First Time Writer - Character Backstory Development Help

[Bighoss]

I’m slowly working on my first story and I’m struggling with which direction to take one of the main character’s backstory.

Plot is, without giving too much away, fairly simple; married guy in sexless marriage meets a MILF which leads to an affair. The MILF does have younger children.

I’m struggling with what backstory, for lack of a better term, I want for the MILF. Is she:

1) A married sex driven woman who loves being with as many men as possible but hides her affairs from her husband.
2) Married and also in a sexless marriage, looking to satisfy her needs, keeping her new lover a secret.
3) Divorced and lonely, looking to find a companion for casual sex
4) Single, never been married, and baby daddy(s) no longer in the picture. Looking for casual sex.

I’ve played all of the options out a bit in my head but having trouble on landing on one so thought I would look for some opinions on which maybe appealing to this audience.

Thanks!!

 

[GlennJenko]

To me it depends on what angle you want the relationship to be between te MC and the MILF. If it's a serious relationship then I'd go 2, possibly 3 if the casual sex angle is either dropped or her wants shift. Lost souls finding each other is a popular, tried and true bond. If it's purely fucking then having her be "slutty" may be better, in which case 1 might be best, or 4 if she's kind of having a mid life crisis that things didn't pan out as she thought so she's looking for good sex she never had before/hadn't had in a long time.

 

[Bighoss]

To me it depends on what angle you want the relationship to be between te MC and the MILF. If it's a serious relationship then I'd go 2, possibly 3 if the casual sex angle is either dropped or her wants shift. Lost souls finding each other is a popular, tried and true bond. If it's purely fucking then having her be "slutty" may be better, in which case 1 might be best, or 4 if she's kind of having a mid life crisis that things didn't pan out as she thought so she's looking for good sex she never had before/hadn't had in a long time.

Thanks Glenn! Great points to consider, very helpful!

 

[Rob_Royale]

Well, I think it's all about, just how much drama do you want in the story, with #3 being the least, and more likely to lead to a sweet romance or a fun fling with #2. Or #1, which potentially could lead to some explosive drama, when/if the husband finds out.

The real question is though, where does the MC stand with HIS marriage. Is it over, or is he staying because of the kids, or are they opening their marriage? Does the wife find out?

There has to be one of those that appeals to you the most. Go with that one, because none of them are bad. Follow your heart with this one becasue it's an important emotional situation. Where do you want the MC to be when this shakes out?

 

[StillStunned]

If you can't decide, write the story up to the point where it becomes relevant. Then continue writing with the separate backstories in different files.

Sooner or later you'll realise that one works better than the others, or you like it more, or the character that develops from one background is more fun to write.

 

[Bighoss]

Well, I think it's all about, just how much drama do you want in the story, with #3 being the least, and more likely to lead to a sweet romance or a fun fling with #2. Or #1, which potentially could lead to some explosive drama, when/if the husband finds out.

The real question is though, where does the MC stand with HIS marriage. Is it over, or is he staying because of the kids, or are they opening their marriage? Does the wife find out?

There has to be one of those that appeals to you the most. Go with that one, because none of them are bad. Follow your heart with this one becasue it's an important emotional situation. Where do you want the MC to be when this shakes out?

Thanks for the perspective! First time writer so trying to figure it all out.

 

[Bighoss]

If you can't decide, write the story up to the point where it becomes relevant. Then continue writing with the separate backstories in different files.

Sooner or later you'll realise that one works better than the others, or you like it more, or the character that develops from one background is more fun to write.

That’s a great idea! I appreciate the feedback!!

 

[Carnevil9]

I agree with the posts saying it depends where you want the story to go. If you want both characters to have drama, I like #1 and #2. But you will need to address the internal struggles for both characters.

If you plan to focus primarily on the male MC, then keep the MILF free of entanglements, like in #3 and #4.

Either way it could be a hot story.

