Why hire someone to make a background?
I don't think there is a good answer to this question, at least not one that works for everyone. Maybe you just want to see a specific kind of story written up. Maybe you have a new TTRPG campaign coming up and you just aren't very good at writing it up. Maybe you just need some basics to get an idea started and just looking for a little help on this. Who's to say? But, if you're reading this, then you're here for some reason. Hopefully, whether you pay for my services or not, you find what you're looking for here.
How much is it?
Bottom line: ~$2/page
This is always my first question on any site offering services, and I always hate how difficult people make it to get an answer, so I wanted this to be one of the first things I address. (It always seems shady to me when pages keep their prices hidden.) So, why ~$2/page? What does this get? If you want a brief overview of a character's history, 1 page would suffice. For my time and effort (which for one page isn't much), $2 is fine. If you want a bit of a story behind the character, we could easily see 5-10 pages worth of story. More work and thought is obviously involved in this, but still reasonable for $2/page.
However, let's say you really want an in depth story (though I can't imagine a reason for this, based on the premise of what I'm writing these for), and you decide you want something that's nearly a book, at 50 pages. (We're talking Google Docs/MS Word size pages, at a regular font, single spaced, which is significant.) Well, we'd discuss the terms of service on that, but such a story would require a lot more effort, planning, and thought than a 10 page short story. That may involve a slightly higher price, depending on what exactly is desired.
Why not just use AI to write my story?
Make no mistake, I am no hater against what they call 'artificial intelligence', today. It is a very useful tool and it can do a lot. But, when it comes to writing... I've written an entire book using only AI, letting it build the premise, write out the story, everything. Let me tell you, that story was complete garbage. This isn't from a bias viewpoint that fears AI will take my job. In fact, I use AI in my regular job on a daily basis. (Yes, backstory writing is just a side gig.) AI is a great tool. It can offer up ideas when you're stuck, it can refine the writing you give it. But, it can not write a good story.
That said, if you want to try to use AI for your character backstory, I fully support the idea. Go for it. I recommend using Claude AI for writing over systems like ChatGPT or what else you may have. If it gives you what you want, there's no reason not to use it. But, for me, my experience with it, the writing feels very shallow and unrefined. But, I certainly understand that's not everyone's experience.
If this is just for fun, why not offer the service for free?
"If you're good at something, never do it for free."
Of course, whether I'm good at this or not is a matter of opinion. But, enough people have come back to have me write for them again that I feel it might be good enough to offer up to the world. It is something I enjoy doing, and I think it could be a service people could use. Of course, if it is a desired service, I could easily find myself get overwhelmed by requests and it could get to a point where I no longer enjoy it so much. So, the price helps with the 'supply/demand' aspect, while also giving me a little extra cash to justify continuing to do this.
I don't like my story, can I get a refund?
Story writing isn't like building a toy or a device where if you don't like it, you can just return it for a full refund. It's more like an artist drawing a picture. Once they send you the picture to verify you like it, you have it. There is no taking it back. There is no return. So, it's easy for a person to have an artist draw something for them, say they don't like it to get their refund, but then still use it for their intended purpose. This is why artists and writers can't offer refunds for the work they do.
That said, if you are unhappy with the work, we can certainly go over what parts you don't like and see if there's a way to improve it in a way you do like. Though, to avoid me rewriting an entire story (and you get two stories for the price of one), I do have certain limitations in how much can be redone. I would say I'd be willing to go back over 10-25% of the story. That said, I often work with the requestor to ensure the direction of the story is what they're looking for. The longer the story, the more I'll send to you as it goes along to make sure each aspect is what you're looking for, so we don't have to go back through and rewrite entire sections.
Is my story 'mine'?
