Are you writing your backstories wrong?

Or course there is no truly wrong way to write a backstory, but have you tried a hidden or a hybrid backstory? If not, watch this video and see if one of these types of backstories works for your next character.

[@AbrokennoseOUCH]

When I get the chance to finally play a character I always write the minimum of like a paragraph but drop in a few hooks for the DM to mess with. The DM is a player too, so they should get to have fun with your character.

[@NxtGenDragon]

I'd definitely say that a DM should just work with a PC to incorporate the backstory to fit the campaign.
I hate the stigma of level 1 being the recent farmboy gone rookie fighter.
Level 1 in actual context is a big deal, people who have class levels are generally above the social norm. And even backgrounds show the experiences and such a players character has gone through at prior to level 1.
Long and intricate honestly opens up lots of areas for plot hooks etc, while short ones are vague enough to add more.
But in both scenarios the DM should in session 0 or before the game if you don't do Session 0 work with the player on telling a cohesive story.
To say a player backstory is undeeded would remove the real attachment to a character.

[@ashofoblivion]

Honestly, I'd say the novella type backstory can be done very well. It just usually is not. Case in point. I regularly write 3-10 page backstories (if it's not just a quick pickup game). But there are a few things I never include. I do not add cultural references or names of locations. I do not add royal lines or anything. If my character may be connected to royalty or nobility I leave the name blank and have my characters relations with them severed for whatever reason so that the DM may choose to include that connection or not.
My backstories tend to give a glimpse into the characters personality and show how they may have reacted to certain events in the past, as well as create the opening for plot hooks the dm is left with plenty of room to use, not use, or adjust to fit. They also serve to at least often give immediate family names or numbers of family members and how close my character may or may not be to them.
If you want to write a novella and have a detailed interesting character while not stepping on the DMs toes my advice really boils down to, don't add countries, don't add culture, dont add important people places or things, don't add technology or homebrewed family special magic or what have you. Simply don't add anything to the worlds structure that may not already exist. Keep specifics vague and let the DM determine them or choose to leave them out because they were vague. Hell I've written a 6 page backstory in the form of a diary that was found by a third party and in 6 pages it had zero recognizable features to the world that would imply the DM had to include it. It was simply a catalogue of daily life, chance encounters, and internal monologue as they tried to process strange or bad things like a friend dying or something.

[@DMApprentice]

From my point of view, my dislike of elaborate backstories has always been a touch vague.
I like background information on the players PC's history but if it is bigger than a list of bullet points or more than paragraph or two, it speaks to me that the player expects me to keep the character alive because he has shown to me how invested he is in this brand new PC.
I don't like that implied contract.
I like a backstory that grows with the PC. At first level (or zero level in a funnel) I want to keep the players emotional investment in the character low. Then as the PC raises in levels, it's chance of survival increases so, I then encourage more backstory.
It may be just me, but I really don't mind when low level PCs die in my campaign. That is what the PCs in character tree are for.
Once they reach 5th level or so, I truly expect those PCs to make it most, if not all, of the way to the conclusion of the campaign.

[@camdendexter]

A han?

[@DMApprentice]

Did mispronounce his name?

[@cgrimes72]

It's not pronounced like "Hand" is pronounced like HON! You might as well be saying LEEa!

[@joshuakimball7780]

Who else cringed every time he mispronounced Han?