Backstory ... with Emma Kress

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Following her workshop on writing great plots, Emma signed copies of Dangerous play, her highly praised debut novel.

I knew when I saw Emma Kress's name on the program of the Saratoga Book Festival that she had to be the daughter of Susan and Jack Kress, whom I know from my Skidmore days.  

  • This tells you about Susan. Note her distinguished career in teaching and the fact that she was appointed to the 1948 Chair for Excellence in Teaching.

  • This tells you about Emma. Note her distinguished career in teaching and the New York State Education Department’s honoring her as a Finalist for New York masters State Teacher of the Year. 

The twin play of genetics and environment have produced a stunningly accurate facsimile of Susan in Emma. As trite as it may be to observe that apples generally don't fall at great distances from their trees, the evidence here is so starkly apparent it must be noted and marveled upon. Susan and Emma have the same gift for bringng classrooms to life.

Emma is also a published author, making her mark in fiction with Dangerous Play, described by Kirkus Reviews as a “timely and absorbing character study of a sexual assault survivor” and by Publisher’s Weekly as a “passionate love letter to an underappreciated sport.” (Field hockey, which Emma played in high school.)

Emma gave a great workshop, taking us step-by-step through all of the key components of plot. We'll aim to rigorously apply her approach in Darwin's Edge, which we'll launch as a year-long series of 80 draft installments starting this Monday, October 23 and running through next November 5, 2024, Election Day. 

The Importance of Backstory

You can't even begin to develop plot until you’ve established compelling backstories for your main characters' backstories, she said. 

"You must think about who your characters are, how they became who they are, and what has what made them who they are. We must know the experiences that have shaped them and their belief systems. We must know their feelings." 

Emma in action at the saratoga book festival

In Darwin’s Edge we must know:

  • Why is Surina Rao so committed to her goal of installing ThinkPal and the 9G Wireless Neural Connector in every American over the age of 14 by 2050? What's driving her to transform Homo sapiens into Sapiens 2? 

  • What motivates Michael Carmody in launching Experimental Humans on Friday, October 24, 2031 as the reality-show that will demonstrate the power of thalamitic integration to the American people and thereby support New York Senator Henry Van Buren's bid for the presidency? Why is he driven in collaboration with Smartacus to design and deploy the brain/computer interface? 

  • Why is Derek Barnes is so passionate in his work to ensure that the development of the Brain/Computer Interface is rooted in our churches, synagogs, mosques and temples? In what way does he feel he's carrying out a mission on behalf of his Creator? 

  • Why is the Rev. Peter Gilman is so motivated to join Darwin's Edge and AI and Faith as a ThinkPal Volunteer? What contribution to his own life and to the world does he aspire to make by joining with six other religious leaders in testing, experiencing, and demonstrating thalamitic integration? 

We figured it would be informative to see how ChatGPT does with this assignment. 

Here are the prompts we wrote.

And here are the backstories ChatGPS authored: 

It’s a start.