New York Times bestselling author Susan Dennard is every adjective I could use in an extremely positive light. 

At the appointed time for her talk at Grand Rapids Comic Con, Susan walked into the jam-packed lecture room with a certain something to her - maybe it was the brilliant costume. It was probably the brilliant costume. 

Dressed in a Hogwarts t-shirt, standing in front of a room filled with eager writers and readers, most adorned in costumes, ranging from Maleficent to The Mad Hatter (me!), author Kristen Simmons explored and explained the magic of backstory. Personally, backstory is something I try and avoid whenever I can (which is never); I walked away with a sense of need to write someone's previous turmoil, love, and treason.