: Re: The backstory's overwhelming the actual story I have a character with a grim past (forced to watch torture). I need him to have that grim past in order to explain his behaviour in the story

@Murray831

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Increase the emotional charge of the main plot.
Some possibilities:

Increase the intensity of the main story.
Make the conflict more conflicty.
For example:
Maybe some of his allies,
horrified at having witnessed what he is capable of,
begin to see him as just as evil
as the regime they are struggling to destroy.
Maybe some of them abandon him,
or even turn against him.
Raise the stakes of the main story.
Maybe the evil regime becomes even more evil,
or stronger,
or more widespread.
Maybe formerly good people
begin to accept the evil,
or even participate.
Maybe the stakes become more personal for the hero,
as the evil regime specifically targets the hero's loved ones.
Increase the difficulty of the main story.
Introduce obstacles,
especially obstacles designed specifically to trouble the hero.
(Maybe he has to torture a former ally.)
Remove the resources and support that the hero was most counting on,
especially the support of his most important allies and loved ones.
Bring the hero to the point of despair.

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