Should we write backstory? Should we not? How much backstory should we include? Where and how should we include it?

We tackle these questions today with three simple tips that will help you navigate backstory and make the decisions that are right for your story.

PODCAST SUMMARY

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Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer is an indie author who writes historical fiction that features authentic American Indian characters. Sign up for her newsletter here: https://www.subscribepage.com/sarahelisabethwrites

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The other day, I heard Mark Hurwitz say that "the beginning of the book (exposition is the literary term) is a bit like a social contract between the reader and the writer. This got me thinking about the different critique groups and contests that we have that focus solely on the beginning phrases of our books. Are they helpful? I’m of the opinion that they aren’t.

So today we are going through a pile of books to see how the beginnings stand up to being social contracts between the writer and the reader.

Books I read from today:

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne

Anxious People by Fredrick Backman

Shadow of the Dragon by Tom Clancy

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

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Paulette Perhach’s writing has been published in the New York Times, Vox, Elle, The Washington Post, Slate, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Marie Claire, Yoga Journal, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, Hobart, and Vice. She’s the author of two million-reader viral essays.

Her book, Welcome to the ​Writer's Life, was published in 2018 by Sasquatch Books, part of the Penguin Random House publishing family, and was selected as one of Poets & Writers' Best Books for Writers.

She serves writers as a coach, helping them figure out how to make a life and career out of being a writer while making the money work (as she figures it all out herself.) She's also a speaker on the topics of creativity, writing, and business. ​Find her at thatwriterpaulette.com

Join her 3-month class Harnessing ADHD's Wild Horsepower here: https://www.pauletteperhach.com/harnessing-adhds-wild-horsepower

________

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Bended Loyalty is up for PREORDER! https://books.katcaldwell.com/loyalty

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Like Substack? Find me at Lessons In Story. https://lessonsinstory.substack.com

Sign up for my writers' newsletter to learn more about the craft of writing, know when my workshops are and be the first to get exclusive information on my writing retreats. https://katcaldwell.com/writers-newsletter

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Summer is here! Which can mean a complete disruption to our writing routine. Whether you're continuing a novel, starting a new one or wondering how to keep creative this summer, this episode is for you!

The BookTribe podcast: https://thebooktribe.podbean.com/

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Mary is a bestselling and award-winning author of 14 books in 3 genres, chef and former cooking school instructor. Her latest novel, A Woman's Guide To Search & Rescue (Oct24, 2023), is a cross-genre literary thriller that details a woman's escape for survival and how she flees to her estranged sister...who doesn't even know she exists.Her latest book is called LAST BETS. You can find out more about Mary on her website here.

Bended Loyalty is up for PREORDER! https://books.katcaldwell.com/loyalty

Get Bended Dream here: https://books.katcaldwell.com/bended-prequel

Sign up for my writers' newsletter to learn more about the craft of writing, know when my workshops are and be the first to get exclusive information on my writing retreats. https://katcaldwell.com/writers-newsletter

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Have you ever wanted to make your story into a movie? Beth Barany dreamed about it for years and is now making her dreams come true! In this episode we talk about moving making, about Kickstarters, about novel writing and editing and so much more! If you want to find out more about Beth, go to BethBarany.com. You can follow her film making process on Instagram by following @henriettafilm.

Bended Loyalty it up for PREORDER! https://books.katcaldwell.com/loyalty

Get Bended Dream here: https://books.katcaldwell.com/bended-prequel

Sign up for my writers' newsletter to learn more about the craft of writing, know when my workshops are and be the first to get exclusive information on my writing retreats. https://katcaldwell.com/writers-newsletter

Want more information on my books, author swaps, short stories and what I’m reading? Sign up for my readers' newsletter. https://storylectory.katcaldwell.com/signup You can always ask me writing questions on instagram @pencilsandlipstick or on Twitter @PencilLipstick