Writing Focus: Flashback

In most stories, we never really see the full picture when it comes to the life of a character. Certain important elements that will explain a character’s behaviour may have occurred years previous to the setting of the story itself, so how do we let the readers know that the character has a method behind the madness? We use flashbacks, of course!

What Is a Flashback?

A flashback is as simple as it sounds – a small section or chapter of a story that goes back to a scene in the character’s past. This can be used to convey a small amount of the past that may be vital to understanding the motives or actions of a character, as well as showing things that have happened in the past that may be integral to the understanding of the plot as a whole. Flashbacks are seldom and most authors will utilise italic font to signify where the flashback starts and finishes.

Tips

Use flashbacks sparingly. Use of too many flashbacks in a short space of time can confuse a reader as to where the story is actually going. When applicable, use flashbacks but always try and describe elements using other creative ideas, such as conversations between characters. Flashbacks should only be used if there is absolutely no other way to convey the information to the reader and often, flashbacks will be short and snippy as opposed to long and languid.

You always need to mark the beginning and end of a flashback. There are several ways to do this. Most authors will do this by italicising the content of the flashback, whereas some other prefer to mark the beginning with –begin flashback – and end with – end flashback – to show the reader when they are brought back into the present time. Regardless of what way you choose to alert your readers, you will definitely need to do so, as not marking the start of a flashback can cause untold confusion and turn readers away from your piece.

Prompts

Interested in trying out flashbacks in your work? Check out these prompts that have been designed to help you practise!

1. Take a character with a troubled past and through the use of a small flashback, describe what happened to them and how it has affected them as they have grown up.
2. Your character has a nightmare about a crime they witnessed as a child. Through the use of the dream and any conversations the character has afterwards, describe how this has affected them.
3. Your character is on their deathbed. Through the use of small flashbacks, denote the best moments of their life as they think back.

Flashbacks can be an incredibly valuable tool when trying to convey past actions and scenes to characters, so it’s definitely worth taking the time to get used to using them in everyday writing!

Special thanks to silent hearts. and elixir for editing!