McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft

Are Flashbacks Completely Taboo?

<< < (2/4) > >>

Lanodantheon:
My blood gets boiling the same way as Meg whenever I read, "Don't Use Voice Over" in the film writing books, seminars, etc, usually mentioned right besides Flashbacks.

Flashbacks and Voice overs(in Film writing) are both harped on by writing teachers for the same reason, amateurs overuse them and use them badly. Using them as a crutch distorts any narrative technique's purpose of moving the story forward.

As Meg said, if used properly, both Flashbacks and Voice-Overs(in film) have been used to great and powerful effect. They can be important tools for exposition and other parts of a story's narrative if used correctly.

Use a Flashback when you want to show something rather than tell it without breaking the flow of action. For example, say Girl A and Boy B have a rocky relationship in a story. B wants to ask A out after getting his life together again. You could could have a character say in dialogue that they have a rocky relationship and at the end of of their last date, A beat B with a ukulele OR you could Flashback and show the scene of the outcome of their last date, which ends with A beating B over the head with a Ukulele.

In that instance, telling about the incident through dialogue will tell you how bad the relationship was. But, with a Flashback you can SHOW the relationship and put their relationship fully into context. You can show what was said that set her off and show how her demeanor changed and why.

Besides, seeing someone beaten humorously with a Ukulele is much funnier than hearing about it.

Beefstew:
Basically nothing is taboo.  As long as you can do it well, do it.  Some things are harder to pull off then others, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try.  You can't grow as a writer if you don't push your limits.

BobForPresident:

--- Quote from: Haru on July 19, 2011, 09:35:38 PM ---If it's well done it should be ok. Even Jim used them in at least one book I remember, the scenes in Camp Kaboom and what follows.

--- End quote ---

Probably one of my favorite scenes, too.

My take is that any scene that slows down the novel is bad. In the case of flashbacks, using Camp Kaboom as an example, as long as it's full of action that moves the character forward, you're safe. My general rule: you can do whatever you want as long as it's cool and exciting. If Camp Kaboom had been Harry sitting around drinking, being sad, going for a swim or watching Star Wars by himself at the drive-in, then it wouldna worked.

LizW65:
I should freaking hope NOT!  Lies of Locke Lamora, which I just finished, and Name of the Wind, which I'm currently reading, both make heavy use of this device, and are considered excellent examples of the genre.
(Oh, and I have a pretty big one toward the beginning of my finished novel.)

BobForPresident:
Ooo, and one of my favorite movies of the past ten years, Walk the Line, is more than half flashback.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page