When Does the Back Story Need to Be Told?

            Until December 20, write a comment below this blog post and you're
                  entered to win a copy of my newest book, The Twain Does Meet.

Part of knowing a character's motives (for good or bad deeds) is knowing their past. I jot notes about where my characters were when, but I don't usually write pages. The exception would be for Scoobie in the Jolie Gentil series, and that may be why he strikes many as the most well rounded character in the books.

Common writing principles say the reader needs to know enough of the back story to understand why a character behaves as s/he does in the story. More than that and the reader will wonder why they have to wade through so many details that were not germane to the plot or relationships.

I had so much material on Scoobie (and Jolie) that I finally did a book called Jolie and Scoobie's High School Misadventures. Why stop there? Why not delve into the college years and the first part of their twenties? Because the high school years were when they were together prior to the start of Appraisal for Murder, and most relevant in their lives from that time going forward.

For some reason, likely a daft one, I wanted them to be the parents of twins. But I didn't want to bore readers, or myself, with 2 AM feedings that made Jolie too tired to pursue a clue or potty training that saw Scoobie with fodder for his poetry.

So the twins came into the story at age 3. That's also the point when I think kids become more independent and their senses of humor are more evident. Sometimes earlier, but it's also an age when parents can feel comfortable with a schedule that has the kids in day care or with friends -- not in the way of crime solving.

However, I had promised readers that I would tell the story of the twins' birth at some point.

I mulled that over for more than a year. Had to be funny, of course, but not syrupy or slapstick. I also didn't want Jolie solving a murder while pregnant. Not good for fetal development.

As I started The Twain Does Meet, I realized it was also an opportunity for readers to learn more about Scoobie's much younger brother, who had unexpectedly joined their lives. I needed to learn more about him, too.

Since a story needs to go beyond day-to-day activities, and I didn't want to include much on mood swings or stretch marks, there had to be meaningful action -- discovery other than finding a murderer.

The final criterion was that readers of the Jolie Gentil cozy mysteries needed to know they would be reading a fun story, but not a true mystery. I suppose that's in how I present the books to readers. I didn't want them to be disappointed if they didn't get the whodunit they expected. I think I've made it clear.

In any event, it's some fun backstory, and I had a blast writing it. I hope readers enjoy it when it becomes available December 20th. (For a link to all sites selling it, go to my website.
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