what about backstory?

I see Flashbacks and Backstory as two different things. Your character's backstory is her past, the details that inform who she is, her values and likes and dislikes, etc. Flashbacks are memories that sneak up on your character, unbidden, often unwelcome – little nuggets of her past that, for whatever reason, flash through her, a surprise.

Backstory does create it's own challenges: how much to include, and where to put it in your story? Like a flashback, inserting a lot of backstory can slow d...