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How do you write a flashback in a story?
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What is a flashback in a story?
Dec 13, 2022 · In this article, I'm going to go over my top dos and don'ts for how to write a flashback scene that will enhance your story, rather than detract from it. Do: Be Relevant. When learning how to write a flashback scene, the first step is to make the content of the flashback highly relevant.
We’ll discuss the pros and cons to writing a flashback, how to determine if this device is the best way to deliver backstory, and, of course, how to write a flashback like a pro… should you decide to go for it. Let’s start with the most important question.
- Abi Wurdeman
- Why Use Flashbacks in Writing Fiction?
- Flashback vs. Flash-Forward
- Flashback vs. Dual timelines
- How to Start A Story with A Flashback Scene
- Flashback Examples in Literature
- How to Write A Flashback in Your Story
- Should Flashbacks Be Written in italics?
- Use Flashbacks to Broaden The World of Your Story
So now that we understand the flashback definition, let’s look at why we write flashbacks in fiction and some of the things they bring to our writing.
Flashbacks aren’t the only time disruption you might come across in literature. Sometimes writers use a flash-forward, or a “prolepsis,” to communicate with their readers too. Flash-forwards happen when you take the readers out of the timeline of your central plot and move them forward to a point in time, instead of back. Often, a flash-forward wil...
Sometimes past events become so big that they take on a life of their own. In this case, you might consider writing other stories that interconnect, rather than one primary storyline and one flashback. This is a good thing to keep in mind if you begin writing a flashback and find you have more to say than you expected. In a book with dual time peri...
Flashbacks are popular ways to open a piece of writing; unfortunately, they’re difficult to pull off. When done clumsily, beginning a narrative with a memory can set the readers up for a different story than the one you’ve really chosen to tell, leaving them feeling disoriented and cheated. However, a writer can use these scenes effectively to star...
There are near-limitless ways to incorporate flashbacks into your scenes. Here are a few effective examples of flashback in storytelling.
Ready to use flashbacks in your own writing? Let’s look at a few tips to keep in mind during your first draft.
Generally, you shouldn’t need to write your flashbacks in different font styles because there will already be enough clues in the text. However, you might consider using italics for any in-flashback dialogue, instead of quotation marks. Quotation marks in a storyground your dialogue in the present moment, so italicizing speech in a flashback shows ...
Flashbacks get a bad rap in the literary world, but used effectively, they can be an amazing tool for creating depth, tension, and resonance in your work. Try out some of these flashback tips and tricks to discover surprising new things about your central characters and more ways to explore your story world.
When do you use them, when do you not use them, and how do you use them well? Here are five tips to help you write flashbacks. #1 – Earn your flashback. If you throw in a long flashback too early in the story, you run the risk of your reader not being interested. Are they invested enough in the story to hop back in time with you?
Aug 3, 2022 · It should solve a tiny riddle in the story while deepening the central mystery. It should add context to a character while complicating their motivations. But while it may feel like a tightrope walk, a well-executed flashback can be the moment your reader knows they loved your story.
Nov 4, 2016 · Flashbacks are a multi-functional technique for stepping outside your story’s timeline and sharing interesting and informative nuggets about your characters’ pasts. But just as they can be used to strengthen your story, they can even more easily cripple it.
Apr 17, 2024 · Are there rules to writing flashbacks? In 10 Tips for Using Flashbacks in Your Fictional Novel, we discuss how to write clear, concise, plot-driven flashback scenes that will strengthen the story and hook your reader.
