The Importance of Good Background Development and Research, By H Paul Doucette

 Hi everyone,

I have been fortunate over the course of my writing career to meet many people who

have read my stories and who have generously offered their impressions of my ‘style’. The

three main comments I receive (as opposed to criticisms) have been about the dialogue,

minimal narrative and the historical backgrounds and settings. The first two are generally

considered the cornerstones of story writing, however, I believe that as characters and their

interactions (dialogue) are fundamental components so to are the settings in which they live.

For my stories, I strive to create settings as though they were another character in the

story, telling their own tale. Settings are canvas upon which our players live their lives and

behave, or misbehave, as the story dictates. As such, we must ensure that we give our

readers a place to set their feet, where they can follow the characters down dark streets, into

their homes, places of work, etc. The settings give them dimension and us an understanding

behind their motives.

Settings require careful and accurate development. Remember, many of our readers

likely have lived or are living in very similar, recognizable settings. The best and easiest

setting to construct is the drawn from we already know; our own place. However, in my view,

that is not enough. A good setting is viable, recognizable and, in many cases, have a sense of

history. Therefore, take the time to research your setting; infuse it with ‘life’, something that

happened, that was once.

Your characters will thank you by being seen as believable and your readers will want

to visit your ‘places’ to check up on the people they have met.

A last thought for your consideration. If you can create a believable sense of place

maybe consider giving your characters the chance to tell your story. Remember: your

narrative ought only to be use to bring the reader to the threshold of the story, let them

discover the intention behind the action.

Just a thought.

Thanks for reading this and I look forward to reading your opinions.

H Paul Doucette