The crime story I am writing is about a woman who starts working at a private investigation firm after being fired from her old job. The first case she participates in involves a guy who will later become her archnemesis. If possible I would like to build a classic, slowly rising conflict from beginning of the story to the end. So the story really starts with her getting the new job. But I would also like to tell her background story, what kind of person she was before and how she lost her old job. How do I do that, ideally? possibility 1 - I tell the story chonologically. Sure, there is tension, there is conflict in the beginning at her old job. She is getting fired, after all. But it doesn't contribute much to the rest of the plot except building her character. So there would be an obvious drop in conflict after she gets the new job... and it would start building up from there again. Is this really a good option? possibility 2 - I tell her background story in flashbacks. It should be more than one flashback, because it is a considerable amount of content I want to put in. The conflict could still be rising slowly. But doesn't that distract too much from the main plot? possibility 3 - I don't tell it at all and just drop some hints here and there. But I am really reluctant to do so, because I would like to tell her background story! Can you help me out and tell me what you would do? Or how I should approach this?
Actually the easiest way to do that is through dialogue. SOmeone she trusts asks, "What did you do before you started here. More PI work? You're very good," then she reveals a piece of the puzzle. You might want to hang onto the getting fired part until a bit into the story, let the reader wonder why she is so outwardly confident, while inwardly she is not sure she is up to the challenge.
That's only true if the other characters need to know her past. If only the reader needs to know and if you are using a narrator or third party POV then the narrator can tell us. There are good ways of doing it and bad. A good way is for the narrator to tell us what she is thinking. Nina stayed in bed thinking about last week. She arrived at work and then... You could keep her thinking/remembering as she continues to get ready for work at the new job and anticipating the first day at the new one. So it depends on the POV you are using. If the other characters have to know her past then, yes, it will have to be through dialogue and they don't have to know everything. I also like the flashback method if it is done well. Some people over do it.
There's also the prologue chapter. Lots of novels start with a prologue that may explain some past event, then Chapter 1 starts with where the MC is now.
Yeah, I think a prologue chapter would be my favored way to go. Then I can set up her past and also one or two supporting characters she knows from before her time a the PI firm.
