Writing Stack Exchange
Writing Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [flashback]

A piece of a work which is set before the "present."

A piece of a work which is set before the "present." Even if the work is written in past tense, there is a "present" during which the action is taking place. When the scene shifts so that all the action is occurring at a time earlier than the present of the work, this is flashing back to the past. (It's "flashing" because it's usually brief, but the flashback could be a significant percentage of the work.)

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Getting details of a past century right

I have been gathering ideas for a novel. The basic idea is in place; the story combines two different eras but the same place. How do I get the little details about the place, the people, their life and language right? I have never visited the place…
Kuchiki Byakuya
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Should a long flashback be written in first or third person?

In my novel there will be a chapter-length flashback as one character relates a story from his past. The rest of the novel is written in limited third-person, seeing into one person's mind at a time. Does it make sense to switch to first-person for…
Travis
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Any Tips On Writing Extended Recollection In A Novel

So, I've been working for about a month now on my latest novel but have come across some issues in regards to recollections of past events. I'll outline what I mean, because that's a bit general... It's based around a psychiatrist and a patient…
B. Guilford
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Character had a different name in the past. Which name should I use in a flashback?

One of my characters has a flashback to when he was 5 years old. At the time, he didn't have a name (he goes by a physical description instead). What's the correct way to refer to him in this flashback: by the "name" he had then, or by the name he…
user36961
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Should a flashback be in past tense or past perfect?

Assuming the story itself is in past tense, normally when I go further into the past I'd use past perfect: He had first met her at the grocery store, six months prior. However, which is more correct when writing an extended flashback (several…
Yamikuronue
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Flashback or Framing, does either work

After reading up on flashbacks, both on this site and others, I learned that flashbacks should be used sparingly since most readers enjoy a story from A to Z. I feel very strongly about having a form of a flashback, but can't decide which would be…
curt1893
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How can I start in media res and provide enough back-story to hook people, all in the first chapter?

My story (novella?) starts in media res, in the middle of the conflict that will set the rest of the story in motion. Currently I am "scene-cutting" between that event and some earlier events that provide context. The current sequence for the…
Monica Cellio
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When to place flashbacks?

I would like to use flashbacks in my novel. I am not sure when to place them - in the middle of a chapter, at the end of a chapter, as a chapter on its own. What are the advantages and common usages for flashbacks that I can refer to?
ArtickokeAndAnchovyPizzaMonica
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how do I tell my main character’s backstory throughout the book?

I'm loosely working on a trilogy. Book One and Two are supposed to contain the main character’s backstory, divided by two parts that will be exposed accordingly: on book One, the first half, on book Two, the remaining part. I have three "main…
jessythejessy
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Should the audience be immediately aware of the reason for a flashback?

In the pilot episode of "The Americans" Elizabeth has a flashback to something that happened twenty years earlier. Seeing her reflection triggers the flashback, but a reflection seems to have no earlier reference in the plot line. The flashback…
Bob516
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Flashback or dream as a means of hinting at more going on than meets the eye

I plan to use a dream or flashback as a way to show the reader the story has more going on behind the scenes. As well to sprinkle in a little of my main characters back-story. I haven't written it out yet so I can’t post a piece of it for people to…
Lokiie1984
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How to write dialogueless flashbacks?

In my trilogy, the protagonist and deuteragonist share a mental link, allowing them to communicate with each other telepathically. A side effect of this telepathy is that they enable the duo to observe a series of dialogueless flashbacks that delve…
user29299
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What is the role of "flashback" in my novel?

I start my Revolutionary War novel on August 21, 1780, when "boy meets girl." Specifically, the hero is rescued from British captivity by a bunch of guerrillas. One of these guerrillas takes him home to meet his sister. Shortly after the meeting, I…
Tom Au
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Different types of "Flashbacks"

In a novel, particurlarly fiction, what are the basic ways to reveal something that happened in the past? What ways, (flashback, protagonist telling, etc.) are the most used and most effective? Specifically, what is the technical distinction between…
SpiralStudios
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Is it unusual for a flashback to have a very long dialogue?

This flashback is from a short story I'm writing (unedited first draft): I met Limei last summer. Our class had organized a graduation trip to Green Island, where we stayed for fourteen days and fourteen nights. One of my friends had dragged her…
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