: Re: How do I show and not tell a backstory? In my novel, Matt's girlfriend Ella gets kidnapped and Matt is held responsible by the kidnappers. As it wasn't for ransom but as a revenge of something

@Jamie945

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This is really going to depend on the details of your story. For conversation's sake, I'm going to assume that the story is about missing funds at a charity. Not because this has anything to do with your story, but because I don't want to try to work around an unknown plot.

Let's presume that the kidnappers have just communicated with Matt. He goes to the main character to share. He tells the MC that the kidnappers claim that Matt convinced Ella to embezzle funds from a charity. Matt says that this isn't true. Not only didn't he suggest anything of the kind, he doesn't believe that Ella embezzled any funds.

The natural thing would be for the MC to investigate this. What is the MC to Ella and Matt? A police officer? A private detective? An amateur sleuth? Ella's family member? A casual acquaintance? If any of the first three, the MC would investigate personally. If not, the MC might hire a private detective to do the investigating.

If the MC is investigating, you can show by showing the investigation. If the MC hires someone, then you can show the conversations with that person. It's possible that you may maintain reasonable doubt throughout. Finally, at the end of the story, Ella is free (or dying or whatever). Show with a flashback from Ella, who presumably knows whether or not she embezzled funds and if so, whether or not Matt knew.

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