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Message: <blockquote data-quote="billd91" data-source="post: 1517308" data-attributes="member: 3400">OK, I'm going to make a somewhat controversial suggestion. DON'T spend too much time on a detailed backstory. Instead, focus on how the character reacts to things around him, what kind of personality he has, affectations, goals, desires, ways of speaking and then make up a history outline that can get him there.I've seen plenty of players capable of writing backstories ranging from clever and interesting to turgid and rambling and still seen them unable to role-play their way out of a paper bag. Role-playing comes from having a concept of the character as he is now, in the present, and not just from having some kind of detailed history. Pick what you want to (and can) play now and put in a little backstory to support it.</blockquote>