This provides a hint of her past and creates suspense. Backstory is more effective when the reader cares about the character. This is another reason to hold information back. In the same novel, midway in Chapter 2, the reader learns that she had a child when she was fifteen, fathered by a high school football player and that the baby was given for adoption. The only people who know her secret are her immediate family and she has hidden the information and allowed it to poison her life.
Dramatic conflict is created when the reader learns that the hero was an adopted child.
From the hero s POV, Scott noticed the startled, concerned expression on Kate s face. Although he doesn t understand it, the reader does and is concerned for her. Later in the story, the conflict is expanded when Scott reveals his strong belief in chastity until marriage. Each piece of information about the hero adds to the growing conflict in the romantic relationship between the two characters who have grown to care deeply for each other. Using backstory in this way can create a page-turner as readers who see the problem wonder what will happen next.