My protagonist, Kelly Reed, has an incredible backstory that spans all the way back to her adolescent years. Intriguing little tales readers will enjoy discovering at the right moment.

Curious about what life was like for Kelly in the Army’s all-male special forces, or why the DEA recruited her? You’ll find out soon enough. Do you want to know what kind of a kid Kelly was and why she behaves the way she does? Be patient.

To keep from annoying readers by dumping Kelly’s entire life history on them all at once, I’ve sprinkled her backstory here and there with what’s going on, using the story’s current event as the trigger for her reflection. I either tucked the reflection into a narrated paragraph or worked it into a block of dialog.

But most of all, at key emotional moments, you will learn Kelly and Lori Bishop’s dynamic backstory. Yes, eventually you will discover how they first met, why Lori followed Kelly into the private sector, and what troubles they experienced as young kids.

Do you like a chunk of backstory or do you prefer a character’s history remain a mystery? How do you like to discover your favorite character’s past? All at once or spread out through the story or series? What about flash-forward at the beginning of a story? Leave me a comment below.