Ownership of property is a challenging aspect, but I'd like to clarify a point here. In another section of this site, you can find several stories I've written in the past. Some for characters I created for myself, some for characters from other people. These stories are evidence of my work, they show what I can do. They're also available if people want to use them for their character. If you see something there that's already built, you can use that at no cost. When I write a story for you, it is based on the exact parameters that you're looking for, that you give me. It is built to what you want. Yes, when it's done, I'll add it to my collection of things I've written, and it will be available to others for free, much in the same way an artist might display the pictures people have hired them to draw. It is still your story, but it will remain available in my Portfolio.
What is your motivation for writing a good story if I can't get a refund?
Ultimately; my reputation. You heard about me in some kind of way, either through social media or a friend or something. I don't advertise, so my only way of getting any kind of customer is word of mouth. A bad story will not have you recommend my service to someone else. Maybe you'd write a bad review of me on some social media. Where I won't be held hostage by bad reviews, it does encourage for me to make sure my story is the best it can be. Plus, it will be added to my portfolio, it'll be a story someone else can look at, and I don't want to put a bad story on display as 'my work'. Plus, it's something I enjoy. I won't enjoy writing a bad story, I want to make sure everything I produce is as good as I can, and something I can be proud of.
How long will it take?
I don't want to give a 'definite time table' on this, because like anyone else, I have a life that doesn't involve writing. Also, some stories are easier to write out than others. Some just come to me, others take a bit of time to really get a feel for what the character should be. That said, on average, I would guesstimate that the general time frame could be estimated around a day per page. So, if you need a one page backstory tomorrow? Feasible. Need a 10 page backstory tomorrow? Unlikely. Of course, I generally have a bit of a process to get to know the player and what they want for their character before even taking on a job. (I don't want to promise I will deliver something I can't write.) So, it's likely we'll have a good understanding of one another long before the job is officially taken on. But, the general rule of thumb I try to go by is one day per page, and if there are circumstances that make that unfeasible, I should be able to make those clear before we agree on the project.
Are these really 'frequently asked questions'?
I don't think any FAQ is filled with questions that literally anyone has ever asked. Mine certainly isn't. It's just a way to address potential questions that I feel could come up, and should questions come up in the future, of course I would address those here, in hopes that it'll answer these questions before they even get asked.
What information is needed for you to write a story?
This is a difficult question, because there is nothing specifically I need, but I need some kind of information. The more information I get about what you're looking for, the more I can gear the story towards what you're looking for. What it's going to be used for can be a valuable start (a D&D campaign will obviously be a different story from a Star Wars campaign). Race and class can certainly make a big impact on how the story goes. If you have any background information, or alignment, that can set the direction of the character. If you have any basic ideas on what you want for the background, like if they're an orphan, a traveller, a family man, a corrupt politician... Whatever you want for your character. The more you give, the greater I can guide that character to what will make you happy.
What is your experience?
In my opinion, the best evidence of whether I'm worth hiring or not should be in my portfolio. Either you like the work I do, or you don't. I'm no professional writer, but I have done a lot of non-fiction writing over the years. It's definitely not my day job.
In regards to TTRPGs that I'm writing for, I've played all manner of TTRPGs, D&D (3.0 to 5.0), Pathfinder, GURPS, Star Wars, White Wolf, and some lesser known ones. I've been playing for a number of years. I even DM for a couple of campaigns. I am familiar with a lot of the different lands, but I also know that different campaigns can have different backgrounds. I highly recommend getting some kind of information from whoever is running your campaign for any specific details we may need to know when building up your history, such as kindgoms/cities of note, any specific relations between different races, etc.
I see you have other TTRPGs that you've written stories for, can you write for something other than D&D?
Fantasy stories are easiest for me to write, mostly because fantasy TTRPGs have been what I've played most. That said, I'm reasonably familiar with the Star Wars environment. I certainly can write a backstory for any era, fantasy, sci-fi, modern, etc. But, this comes back to an earlier point that the more detail you provide about the environment, the easier it'll be. If you're playing in a setting that is unique, you may have to get details from your DM that could impact your back story. It can be a bit more complicated doing something that isn't a traditional fantasy TTRPG, but it is certainly doable.
