backstory vs narrative

backstory

noun
  • The previous life and experiences of a person, especially a character in a dramatic work, but also a real-life person. 

  • A fictitious account of a person's history designed to conceal their actual history and motives. 

  • A prequel. 

narrative

noun
  • A manner of conveying a story, fictional or otherwise, in a body of work. 

  • The systematic recitation of an event or series of events. 

  • That which is narrated. 

  • A representation of an event or story in a way to promote a certain point of view. 

adj
  • Of or relating to narration. 

  • Overly talkative; garrulous. 

  • Telling a story. 

How often have the words backstory and narrative occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )