Now I'm not talking about the small matter of not even seeing this newsletter on my schedule ! (At least you didn't get all ... throughout the entire NL ) No. I'm talking about forgotten matters from the past.

People always say that the past will come to haunt you or that karma will get you. I can't say I believe either of those things really, but it can do wonders for your writing. Everyone has a past. Perhaps, not everyone keeps skeletons in their old dusty closet, but for the sake of writing, your characters can always have a shady and difficult story they don't want revealed. You as the writer can bring it to life.

The question 'What if' can be more than helpful. What is it that your character is hiding and how does it affect their life currently? In which way will it affect them? How do you solve their dilemma? The choice is yours. The story is theirs. What are they hiding that could make for a juicy story?

Nothing lasts forever but the past is always going to be there, be it yours or your characters. Their past, their backstory can be more than a single paragraph. How you want to use it and what part of it you'd like to bring alive is up to you. All you need to figure out is what you want out of it.

'Til next time!
~ Gaby