I don't think there is a good answer to this question, at least not one that works for everyone. Maybe you just want to see a specific kind of story written up. Maybe you have a new TTRPG campaign coming up and you just aren't very good at writing it up. Maybe you just need some basics to get an idea started and just looking for a little help on this. Who's to say? But, if you're reading this, then you're here for some reason. Hopefully, whether you pay for my services or not, you find what you're looking for here.
How much is it?
Bottom line: ~$2/page
This is always my first question on any site offering services, and I always hate how difficult people make it to get an answer, so I wanted this to be one of the first things I address. (It always seems shady to me when pages keep their prices hidden.) So, why ~$2/page? What does this get? If you want a brief overview of a character's history, 1 page would suffice. For my time and effort (which for one page isn't much), $2 is fine. If you want a bit of a story behind the character, we could easily see 5-10 pages worth of story. More work and thought is obviously involved in this, but still reasonable for $2/page.
However, let's say you really want an in depth story (though I can't imagine a reason for this, based on the premise of what I'm writing these for), and you decide you want something that's nearly a book, at 50 pages. (We're talking Google Docs/MS Word size pages, at a regular font, single spaced, which is significant.) Well, we'd discuss the terms of service on that, but such a story would require a lot more effort, planning, and thought than a 10 page short story. That may involve a slightly higher price, depending on what exactly is desired.
Why not just use AI to write my story?
Make no mistake, I am no hater against what they call 'artificial intelligence', today. It is a very useful tool and it can do a lot. But, when it comes to writing... I've written an entire book using only AI, letting it build the premise, write out the story, everything. Let me tell you, that story was complete garbage. This isn't from a bias viewpoint that fears AI will take my job. In fact, I use AI in my regular job on a daily basis. (Yes, backstory writing is just a side gig.) AI is a great tool. It can offer up ideas when you're stuck, it can refine the writing you give it. But, it can not write a good story.
That said, if you want to try to use AI for your character backstory, I fully support the idea. Go for it. I recommend using Claude AI for writing over systems like ChatGPT or what else you may have. If it gives you what you want, there's no reason not to use it. But, for me, my experience with it, the writing feels very shallow and unrefined. But, I certainly understand that's not everyone's experience.
If this is just for fun, why not offer the service for free?
"If you're good at something, never do it for free."
Of course, whether I'm good at this or not is a matter of opinion. But, enough people have come back to have me write for them again that I feel it might be good enough to offer up to the world. It is something I enjoy doing, and I think it could be a service people could use. Of course, if it is a desired service, I could easily find myself get overwhelmed by requests and it could get to a point where I no longer enjoy it so much. So, the price helps with the 'supply/demand' aspect, while also giving me a little extra cash to justify continuing to do this.
I don't like my story, can I get a refund?
Story writing isn't like building a toy or a device where if you don't like it, you can just return it for a full refund. It's more like an artist drawing a picture. Once they send you the picture to verify you like it, you have it. There is no taking it back. There is no return. So, it's easy for a person to have an artist draw something for them, say they don't like it to get their refund, but then still use it for their intended purpose. This is why artists and writers can't offer refunds for the work they do.
That said, if you are unhappy with the work, we can certainly go over what parts you don't like and see if there's a way to improve it in a way you do like. Though, to avoid me rewriting an entire story (and you get two stories for the price of one), I do have certain limitations in how much can be redone. I would say I'd be willing to go back over 10-25% of the story. That said, I often work with the requestor to ensure the direction of the story is what they're looking for. The longer the story, the more I'll send to you as it goes along to make sure each aspect is what you're looking for, so we don't have to go back through and rewrite entire sections.
Is my story 'mine'?
