Flash, aah!

This is just me riffing in response to the flashback discussions that took place over on Writer Unboxed: it seemed apt to post it after this week's review. I am largely anti-flashback, though of course there will be exceptions, but mainly I agree with one commenter's summary: A flashback is backstory told in real time.Yes! My issue with flashbacks is the same as that of too much backstory-- it becomes a question of whether the tale you really want to tell is actually all that fun stuff you keep info-dumping about that happened in the past.

Now, I like the idea of playing with time in a novel. In Holly Lisle's plotting course she talks about the different ways of conveying story. You could start at the climax then go right back to the beginning and tell the story up to that initial point and then carry on to show the true end, when all the ramifications of the climactic event we were initially introduced to stop rippling outwards. Or you could start at the major climax and go back a little way in time to show the event that led to the climax, then you go back a little further to show how that event arose and so on until you get to the beginning and then circle around to reveal the resolution of the third act climax. And then you get dual narratives where you have the past and present story sharing equal time, where the past is so important to understanding the events of the present that it has its own story line.

But in a chronological, linear novel, a few throw out flashbacks come across as just that-- throw outs. By showing a flashback you imply that this past event is important to understanding the present conflict but if it was so important to the present shouldn't the ramifications still be being felt? In other words, if the action of the flashback is so critical for readers to know, why not show it as it affects the present? Then we aren't being taken out of the present time/action and we immediately see the relevance, we can even see how feelings surrounding the past event have evolved. Say, if a divorced character had a major fight with her then spouse that led to the divorce, show her interacting with her ex- now, have them comment on how they haven't had such a pleasant/rational conversation since that fight so long ago. That shows that the fight was dramatic enough to cause them to stop speaking and that since then they have come to terms with it. Or not, as the case may be. All the tricks we learn for doling out backstory can be applied to cutting flashback.


Are you pro or con flashbacks? Do you have any examples of flashbacks done well, or done badly? Have you ever written any yourself? Do you play around with time generally or are you happy to stick to linear storylines?

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