Thoughts on the Flashback Scenes

and . I like reading clearly defined flashbacks which enhance the story.

I put them to use when a past event advances present action.

I don't have an issue with flashbacks as long as they're kept concise and relevant to what's happening in the present. A character being reminded of something in the past and then briefly dipping into a past scene or event that sheds light on what we're seeing right now can be valuable.

I do have an issue with them when they get lengthy though. Extended flashbacks that eat up entire chapters or more are often a bad idea because they tear the reader away from the present story.

And welcome to AW!

Usually I'm a bit irritated by flashback scenes because they take me out of what's happening NOW in the story, but there are some that were pretty enjoyable and gave some helpful insight. You gotta make it relevant to that section of the story and the story as a whole. Really make sure it's needed. And I'm not a fan when there are many in one novel.

Hopefully something of this helps!

Hi,

I heard over and over, no prologues, no flashbacks. But hey, rules, what damn rules?

I had a specific problem, I wanted to write about my character's younger years, ages 10 to 16. Important (and fun) things happened to her. It wasn't backstory I could adequately address in the current time period. But, in the main story the protagonist is 17 and that's when the inciting incident occurs. It simply didn't work to start at age 10 and zip through the years a chapter at a time.

My solution was to write two parallel stories woven together until the middle of the book where the timeline catches up to the present.

The point of this anecdote is to examine why you are writing flashbacks. Is it just a vehicle for backstory or is there more to it? IMO a vehicle for backstory is the weakest reason.

Well written, flashbacks are fine. I'm often reading more than one story at a time, an audiobook in the car and a regular book at home. I take books with me for something to do if I need to wait anywhere like the doctor's office. So it doesn't bother me when a flashback pulls me out of the story as long as the flashback is equally interesting. You can't please all the readers anyway.

MaeZe said:

I heard over and over, no prologues, no flashbacks. But hey, rules, what damn rules?

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I've heard it too... Always followed by 'there are no rules in writing' lol

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I like flashbacks as long as they're relevant, consistent, and not overly long. Unless you start the story with the flashback, but that's a different animal.

I will admit that flashbacks are generally not to my personal tastes. I tend to get annoyed pretty quickly when I'm taken away from the main action of the story. I want to know what happens!

That said, Sanderson's The Way of Kings uses flashbacks extensively, and my irritation with that was in no way a deal breaker. And the character backstory flashbacks are some of the best parts of One Piece, so...all in the execution I guess. Look at it this way, I don't like flashbacks, but if they're done well I wouldn't put down your book.

There are excellent books on writing technique that tell you how to enter and leave a flashback scene smoothly and without confusing the average reader.

Plot & Structure by James Scott Bell. Well worth having.

I've never heard there's a "rule" not to use flashbacks.

Prologues, sure. Plenty of people have said they skip prologues, or that they're pointless, though in fantasy, they're very common.

Make sure your flashback is relevant, doesn't screw up the story's pacing and doesn't confuse the reader, and you should be fine.

Maryn said:

Who is handing out this "rule" of no prologues and no flashbacks?

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I have a prologue in my current WIP; it was the most direct way to set up the world without resorting to a crappy, exposition-stuffed first chapter.

"Rules" for writing are flexible; personally, I'm not a huge fan of flashbacks UNLESS they are done well. But that doesn't mean I won't throw a flashback into my book if it supports the story! Conversely, I have attempted to follow George Orwell's writing rules for a short story specifically because I didn't agree with them and I wanted an exercise to expand my skills.

Repeat after me: I will write my story according to my own imagination and not let others tell me how to write it. Trust me--you'll be better off for just doing you.

Chase said:

and . I like reading clearly defined flashbacks which enhance the story.

I put them to use when a past event advances present action.

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This sums it up really well, I think. I like them when they're done well and move the story forward in some way. I don't like it when they feel like a beside-the-fact interruption of the story's forward momentum, or when they're framed so I don't realize I'm reading one at first, and I get that "Huh? So his brother isn't dead after all?" kind of thing going. Trying to think of a recent example, because I know I've run across this problem in trade-published novels, but of course I can't think of something specific at the moment.

I don't have anything to add from a "craft" point of view, but as a reader, I find that flashbacks done well can definitely add to a story. I will point out one thing that bugged me in regard to some specific flashbacks. I read a trilogy of sea monster books earlier this year. I don't want to poop on them, because overall I really liked them. But in the second and third books there were extended flashbacks of several pages each that were literally cut and pasted from the prior books. Like, they'd re-introduce a character from one of the earlier books and then launch into a flashback of an extended scene he/she was in from the prior book. Maybe if I hadn't read all three it wouldn't have bothered me at all, but since I read them all in order, it drove me nuts. On more than one occasion, I just scrolled through several pages until I saw the writing wasn't in italics anymore.

Loverofwords said:

Usually I'm a bit irritated by flashback scenes because they take me out of what's happening NOW in the story...

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That's the key for me as well and, unfortunately, many flashbacks do this. Prologues bother me for a similar reason. I much prefer the information simply be added to the story.

Jeff

Well this is timely! I hadn't thought too much about it because I read them all the time, but I did see a comment on a thread last week about this and it's had me stumped ever since. I keep thinking I need to go back and reorganize my story to avoid the flashbacks -- which are necessary to explain why my protaganist is on the run. My flashbacks are short -- usually only a couple of paragraphs, so I don't think it pulls a reader out of the current scene for too long, but maybe I should just explain why she's on the run in the beginning. I thought it added more intrigue to start out in the middle of the action, but maybe not! I appreciate hearing the different viewpoints.

After reading a lot about how prologues are terrible, I nearly removed mine from my novel, going so far as to omit the "Prologue" chapter title from my novel once I decided to leave it in. I'm am so happy I followed my own advice. It's actually not a true prologue since it takes place midway (sort of) between the two timelines in my non-linear narrative. But the prologue (my copy editor eventually titled it "Prologue" in the final version) introduces my two main characters at a particularly low point in their lives. It also introduces a core theme of the novel and a source of tension that runs through both timelines. So it really does work (I hope ). I also liberally use flashbacks (but only where relevant). My MC is immortal, and his past is critical to understanding his present.

So, my point is: write what you feel works. Don't listen to "conventional wisdom." I'm not saying don't adhere to real rules like head hopping, show-don't-tell, etc. but to prologue or flashback or not--listen to your inner writer voice!

I think there's a significant difference between flashbacks (which jump directly out of a present-timeline scene, and normally would be triggered by and relate to something in that scene) and a narrative that takes place in two (or more) relatively independent time frames, one of which represents the narrative present and the other the narrative past. Pure flashbacks are more likely to come across as intrusive, IMO, especially if they do in fact break up the pace of the main narrative or aren't effectively set up. Multiple timelines, otoh, require you to construct multiple engaging storylines that work effectively in parallel and also pace the revelation of information & backstory to support your main narrative. Either approach can work well or fail badly.