Flashbacks: How to do them tastefully?

[DrunkenLilacs]

The WIP I'm writing has gotten to a little over 12k and it's time for the flashbacks to start coming in. Is there a way to do flashbacks tastefully? And also are flashbacks unappealing in novels? To add, is there a rule about flashbacks, like where to put them, when to put them, why to put them? Please help me

[Becca C.]

Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson handled flashbacks really well. They were written exactly like the rest of the book (first person, past tense), but had a header that said "Three Months Earlier" or whatever. They were put in when you really needed the information, not before. In other words, they weren't put in all at the beginning in giant info-dumps. You only got the backstory information when it was relevant to the plot.

[DrunkenLilacs]

Oooo, thanks Becca. I've seen that book on Goodreads a couple of days back. I'll go check it out.

[Becca C.]

I enjoyed it! Very cute and the structure was interesting. Plus the pictures and scrapbook stuff was cool.

[Mandiloo322]

It will be different for every novel, but generally I think the flashbacks need to be well-spaced and used sparingly. Otherwise it seems like you should've just started the story earlier on and told it all in a straightforward manner.

As long as you keep it extremely relevant to the plot, it's tasteful. Make sure it's natural for the character to have the flashback (i.e. the trigger, whether it's a person, event, coincidence, dream, guess) so it doesn't jolt the reader out of the story with confusion or poor timing. It also needs to reveal key information - otherwise it's pointless.

I think you'll be fine!

[DrunkenLilacs]

@Mandiloo: Thanks for your input and I totally agree and get what you mean. And all the flashbacks I have planned adds to the story and answers unanswered questions (hopefully!). Thanks again

[Katallina]

Another huge thing is making sure you pick a spot where the character actually has time to have a flashback. In a sense, flashbacks are really dreams or daydreams of things that have already happened. So if your character is sitting in a chair with a time bomb attached to the rope around their hands and it has 30 seconds left before everything goes boom? Probably not such a hot idea. (Although I'm sure someone could argue that they could be seeing their life flash before their eyes, I suppose?)

Anyway, good luck. I'm stuck with a couple of these I need to place myself and I definitely feel your pain.

[DrunkenLilacs]

@Katallina: Haha, OMG thanks for reminding the importance of having the time to actually have a flashback. That escaped my mind! BTW, good luck to you, too, and it's good to have someone who empathizes with me . Thanks again!

[DrunkenLilacs]

Originally Posted by Averon 2011

Flashbacks can happen in bits and pieces just like the rest of the plot. Anytime something in the present moment inspires something from the past, you can incorporate a mini-flashback.

Think about it - when memory calls in real life, how often does it call up the entire afternoon or even the entire scene that you are remembering? It just calls up the most important moment in a long continuum of moments.

Every detail from the present moment can stimulate a related detail from the past. If you space out the same flashback and have two parallel scenes running alongside each other - with the present situation recalling the past in bits and pieces, it's much more interesting to read and it can avoid the info dumps that you were worried about.

Thank you Averon, this was especially helpful, because for a moment there, I was about to write a long and winding flashback. Phew. Now that I think about it, you are right. Something in the present triggers a certain memory like this one flashback i always have when I see my dog. So thanks to you I'll be sure to leave out the unnecessary details in a flashback and keep it focused on the important details only. Thanks again!