughout the book and hint at some level at trauma. Then, you can either reveal the backstory through internal monologue or dialogue (without being info dumpy).
When to reveal:
Reveal backstory if it:
Feels natural within the scene for it to be brought up. If it would be weird that the backstory wasn’t explained or brought up in that moment, then don’t delay it.
Will be revealed through a flashback, dream, or other not-in-the-moment avenue. This can be an effective tool to weave in elements of the past.
Will give the reader a reason to invest in the character and care about them. (Note: withholding protagonist backstory is often harder to get away with because we need to invest in them early on to keep reading — especially if the backstory hints at motive.)
If the backstory is going to progress the plot. This could be them having to admit their backstory to get someone on side. This could be them having to overcome something from their past to get what they need/want.
Ultimately, backstory is one of the trickiest things to get right. If you’re struggling, I suggest reaching out to betas and editors to receive feedback and get another set of eyes on your work so you can see if it’s paying off the way you want it to.
If you’d like a professional pair of eyes on your manuscript to assess how well you’re developing backstory and how you can strengthen your character arcs, my developmental editing offers in-depth feedback of the big picture elements of your book so you can see the specific areas that need work.
