Backstory

Recently, I started a new novel and as usual I was debating about how much backstory to include. I didn't want to dump too much information in the beginning. Backstory slows down a story. After all, it happened in the past and as a reader and a writer, I'm interested in what is happening at the present time. That means I frequently write the background and then deleted the first two or three chapters after I've finished the book. So, how do I handle backstory? In my opinion, backstory should be put into a story in bits and pieces at appropriate times. It can be handled through dialogue, internal monologue, or from another character's observation, and should be inserted only as needed to help the reader follow the plot. Withholding background can add suspense to a story and keep the reader interested and reading to find out what the mystery is whether it be a motivation or a conflict. As a writer, I don't want my backstory to become exposition. It can get in the way of making characters believable. Inserting the correct amount of background and at the right time is a challenge for me.