Do you always write a backstory for your characters or fiction? Does this slow you down or help you visualize the events as they are happening? What good is a backstory in fiction or any type of writing?
It depends on the type of story you're writing, and how you want your character to be seen.
If you want your characters to be seen more "in the moment", then you may wish to only focus a little bit on the history. However, if you really want depth to a couple of your main character, you may want to get into a detailed description of their past.
It really just depends on how you want your story seen by others :):)
I work both when I write. Sometimes I don't feel like getting into a description about the characters history until I'm partly into the story. Sometimes I even wait beyond mid story. It just depends on how I feel :)
