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A very good point. Or rather, a few excellent points. Reader interest. Every story, long or short, has its own particular target group of readers. An author may not realize it, but most of these groups are relatively small, and so the feedback and quota of readers may not be as numerous as we all like to hope they might be. This is especially true in fanfiction with unusual pairings, for example. Flow is a big deal, I agree. It can also be hard to pin down in a way that benefits the story, and I think that most authors will readily admit that stories--especially those which consume the author's mind with plot and scenes!--are quite capable of and often trend towards overdoing things. How often do we write something that grabs us by the throat and demands to have its own way? There are ways to deal with such stories and muses, of course: a good beta is a blessing, particularly with unruly stories. And stubbornness can go a long way, too. However, for me, I find that distraction is the best tactic. Here, I can't give you that. What do you think about this, instead? Or, Ooh, look at that! What a neat idea! Why don't you steal it away before these other muses get close? I'll let you pounce on So-and-So later as a reward. Yes, I occasionally have to bribe my muses. Surely I am not the only one?

A: You guys have brought up some very good points about back story overkill that many writers commit like a cardinal sin. In reality, we do not know the characters when we start reading, and should not know them beyond their actions. To love what you read requires evolving the character with each word crafted to promote action, emotion and understanding for the reader I think. As to the fan fiction writers laziness, I have read a lot of the problem children of said formula. I am not a fan of those either. I pick on the least embellished aspects of characters when I write fan fiction. I delve into the hints, not the head bashes of any fandom I choose to write. I also take the less loved characters and give them a reason for their obnoxious traits which is rarely tapped by the majority. Yet, sadly, I also think a lot of fandom writers are lazy. I see plenty who cannot understand basics of cannon psychology of the characters they are writing also. Makes me cringe personally. Staying cannon takes discipline, and forethought. Many fandom writers ignore everything about the actual universe they are writing within which is tragic. The bulk of all stories rejected by publishing house editors are due to back story presented as the opening salvo. It is a taboo in the industry because it does not serve any real purpose to the publishing industry standards. Readers have set expectations and back story openings are not among them. Back story needs to be sprinkled through the story as a flavoring. It only has one purpose; clarify specifics. The vast majority of novice writers pour it on, making their tale far less enjoyable for the reader. Most editors of pro level say that they only accept stories which, from the very first word committed to the manuscript, set the character's heels on fire. The character can only recall taking firefighter classes after they are burning. ROFL. Kind of an absurd way to say it, and yet it is a great memory jogger. I have read numerous back story starters, and can say that I for one do not care how great the story gets starting in Chapter 2. The first chapter put me to sleep because it is nothing but a "get to know me" flop. Such writers needs to get rid of chapter one, and possibly chapter 2 because the actual story starts after the monotonous back story segment. Introduce characters who are active and hopping through hoops to preserve their own hides. I'll be happier getting to know them as a reader. Writing the same way becomes habit with practice. Having a setting that reflects troubles on the horizon, be it mental, or physical is important to engaging a reader's interest. So you may not have the characters dashing madly down the street with their feet flaming, but you do want to have them walking through a gas puddle at the very beginning.