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I keep walking. “I have to get back before next period.”. “Wait.”. He grabs my arm. “Maya, just look at me.”. I was pinned to the ground in the dim room, fingernails digging into the wooden floorboards, red light blinking in front of my face. “Just look at me,” the man said through gritted teeth.
- Does Your Story Really Need A Flashback?
- How to Write A Flashback
- How to Write A Flashback with Dabble
Allow me to start by clarifying: a flashback is a scene that transports the reader to a moment in the backstory. It’s not just a reference to something that happened in the past but a recreationof that experience. So, this is nota flashback: This isa flashback: Now, if you’re familiar with the popular writing advice “Show, don’t tell,” you may be t...
1. Time It Carefully
Now that you know why you’re writing a flashback, ask yourself where to place it in your story to best accomplish your goal. Consider: 1. Tension -If you’re interrupting a scene designed to build suspense, make sure the flashback adds to the tension. Hold off or put the flashback in a less suspenseful scene if it doesn’t. 2. Pacing - Flashbacks often slow the pace of a story. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it’s definitely something to keep in mind. 3. Insight -When will the informati...
2. Transition Gracefully
The transition is everything. Everything. If your transitions into and out of the flashback aren't good, your readers won’t realize they’re in a flashback. Confusion and chaos will follow. Here are some classic strategies for how to write a flashback transition.
3. Keep It Brief
Once you’ve artfully transitioned into your flashback, don’t get too comfortable there. Give your reader the information they need. No more, no less. Then get them back to the story they came for. Now, as I give you this advice, I do want to admit that sometimes a long flashback is satisfying. Little Fires Everywhereis the perfect example of a book that features a backstory so juicy (and relevant!) readers don’t mind spending full chapters in the past. Most of the gasping I did while reading...
If this guide was a little more involved than you expected, don’t lose heart. It’s true that a lot of things can go wrong with flashbacks. But when you get your timing, purpose, and prosejust right, so much more can go very, very right. Need a little help thinking it through? Dabble’s got you covered. This writing tool has an adaptable Plot Grid th...
- Abi Wurdeman
Oct 4, 2024 · The flashback example is introduced quite suddenly, with a change in narrator. The details that Jordan shares give us a better picture of the love triangle between Tom, Daisy, and Gatsby. 5. “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee (1960) Calpurnia evidently remembered a rainy Sunday when we were both fatherless and teacherless.
Definition of a Flashback. In literature, a flashback is an occurrence in which a character remembers an earlier event that happened before the current point of the story. The definition of flashback is identical to that of analepsis, which comes from the Greek for “the act of taking up.”. There are two types of flashbacks—those that ...
Nov 4, 2016 · Jane Got a Gun shows us three excellent reasons to reconsider employing flashbacks: 1. The Flashbacks Don’t Offer Enough New Info. Flashbacks— especially dramatized flashbacks—take up an inordinate amount of time and space. This signals to readers that the information they offer is important.
Nov 16, 2021 · Adopt the arc. When planning the flashback, think about the narrative arc. The narrative or story arc is the path your story follows, and the flashback should have its own arc. Regardless of length, give the flashback an inciting incident, build up to a climax, and bring it to a close with a conclusion.
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Aug 23, 2021 · Definition and Examples of Flashbacks. When writing a work of fiction, an author can take the reader out of the present story and jump into an earlier time period in a character’s life. This narrative tool is called a flashback. Also used in films and television shows, flashbacks give a story more depth by revealing details that help readers ...