 

[gunhilltrain]

By chance, I went with option 2 (or close to it) in a recent story.

https://classic.literotica.com/s/trucker-mom-1

I intended to make it a kind of take-off on those many mom-son-vehicle stories that show show up in the I/T category. (Actually, it's a stepson.) It helped to make it believable by:

1. Making her the narrator (and she's witty too I think).
2. Using a real location (a highway in Nevada).
3. Giving a bit more of her life story at the end when she's having a post-sex conversation. What people say after sex can be as important as what they say before it.
4. The audience seemed to like it, but I didn't think about them too much when I wrote it.

Hope that helps.

 

[Bighoss]

By chance, I went with option 2 (or close to it) in a recent story.

https://classic.literotica.com/s/trucker-mom-1

I intended to make it a kind of take-off on those many mom-son-vehicle stories that show show up in the I/T category. (Actually, it's a stepson.) It helped to make it believable by:

1. Making her the narrator (and she's witty too I think).
2. Using a real location (a highway in Nevada).
3. Giving a bit more of her life story at the end when she's having a post-sex conversation. What people say after sex can be as important as what they say before it.
4. The audience seemed to like it, but I didn't think about them too much when I wrote it.

Hope that helps.

Thanks for the feedback! I’ll dig into your story as well; it sounds like a good one!!

 

[gunhilltrain]

Thanks for the feedback! I’ll dig into your story as well; it sounds like a good one!!

You're welcome. Maybe you should consider at least two stories based on the options you have above. They seem different enough that additional stories could be justified based on what you have there. You'll have to pick one to go first. When you finish it and post it, you'll have a idea of how to write the next one.

 

[triptoceylon]

To me it depends on what angle you want the relationship to be between te MC and the MILF. If it's a serious relationship then I'd go 2, possibly 3 if the casual sex angle is either dropped or her wants shift. Lost souls finding each other is a popular, tried and true bond. If it's purely fucking then having her be "slutty" may be better, in which case 1 might be best, or 4 if she's kind of having a mid life crisis that things didn't pan out as she thought so she's looking for good sex she never had before/hadn't had in a long time.

Thanks Glenn! Great points to consider, very helpful!

Bighoss, you've got lots of great suggestions, so I'm not sure my two cents' worth will count for much. Still, I'm inclined to go with option 2, as I think it will give you the most satisfaction as a writer. More than likely the erotic part will be there and as intense as you need it to be, but it will take something of the backseat to character development. It might even be a slow burn until they reach intimacy. I would go so far as to suggest your MILF is not in a sexless marriage, but has reached a point in her life that she doesn't feel valued for the sacrifices she has made. The MC, by chance or by design, stirs in her a yearning she hasn't felt in a long time. Somehow they try to figure out a way to consummate this discovery, whether by platonic means or physical expression.

 

[Fantazmaster]

Great tool for generating characters

https://perchance.org/ai-character-description

 

[StillStunned]

Great tool for generating characters

https://perchance.org/ai-character-description

The OP's problem doesn't seem to be that they need help creating characters, but rather that they've created too many options.

 

[LiverpoolMaster]

I would have her as happily married and older than your MC guy. She finds herself flustered but immensely buoyed up by the attentions of the younger guy. Her reaction takes her by surprise and she finds it very difficult to exercise self control in the matter. She realises suddenly she has been living a comfortable but lacklustre existence since getting married. She seems to remember that life was more dynamic and spontaneous in the 'world before babies'... more enjoyable.

Slowly but surely, she finds herself seduced away from the cosy world of hubby and children, maybe to the extent of neglecting both, and spending more time with the 'bad boy' she's found. Obviously it would help if he were, say, a more dynamic, better-looking character than what she has at home.

 

[ChuckWolf]

You could always leave that part vague; let the readers work out what makes her tick.

 

[SimonDoom]

It really depends on what turns you on--what kind of relationship you want to portray. Think about that first, backstory second.

Does it turn you on if it's dirty and naughty? Then maybe 1 is best.

Or do you prefer the MILF to be unencumbered by a man, with no obligations to someone else? Then 3 or 4.

There's no right answer. I could see a successful story being based on any of these ideas.

Suggestion: Don't overthink backstory. Once you've decided on the basic nature of the relationship, only convey as much backstory as is really needed to tell the story, and no more.