Flashbacks, Dreams, Time Jumps and other techniques to tell backstory.

A common method to tell a character's backstory is to do a flashback. Because it's already happened, the danger is that the momentum of the story get's stopped cold. So, it better be really important! Dreams function in the same way, but could also show events taking place elsewhere (but at the current time), or another time in past or future. But, it still takes the audience out of the main story and possibly stalls the plot. I'm no expert on the subject, though I do have my favorite method (which is to let backstory come out as part of natural dialogue over the course of the story).

Recently, I've seen time jumping as a favorite method. With this it's not necessarily a flashback--because what's happening is current, it's just in a different time--so the plot steams forward without stalling. I do like this method and it will keep an audience's attention. However, the audience is then tasked with the need to remember multiple time points and keep everything sorted out. Still, it's a good method.

Probably the funniest (because it's awful) way of giving a character's backstory is to have some unknown (like an oddly informed beggar) saunter in with exactly the necessary information and then disappear. I seem to remember the original Star Trek doing that. It's simple, easy, keeps the plot moving right along, and is completely silly. It's the backstory version of Deus Ex Machina (more commonly known as "The Writer wants you to know this, so pay attention!") Just shove it in there and move on.

Whatever technique you use, remember the cardinal rule: keep the story going like a roller coaster and your audience will stay interested and ride along with you.

- M