Flashbackfeedback

[PaulX35]

A bit of a technical question, but since this is bound to get me the fastest reply, I'll post it here.

I'm writing a story in which one of the chapters uses non-linear time. This means I use flashbacks, alternating with real time aspects to create a contrast desired.
Question now is if there's any way of indicating flashback in print. Thoughts go in italics, how do flashbacks go, if?

Thanks for any help,

Paul

 

[Guest]

Seen this done a couple of ways......

#1...(Though with the guidelines for submissons, not sure how you'd do it)

Stories I've read with "flashback" are further indented, becoming a story within the story. And I think that's what you're trying to do here if I'm correct.

Hence, the flashback appearing like this.

With the return to the ongoing story back out to the original margins.


#2 Italics.........


But I would also recommend you perhaps do a search and see if any other stories were written using flashbacks and see how those authors used this particular writing technique.

I remain,

 

[Madame Manga]

IMO, if you clearly indicate in the text when a flashback occurs, you may not need special formatting. The flashback could be a distinctive setting or involve a particular person. If it's properly set up, the time frame will be obvious.

If the story depends on the present time and the flashback having many similarities, you may not be able to do it that way, and so would need a visual indication of the switches. But your options may depend on how large the blocks of time are. I wouldn't want to read pages of italicized text, especially on a screen! If it's only a line or two, then it's not such a problem.

I have my doubts whether an indent would survive the Lit formatting process, but I haven't tried indents on this site. More experienced Lit posters would know more than I. In former days, I posted a lot of work to Usenet, and I'm still in the habit of putting words in *asterisks* to indicate italics. It can still serve that purpose.

MM

 

[dr_mabeuse]

No Italics, Please!

God, I just hate reading long passages in italics. My interior reading vioce just starts reading everything really fast.

And I would beg you don't do one of those things where you switch time frames every paragraph or so. I know that they're cool to write but they're just annoying as hell to read.

---dr.M.

 

[Whispersecret]

Flashbacks can be very effective, but like all literary tools, best used in moderation.

Long passages in italics can be tedious to read. If the passages are long, I recommend signalling to the reader that you're going back in time in the narrative. Something like,

As I gazed into the flickering candle flame, memories of her came flooding back. I could see her just as if it were yesterday...

Then, just jump right into your flashback. Same thing for bringing us up to the present. Make it clear with your words. Sure, it's more work, but in my opinion, it's worth it. Writing IS hard work.

 

[Rumple Foreskin]

As with most other things, when it comes to flashbacks, listen to WS. As she indicated, flashbacks are normally a matter of writing skill, not formatting technique. Of course, the classic advice on using flashback is, don't.

RF

 

[PaulX35]

Flashback & Tense

Flashbacks can be very effective, but like all literary tools, best used in moderation.

Long passages in italics can be tedious to read. If the passages are long, I recommend signalling to the reader that you're going back in time in the narrative. Something like,

As I gazed into the flickering candle flame, memories of her came flooding back. I could see her just as if it were yesterday...

Then, just jump right into your flashback. Same thing for bringing us up to the present. Make it clear with your words. Sure, it's more work, but in my opinion, it's worth it. Writing IS hard work.

Thanks WS, as always good advice. I already came up myself with a few of these fade-in lines, and it works.
Another problem I'm facing is tense in flashback. Direct speech is not so much a problem. But when doing description, you are technically confined to using pluperfect, and makes anything you write a bit glue-y. Is there any escape from that?

 

[Whispersecret]

LOL. I have no idea what pluperfect is! But, I do know that if you set yourself up in the flashback, you can use plain old past tense.

As I gazed into the flickering candle flame, memories of her came flooding back. I could see her just as if it were yesterday...

The day was a blustery one, and I for one was glad, because my first glimpse of her was Marilyn Munroe-like. Her skirt fluttered teasing me with flashes of leg that got my imagination humming.

I hope this helps.

 

[Madame Manga]

I'd call it past perfect...

That may just be a difference in terminology--shoot me, I make no claims to be a grammar guru. ;-) I think what PaulX means is that a flashback within a story in past tense *technically* would be told this way:

The day had been a blustery one, and I for one had been glad, because my first glimpse of her had been Marilyn Monroe-like. Her skirt had fluttered, teasing me with flashes of leg that had made my imagination hum.

Ugh, right? ;-) I would go with the simple past throughout once it's clear that it's a flashback, just as you originally wrote it.

Reading (or writing) an extended passage in past perfect is not fun. It's distancing and overly formal in feeling, IMO--almost legalistic. Some writers advocate a style in which only the first and last sentences of a paragraph use "had been" and the rest is simple past, but I'm not sure I would recommend that.

MM

 

[Guest]

Re: Flashback & Tense

Orginally posted by Whispersecret
I recommend signalling to the reader that you're going back in time in the narrative.

That is excellent bit of advice. I think I'll use it in myself in a fiction project I working on. It's easier than seperate chapters and also much cleaner than iltalics.

Another problem I'm facing is tense in flashback. Direct speech is not so much a problem. But when doing description, you are technically confined to using pluperfect, and makes anything you write a bit gluey. Is there any escape from that?

Try using past tense in the flashback intro and once you're in the flashback use present. Keep in mind that the 'flashback' sequence is the 'present' scene/setting at the moment.

HTH

R/
J

 

[PaulX35]

Re: I'd call it past perfect...

The day had been a blustery one, and I for one had been glad, because my first glimpse of her had been Marilyn Monroe-like. Her skirt had fluttered, teasing me with flashes of leg that had made my imagination hum.

That's exactly what I meant, and sorry if I used the wrong name for the tense. My dictionary gave me pluperfect.

You also pointed out adequately what makes this tense "perfect"...to never use

Thanks for all your comments, it helped.

Paul

 

[Whispersecret]

Yes, MM, is absolutely correct. If you insert a couple of had's in there to set up the flashback, then you can switch to past, no problem. Forgot about that detail! Thanks, MM! If you do that, you don't even need to double space.