For one of my series I’m planning (Of Androids and Biotoys), I’m conflicted if I should start it with a “how we got here” opening or just start with the characters’ backstories and continue chronologically from there.
PS: I don’t know if it’s relevant, but this story will be third person POV in present tense. I prefer writing this way.
I vote the second option
Do you think I should alternate between them in each post/chapter? (Ex: First one is the beginning of one character’s backstory, the next is the beginning of the other’s, and then I continue alternating between them until they meet.)
Having them all in one place/chapter would be convenient
So one chapter for each backstory?
Yea, or all of them in one prologue/chapter together
I’d go with the idea from Bloodyboosts, but go with in between main plot stories would help, sort of keep things fresh a bit. Could always have them as ‘side stories’ if you don’t think they’re importent to the story, but add to the world building. Sometimes folks make backstories on the side for readers to go at it when they want to.
How i do it is character establishment first, personality, etc. It might get readers intrigued by the characters
They are important to the story in this case since they’re the events that shaped the protagonists’ lives before they met, and are a large part of why they end up bonding.
If that’s the idea, then I’d go with doing it in parts. Kind of like how One Piece does it - what’s related to what’s going on is shown, and over time, show other parts as they’re related to the vents. Like, the two or more chars talking about their foalhood(?) before getting back to the main story as they talk about kids, etc.
For more context, this story is a bit unusual in that the protagonists are a fluffy colt and an android girl.
So I am kind of leaning towards some kind of alternating due to this, since I don’t want anyone getting the wrong idea by seeing a chapter about her (a non-fluffy character) and not knowing she’s not the only protagonist.
There are a few different “sections” of both of their backstories (ex: his early foalhood and his first days on the street by himself are two different ones).
Hm, then something a book did I think would work for you: Have each chapter have the point of one of the two and switch off. Like, starting off with the pony and their interaction with the girl from his point of view and for the next chapter, have it as her point of view. Helps with the world building (how each view the world) and help flesh things out when the two interact and talk.
I like that idea. I could do it in third person limited POV.
So do you think it’d be best to do this chronologically or start with a scene in the present and then go into the backstories?
Maybe I could mark the backstory chapters as “prologue” or “Coffee’s/Nessa’s backstory” in the titles?
Since each of their backstories has multiple “sections” (different events and settings), I don’t know how well it would work to put all of it in one post.
Even tho im inexperienced i sorta hage something similar in an upcoming project… i have context and situation scenario then intro for the members of a herd then antics afterwards. In answer to your question ummm might be best doing cotext then intros? Im sorry falling asleep so i might nit be saying good advice 
i think you could reasonably start with “how we got here” and find places to sprinkle in backstory. the key is to balance it in such a way you aren’t breaking up the story with flashbacks/details that at the moment might be irrelevant to what’s going on
It’s your thing, I prefer to just jump straight into the story but a little bit of world building is always nice
My general approach with backstory is to deliver it in bites as it becomes relevant, working it into the prose. IE, instead of:
Andrea completed college at age 24.
more like:
Andrea let out a sigh at the state of her fluffy’s saferoom. Taking care of Blueberry had quickly proven the most mentally exhausting task she’d undertaken since her final year of college at the tender age of 24.
You wanna dole small tidbits out piece by piece, gradually giving the readers a feel for the character that refines itself as they go, rather than just infodumping it on them all at once. Use it to illustrate who they are in the present and why they make the choices they do. And if something in their backstory isn’t relevant to the present plot in some way, then it’s probably superfluous anyway.
I’ll probably end up doing that in my other long-form series, but for this one I think I’ll do it chronologically since both protagonists’ backstories are so detailed.