backstories

Origins of characters

Backstories are the histories behind characters, situations, or events—the background that explains how things came to be.

In fiction, a character's backstory includes formative experiences that shaped their personality: The villain's tragic backstory made him almost sympathetic.

The term extends beyond fiction to anything with a hidden history worth knowing: Every antique in her shop has a backstory.

narrative

origin

Starting point or source

loreTraditional knowledge transmitted orally
chronicleOrdered historical record
sagaExtended heroic narrative

mythology · canon · continuity · universe · world-building · mythos · framework · backdrop · milieu · genesis

depth

complexity

State of being complicated

nuanceSlight shade of difference
layersStacked levels or coatings
richnessState of abundance

subtext · intricacy · dimension · substance · resonance · significance · detail · elaboration · texture · development

heritage

ancestry

Family line of descent

lineageDescent from progenitors
genealogyStudy of family descent
legacyWhat's passed down

tradition · roots · origins · bloodline · inheritance · dynasty · family · parentage · upbringing · childhood

motivation

drive

Operate a vehicle

ambitionDesire for achievement
purposeReason something exists
reasonBasis or justification

incentive · inspiration · trauma · wound · desire · goal · yearning · longing · compulsion · necessity

backstories

origin

complexity

ancestry

drive

backstories

Opposites

Categories

Family