Branwen OShea (she/her)

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Bestselling SFF Author. THE CALLING and THE CHASM (Finding Humanity series). SILENCE OF THE SONG TREES. Cat Magnet. Yogi. Environmentalist. 🏳️‍🌈Ally. BLM.
Websitehttps://www.BranwenOShea.com
The Calling (1st in FH series)https://books2read.com/FindingHumanityBook1
The Chasm (2nd in FH series)https://books2read.com/FindingHumanityBook2
Silence of the Song Treeshttps://www.amazon.com/Silence-Song-Trees-Branwen-OShea-ebook/dp/B08HY9VHYX
@BranwenOShea This is it *exactly*. I don't invent backstory before the fact because then I can't "encounter" it in the moment.

@BranwenOShea

A-yup

I don't write to make money

I write because I have stories to share

Happy #InternationalAsexualityDay to all my ace friends! And if anyone is looking for ace characters, I have a POV one, Bleu Reinier, in my SFF #FindingHumanitySeries. It’s not directly discussed much in the first book, since he’s just trying to stay alive at that point, lol, but it’s in out there in the second book when he connects with someone.😊

#WordWeavers 3 April 2026
For which characters do you come up with a backstory?

In fact, I have a backstory for each of my characters, even if it isn’t always explicitly mentioned in the story. However, it’s important to me for understanding what drives each character and ensuring their actions make sense.

#writing #characters #backstory

#WordWeavers Apr. 03 — For which characters do you come up with a backstory?

All of them have a backstory, even if it doesn't always make it into the story proper. I like to see what makes people tick and for that you need to know what they've been through, as it impacts how they react to different things. So if a character has more than just some incidental lines never to be seen again, they have a backstory, even if they're only a minor side character.
It also makes my life easier. It wouldn't be the first time
(or the second, or the third) a minor SC decided they needed to be upgraded to a main SC further down the line...!

#LowSpoonsWriter

#WordWeavers day 3: For which characters do you come up with a backstory?

Pretty much everyone with more than a fleeting appearance or bit part. My MCs and villains get pretty thorough backstories; my SCs also get backstories, though of varying elaborateness depending on how much we see them and how central they are to the story.

#WordWeavers: For which characters do you come up with a back story?
I’ve tried to create a backstory for certain characters and it is always “wrong.” At some point in the writing the character shows me their past and it is always much better both interest-wise and theme-wise than what I had thought up. This is why I’d say I’m an intuitive pantser. My writing is best when I let it flow.
@BranwenOShea
IMHO if you start out with something like music, pottery, or writing thinking about how to make money off it, you're already doing it wrong.
I had a discussion yesterday with someone who wondered what my return on investment was for writing books. I don’t work that way. I write because I love my characters and I want to share them with you. I love creating. Money is not everything. It’s not even half of everything.
#amwriting #writing #author #authors #FindingHumanitySeries

#WordWeavers: Your opinion on April fools day & do you incorporate the day into your work?

I’d say I’m an opportunistic celebrant. If a good joke that’s not harmful comes to mind, I’ll run with it, but I don’t plan things ahead of time. As for my books, most of them don’t take place in this world, so it wouldn’t fit. But there are several references in my upcoming Werewolves, Chocolate, & Pigeons about a prank the good-hearted witch played on the wolf pack one past April Fools Day.