Backstory: The wound from your character's backstory could be a source of his internal conflict.

The activities in the life a character may have lived before the present is known as his backstory. This past life may be a pleasant one or an awful one. But whichever, the past life would have influenced his life tremendously. His physical life, emmotional background, educational background, psychological life and social life would have been affected.

A comprehensive stroy from all these experiences is his backstory.

Backstory is more powerful than front story. Backstory is the internal conflict which determines how a character faces his external conflicts. Backstory is the drive of a screenplay. It drives the story that builds up the screenplay.

The key importance of backstory in a screenplay

Backstory is one of the causes of screenplay internal conflicts.

Internal conflicts are the internal problems that brings a character down and make him ineffective in fighting the oppositions.

Internal conflicts are often experienced by the protagonist whose major role is to counter the evil inhuman actions of the villain. These evil actions of the villain are regarded as external conflicts.

Internal conflicts conspire with the external conflicts to make sure the protagonist remains inactive to fight against evil. They hinder and mar the plans and strategies employed in fighting the villain. They are the protagonist's greatest enemy.

A protagonist that wants to fight against the external conflict caused by the villain needs to first of all fight the internal conflicts. Internal conflicts are so inimical that they can completely destroy the protagonist if he doesn't fight them. Internal conflicts are so personal, and they are hidden inside the protagonist. Internal conflicts are a poison to the protagonist.

Internal conflicts are usually as a result of encounters by the protagonist as he journies through his life as the main character.

Here are some causes of a protagonist's internal conflicts

(1)Backstory wound

According to Martha Alderson of writersstore.com, ''anything in a character's past that directly interfers with her achieving her dream or goal in the front story is called backstory wound''

Your character's backstory wound is a source of her internal conflict.

The activities in the life a character may have lived before the present is know as her backstory. This past life may be a pleasant one or an awful one. But whichever, the past life would have influenced her life tremendously. Her physical life, emmotional background, educational background, psychological life and social life would have been affected. A comprehensive stroy from all these experiences is her backstory.

Backstory is more powerful than front story. Backstory is the internal conflict which determines how a character faces her external conflicts. Backstory is the drive of a screenplay. It drives the story that builds up the screenplay.

(2)Actions of the Villain

Actions and reactions are equal and opposite. Actions of the villain determines the reactions of the protagonist. These actions and reactions can result to an internal conflict for the protagonist in the sense that, any single action by the villain calls for a specific targeted reaction by the protagonist. For the protagonist to put up a specific targeted reaction, he needs work hard for it. For him to work hard for it means he needs to put one or two things about him in order. These things he needs to put in order are part of his internal conflicts. Every action has a reaction that counters it, and every reaction has an internal conflict that needs to be solved before it can manifest.

(3)The quest to conquer

You wouldn't know you have a lot of deformity, ineptitude and shortcomings untill you embark on a life defining project.

As the protagonist's quest to conquer the opposition rises, so as his internal problems begin to resurrect.

(4)The struggle to maintain an identity

The protagonist is the 'saviour', and he knows it. So he must do everything possible to maintain who he is; and dealing with his personal and internal problems is one of them.

Written by: Winston Oge 'Winny Greazy'

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