Character Backstories

I recently saw a review where someone mentioned that I didn't really go into the background of one of my characters in a couple of my series. Like who their family was or why they became who they were. And that is an extremely valid point, so I thought that I would explain it a bit. So don't take this as a bashing of the reviewer, but merely an explanation of why because I'm sure there are others who wonder the same thing.

When I started writing, I had grand plans of delving into this big world of characters and writing all their stories. And I did that with my Inked World. It's a crossover of series, and they all show back up in each one in some way, so you get to see them all grow in their lives and relationships without being the focus of the story. And I think my readers enjoy that. Not to mention I try to make sure the ladies get into some shenanigans in each book if I can with them. Gotta make sure the Coven keeps everyone on their toes, after all. *wink, wink*

But that isn't the case with the Dragons MC, and possibly will not be with other books I write in the future. So why not?

It's not really a clear-cut answer. With the Dragons MC, I never planned on them being a series. I planned on doing one standalone book with Savage and Royal and then letting it be and focusing on other series. But then I had an overwhelming response for more when that book was done. People asking who the next would be and would so and so be getting a story. Which meant all of a sudden, I had a choice to make. Do I continue with the series or just let it be? I chose to continue it, and that's been the best choice I could have made because so many love this series.

Then came the question, how did I want this series to end up? Like my Inked World, where I connect everyone and do a bunch of spin-off series? Or is it just this one series and leave it at that? I didn't have the answers, so I decided to wing it. I would publish this series for as long as anyone wanted to read it or asked for another book. And if new series came out of it, then great. But if not, I would be happy to end it after a little bit. Which meant I was writing the books by the seat of my pants. And that is exactly what I continue to do with this series.

Since I'm flying by the seat of my pants, I don't know their backstories all that well for some of them. For example, I did a brief back story on Savage but mostly just mentioned that his parents travelled, and that was it. Fury, I mentioned his grandparents but not much else. Rogue, I don't think I mentioned much about his parents at all. Razor, same thing. I also never mention why they became bikers. Why? Because I don't find it relevant to the story when I write their books. My focus in this series is the action and issues going on between the main characters and why the club is involved.

Now, should I focus on that more? Sure, I could. But the questions are, will it change the story in some way? Will it change your view of the character, even though it has no bearing on the story? Could it influence the outcome of the story in some way other than what I planned? I also need to think about how it compares to my other series. The Devil's Soldiers MC is all about this main plot and the back stories and lives of a bunch of characters and how they are navigating the threat to their club and families. And I have readers who love it and enjoy it, but they love my Dragons MC because it's so different and not a "repeat" (for lack of a better term) of that series and world. It's darker and gritty with elements that I don't have in my other series.

So what about those readers that want more backstory? Knowing that there are others that want that, well, I can work on doing that better from now on. For example, in Code's story that is coming out in September, the backstory plays a huge part in the book, so you'll get all kinds in there. For some of them will have more backstory than others, but I probably won't go as in-depth as my other books unless it adds something to their story and the overall outcome.

I hope this post gives some clarification, but let me know in the poll below. Do you want more backstories for the Dragons MC, as well as future books that I write outside of the Inked World?

Do You Want More Backstories for Characters?

• Yes
• No
• It doesn't matter to me, I just want the story