- A backstory is a set of events invented for a plot, presented as preceding and leading up to

that plot.

- A character background details the significant events, people, and life experiences that make up the origin story of a character prior to his or her role in the book or movie. 

- It is a literary device of a narrative history all chronologically earlier than the narrative of primary interest.

- Characterization can be direct, as when an author tells readers what a character is like.

- Or indirect, as when an author shows what a character is like by portraying his or her actions, speech, or thoughts. 

- How we portray a character is different.

- We use the noun portrayal to describe the representation of someone, either in the form of a dramatic character or a spoken description.

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“Backstory.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 14 May 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backstory.