I like to go back in time.
As in I start with a simple concept, and then RP with people to flesh it out. I just make things up as I go along, and eventually that stuff coalesces into a backstory.
For example with Evangeline, all I had at the start was that she was exiled for being a heretic, and she hates tyrants and slavery.
As I RPed more and explored the nuances of those basic things, the details of the backstory sort of arrived. I felt like I knew who Evangeline was, right at the moment I started RPing her, but I wasn't sure how she got there.
Having played her for six months or so I'm now ready to fill in the gaps, and I've been writing snippets of her backstory. I don't think I could ever just whip up a complete and detailed backstory without playing the character for a while and getting a feel for them.
As in I start with a simple concept, and then RP with people to flesh it out. I just make things up as I go along, and eventually that stuff coalesces into a backstory.
For example with Evangeline, all I had at the start was that she was exiled for being a heretic, and she hates tyrants and slavery.
As I RPed more and explored the nuances of those basic things, the details of the backstory sort of arrived. I felt like I knew who Evangeline was, right at the moment I started RPing her, but I wasn't sure how she got there.
Having played her for six months or so I'm now ready to fill in the gaps, and I've been writing snippets of her backstory. I don't think I could ever just whip up a complete and detailed backstory without playing the character for a while and getting a feel for them.