[citation needed] Backstories are usually revealed, partially or in full, chronologically or otherwise, as the main narrative unfolds.
[3] Backstory may be revealed by various means, including flashbacks, dialogue, direct narration, summary, recollection, and exposition.
Orson Scott Card observed that "If it's a memory the character could have called to mind at any point, having her think about it just in time to make a key decision may seem like an implausible coincidence .
The later creation of a backstory that conflicts with a previously written main story may require the adjustment device known as retroactive continuity, informally known as "retcon".
Filling in details helps an actor interpret the script and create fully imagined characters.