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Joined: 3/19/2012
Posts: 6
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i've read somewhere that using flashbacks in a story makes it look like the writer is being lazy for relying on that particular plot device and that it detracts from the story, i think. and because of that I largely steered clear from using flashback scenes. i've written up my outline and several drafts, which i'm currently editing. and for awhile now, i feel there is a scene missing/that i want to do and though I don't know what I'll write for that scene, i think a flashback will probably work best.
has anyone here debated on whether or not to incorporate a flashback in their story? does anyone think that a flashback detracts a reader from the story?
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Joined: 4/30/2011
Posts: 662
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Read anything that I've written, and half have flashbacks. I've actually had people request flashbacks so that they can see how a character once was.
If you write in first person or third limited, flashbacks can be a memory. It isn't cheating. In real life we always think back to that time when something happened that makes us smile or cry. When used properly, they can be perfect little devices. I suggest reading works where flashbacks are used to get a feel for them. I have a pretty prominent one in my short story "Principium" that I've received compliments on if you need somewhere to start.
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Joined: 10/20/2011
Posts: 350
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I don't see flashbacks as being lazy. I'd rather read that then a long dialogue scene where the character explains what is needed. In my story The Wedding Game, I use flashbacks (more like remembrances from my main character) because my MFC's childhood is important to the current plot.
The main reason not to have a flashback is if it serves no other point that just because the author thought the episode was interesting and wanted to put it in the story. I feel a flashback either needs to move the plot forward or add character development. And if that's the best way to do so, then do it. Writing is very subjective and what one "expert" thinks may not necessarily be right for your story.
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Joined: 6/28/2011
Posts: 188
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The flashback is like any other well-established literary device. If used properly, there's nothing wrong with it, and if used creatively, it can create terrific effects. But if used excessively, lazily, or clumsily, it's going to be a problem -- again, just like any other literary device.
An important consideration with flashbacks is how you transition to the flashback, and how you transition back to the present action. Awkward transitions will make the flashback seem artificial, throwing the reader out of the story.
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Joined: 2/11/2012
Posts: 1
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I agree with Herb. The transitions in and out of the flashback is highly important. If they're clumsy, the flashback will be confusing.
I personally avoid them, unless I'm flashing back to something already shown in the novel. Even then, it's usually one or two lines of dialogue that the character remembers in the middle of a dramatic scene, generally for emphasis or to give the character strength to keep moving forward. Said flashback is generally placed in italics so the reader immediately recognizes what's going on.
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It's a tool. Use it well and it works. You could, for example, alternate scenes of the character today and in the past, braiding then, so to speak, and make it work. There are all levels of flashbacks, and as has already been noted, the transitions to and from them need to be seamless and natural. To that I'll add that the flashback itself needs to be necessary to the plot at that level of detail.
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Joined: 2/9/2012
Posts: 427
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I'm actually a big fan of flashbacks so kudos for that, LeeAnna. I think they add suspense and a sense of mystery sometimes, allowing for moments of epiphany and surprise. ("Oh, so that's what happened... That's why the character is the way he/she is.") I think it's an excellent way to bring the reader's attention to the backstory. I guess you need to make sure it doesn't come too early or function as a distracting interruption to the main storyline.
Why do you have misgivings about using flashbacks? Do you feel like it's a device you resort to when you're not sure how to deploy information about a character's past? I'm curious...
Cheers,
Nevena
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Joined: 3/12/2011
Posts: 376
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First of all, I agree that like any literary device, flashbacks can be used or misused. I dislike 'this is bad!' advice, because... well... it's wrong. Some literary devices are easy to use, some are hard to use, and some are easy to use, but hard to use well.
Folks have actually mentioned three different things, and I only really classify one as a 'flashback'.
- I don't really consider a braided present / past story a flashback. It's possible that the characters in the 'past' portion of the story might not even be the same characters. It's just... a braided story with an odd temporal component. Different beastie, needs different execution than a flashback.
- A momentary 'I remember that!' on the part of a character isn't really a flashback, either. One to two sentences referring to what happened before is just a character remembering something. It can be a very painless, almost unnoticable form of exposition if done well, but again, different beastie, different execution.
- A 'proper' flashback is where the scene actually changes based on a character (or characters) getting lost in memory for a time. I've seen it done with and without scene breaks, but when it's done well it reveals something about the character(s) seamlessly.
The most common bad mistake I've seen is including a bunch of flashbacks when a better option would have been to start the story earlier, with a chapter or two followed by a time shift.
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Joined: 4/30/2011
Posts: 662
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I agree with the three points that Robert brought up. Flashbacks need to be able to have a "stand alone" feel. I only say that because they should be able to be pulled and seen as their own scene whether you use scene breaks or not. I don't really know if I'm saying that quite right. Like Robert said, the character is lost in the memory. In "Principium," my MC's flash back goes for a page and a half or so. There is described action and dialogue from that different time.
Flashbacks are also more effective the less there are. Too many, and the story can get too confusing. You can also risk info-dumping, a practice every writer should avoid.
And thanks for the shout out, Nevena!
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Flashback or not? Depends on the story. Depends on the character. If your goal in life is to spin out well-engineered prefect commercial prose, why would you every want to use flashback?
However ... If you are interested in capturing a little bit of how real people react, why NOT flashback.
And: If you story at one point depends on a character remembering something from his childhood, like in my cyberpunk novel, seems to me I had no choice.
And it tied in nicely with a "memory drug" that was part of my whole world/universe building.
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Flashbacks, like many other tools of writing, are on my "use them if I need to, don't use them if I don't" list. In my Robin Hood novel I'm working on, I have several flashbacks to Robin's origin (the story is set in the middle of his career). In The Brotherhood of the Black Flag, I had certain characters talk about their past instead of flashing back to it because I don't want my readers to know for sure if any of these exploits happened the way the characters said they did (and I actually hint that they might not).
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