A Character's Past Deeply Affects Her Now

I've written about this topic before: Character's Baggage.  But this looks at it from a different angle.

A fire-rapid discussion occurred on my goals loop last week.  It centered around the heroine's backstory (BS).  Though the BS is off-stage, so to speak, a writer MUST remember that EVERYTHING about a character's past will effect her in the now.  And it wasn't a light-hearted BS, it was tough BS--domestic violence.  Depending on the depth of the violence, it could turn the story into a far deeper well than the author was ready to commit to.

Why?

Let's go with a stalker scenario.  Main character (MC) has a stalker in her past.  He called.  Left notes.  Texted, etc.  She took extra precautions, changed phone numbers, took self-defense classes, bought a gun, and basically became a recluse.  Eventually stalker manages to get into her apartment and messes with her.  Eventually the Stalker is caught and jailed, killed, or whatever.

Do you think she'll lighten up?  Be less paranoid? 

No effin' WAY!!

She'll still be frightened of her shadow, jump at noises or a ringing phone.  Oh, over time, she'll seem to become more self confident, but the reality is she will just have a better front.  Ten years later, with therapy, she might be doing good, life is good--but then throw in a weird phone call or someone with a similar voice will trigger memories.  Paranoia might set in again. 

Every character has baggage.  That baggage forms who they are and how they act/react. 

A writer can't just throw a backstory (or unrealistic ending for that backstory) into the picture that doesn't make sense to the reader.  A perfect example of this debacle (IMO) of unrealistic endings was THE HORSE WHISPERER. 

Why?

Because a horseman with forty years plus years of experience would never commit suicide by horse trampling.  EVER.  I don't care if he has an inoperable cancer/tumor or whatever.  Horsemen DO NOT GIVE UP, they react.  They are the fighters of the world, always have been and always will be.

--and yes, I felt cheated and NEVER WILL READ ANOTHER BOOK BY NICHOLAS EVANS PERIOD

The darker the BS, the darker and more damaged the character.  MC's who have seriously damaged characters have a lot of growth they must accomplish in the space of the book.  A perfect example of this is Karin Harlow's character Jax in ENEMY LOVER.  A cop, she was set up.  She was raped (w/children looking on) and beaten by a drug lord, and eventually he's murdered and she takes the fall (sorry, I can't remember if she actually did it or not--been too long since I read the book).  A cop in prison doesn't do well.  She's HARD, as hard as a diamond.  She's learned that to trust or let your guard down, you get hurt and betrayed.

Another scenario:  Our house was robbed when I was 12. Yes, that's over 37 years ago.  I still have a ritual of checking ALL the locks on the house before I go to bed.  One small incident changed me for life.  So even kids have baggage, most of the time it's the middle child syndrome or trying to live up to the older bros or sis's, but it could also be deeper--losing a parent, having a parent in jail, abuse, etc. 

My MG character finds out she was adopted.  Depending on her personality, she could be devastated by this news or she have it not bother her.  I have two friends who were adopted: one was devastated, the other didn't care.

It happens.  Just make sure that your character's past defines how she deals with the now.  It must make sense.

Write on!