I've always had this problem with my characters. I have always wanted them to have some type of sad backstory, weather it be something major or small. One thing i'm always unsure about is if the stories are too over dramatic or unnecessary. How do I keep them from being this but also making them sad and relatable?
Hmm. Okay, I think a lot of writers (myself included) fall into this trap. Here's the way I see it: for every major character, there is always one major event that motivates them. BUT! It might not seem major to you. It might be something normal–say, their grandparent dies of cancer. Horrible, yes, but unfortunately common. Maybe this motivates them to become a doctor. Then they discover some sort of fraud with some vaccine, launch storyline. But think about it: if one of your friends said 'my grandpa died of cancer,' you wouldn't think it's a huge, tragic backstory. Say it with me here: Not every character has to be abused to give them a sad backstory. Go ahead, give it to one or maybe two if you're feeling bold, but the real trick to making a backstory sad is manipulating the emotions that come from the event. And yeah, it depends on the genre. Here's a simple one: Your favorite bands are all slowly getting disgraced with drugs and scandals. You're sick of the music industry being so corrupt, so you go to make a name for yourself–but along the way, you learn why people fall victim to that kind of stuff.
Just–sad is good. Sad is necessary. But it doesn't have to be a massive event to have a massive impact.
I hope this helps you!! :DDD
Thanks! This helped me a lot! :D
As @CinnamonRoll said, don't over-dramatize their sad background.
Typically, you can only do that with one character per series. That one person writers abuse in every way. Their 'Nico diAngelo' or 'Ken Kaneki'
Another idea is the common happening of divorce. Some divorces are worse than others, and they can emotionally scar children. I was let off pretty easy with my parents divorce (I like to think I'm mentally and emotionally healthy), but characters can be torn up by a thing like that. They may become envious of happy marriages, or the opposite. They may be bitter of happy people.
Divorce is a strife-filled event, and can make a fair, and totally relatable, sad backstory.