Pitch Dictionary by pitch.dog
Character interiority & motivation · Working

Character backstory

Also called: character history

ELI5

Past experiences that shape a character's present behaviour and relationships.

Used in conversation

“The character backstory should be visible in the examples, not just the overview.”

Pitch context

You may encounter “Character backstory” in character, world, genre & tone conversations or materials.

Why it matters: Helps describe who the project follows, where it lives and what kind of experience it promises.

Connected terms

  • Character biographyA biography is the organised account of a character’s life; backstory is prior material relevant to the present story.
Sources & evidence · 4

Supporting source families. This entry is an editorial synthesis rather than a quotation from one canonical glossary.