Ownership of property is a challenging aspect, but I'd like to clarify a point here. In another section of this site, you can find several stories I've written in the past. Some for characters I created for myself, some for characters from other people. These stories are evidence of my work, they show what I can do. They're also available if people want to use them for their character. If you see something there that's already built, you can use that at no cost. When I write a story for you, it is based on the exact parameters that you're looking for, that you give me. It is built to what you want. Yes, when it's done, I'll add it to my collection of things I've written, and it will be available to others for free, much in the same way an artist might display the pictures people have hired them to draw. It is still your story, but it will remain available in my Portfolio.
What is your motivation for writing a good story if I can't get a refund?
Ultimately; my reputation. You heard about me in some kind of way, either through social media or a friend or something. I don't advertise, so my only way of getting any kind of customer is word of mouth. A bad story will not have you recommend my service to someone else. Maybe you'd write a bad review of me on some social media. Where I won't be held hostage by bad reviews, it does encourage for me to make sure my story is the best it can be. Plus, it will be added to my portfolio, it'll be a story someone else can look at, and I don't want to put a bad story on display as 'my work'. Plus, it's something I enjoy. I won't enjoy writing a bad story, I want to make sure everything I produce is as good as I can, and something I can be proud of.
How long will it take?
I don't want to give a 'definite time table' on this, because like anyone else, I have a life that doesn't involve writing. Also, some stories are easier to write out than others. Some just come to me, others take a bit of time to really get a feel for what the character should be. That said, on average, I would guesstimate that the general time frame could be estimated around a day per page. So, if you need a one page backstory tomorrow? Feasible. Need a 10 page backstory tomorrow? Unlikely. Of course, I generally have a bit of a process to get to know the player and what they want for their character before even taking on a job. (I don't want to promise I will deliver something I can't write.) So, it's likely we'll have a good understanding of one another long before the job is officially taken on. But, the general rule of thumb I try to go by is one day per page, and if there are circumstances that make that unfeasible, I should be able to make those clear before we agree on the project.
Are these really 'frequently asked questions'?
I don't think any FAQ is filled with questions that literally anyone has ever asked. Mine certainly isn't. It's just a way to address potential questions that I feel could come up, and should questions come up in the future, of course I would address those here, in hopes that it'll answer these questions before they even get asked.
What information is needed for you to write a story?
This is a difficult question, because there is nothing specifically I need, but I need some kind of information. The more information I get about what you're looking for, the more I can gear the story towards what you're looking for. What it's going to be used for can be a valuable start (a D&D campaign will obviously be a different story from a Star Wars campaign). Race and class can certainly make a big impact on how the story goes. If you have any background information, or alignment, that can set the direction of the character. If you have any basic ideas on what you want for the background, like if they're an orphan, a traveller, a family man, a corrupt politician... Whatever you want for your character. The more you give, the greater I can guide that character to what will make you happy.
What is your experience?
In my opinion, the best evidence of whether I'm worth hiring or not should be in my portfolio. Either you like the work I do, or you don't. I'm no professional writer, but I have done a lot of non-fiction writing over the years. It's definitely not my day job.
In regards to TTRPGs that I'm writing for, I've played all manner of TTRPGs, D&D (3.0 to 5.0), Pathfinder, GURPS, Star Wars, White Wolf, and some lesser known ones. I've been playing for a number of years. I even DM for a couple of campaigns. I am familiar with a lot of the different lands, but I also know that different campaigns can have different backgrounds. I highly recommend getting some kind of information from whoever is running your campaign for any specific details we may need to know when building up your history, such as kindgoms/cities of note, any specific relations between different races, etc.
I see you have other TTRPGs that you've written stories for, can you write for something other than D&D?
Fantasy stories are easiest for me to write, mostly because fantasy TTRPGs have been what I've played most. That said, I'm reasonably familiar with the Star Wars environment. I certainly can write a backstory for any era, fantasy, sci-fi, modern, etc. But, this comes back to an earlier point that the more detail you provide about the environment, the easier it'll be. If you're playing in a setting that is unique, you may have to get details from your DM that could impact your back story. It can be a bit more complicated doing something that isn't a traditional fantasy TTRPG, but it is certainly doable.