"It is important to remember that while the audience requires the story to be believable, at least within the context of the story's own rules, but they have no such standards for a character's backstory. As such, the writer is free to make it as outlandish as they wish with no regards for Willing Suspension of Disbelief."
"Poor Mary Sue lost her parents in a tragic double-dark lord homicide before she was sent to the hateful home for Haggard orphans. There she was abused and set on fire every day, which is how she mastered fire magic. But she was so cold and alone, she mastered ice magic too despite the other orphans hailing her as their champion. Then all of her orphan friends died... except for the jerk ones though. Then she got adopted and her new loving adoptive family died. Then her middle school and high school boyfriend died so she can never love again. Also, she has orphanitis and is fated to die tragically should she ever find true happiness again, and she inherit her dead adoptive family's debt, and she got bullied too. Oh, and her dog died too."
"Just keep lumping crap on that pile and setting it on fire. More tragedy just means more sympathy from the audience. See, they're crying and I'm sure that's not tears of laughter. Trim down a character's backstory to retain believability and maintain consistency? Make sure the character's backstory doesn't clash with the tone in a way that undermines the story? Eh, sorry. but Mary Sue needs those pity points in her backstory. Otherwise, how will anyone feel sorry for her without her tragic backstory?"
—JP Beaubien, Terrible Writing Advice, CHARACTER BACKSTORIES
