I am writing an historical fiction about several generations of a family. In so doing, I often am including 'stories' from the family's past, such as a battle in the Revolution, a murder trial, an Indian uprising and subsequnet capture of two children, and so forth. Although these are not 'flashbacks' of the narrator, as I read your article it seems they are similar. Do your suggestions apply to this type of scene?

I felt that Randi's article and the other readers' comments were helpful to me in trying to write a memoir. I have a tendency to go off in different directions and these remarks help me keep to one subject.

Laya, there’s no *one* right way to approach this. Whether you move back and forth between times will depend upon how the fictive present (the present time of the story) and the past interact in your specific story.

But, you might first consider this: If all the action is in the past, is the layer of time when he’s recalling the story necessary? You don’t want the heart of the story to unfold in flashback. That should come in the fictive present. Consider what that layer of time—when he’s recalling—does for the story. Is it important? Does something happen during that time that makes it essential? Or is it simply a device to deliver backstory and get the reader to the past event?

Some works of fiction do suggest or hint at the fact that a narrator is recollecting the story, but it’s done in a way that keeps the main focus on the past event. So, the past event isn’t actually a flashback; it’s the unfolding story. (Check out Lorrie Moore’s novel A GATE AT THE STAIRS and ZZ Packer’s short story “Brownies” to see possibilities for this kind of approach.)

I hope this helps. Good luck with this project.

Thomas and Marguerit, I’m so glad you found this article helpful!

Ben, I’ve not heard that flashbacks are out of style. In fact, I see them put to good use often in contemporary fiction. Executed well, flashbacks can enrich a novel. That being said, I also see flashbacks overused and abused in early drafts in workshops, so I can understand why someone might give the advice to approach them with caution. It’s good advice. Fiction should focus on the fictive present. Letting flashback take over will wrench the reader away from what’s important. I don’t think we should banish them. Let’s just use them with care.

One of the common problems I see in workshop is the tendency to make flashbacks lengthy. They don’t have to be. Many writers simply whittle past scenes down to their essentials in order to keep them short and focused.

You ask a great question about other ways backstory might be conveyed. Summary is a good tool for this. Keep it specific and entertaining and don’t let too much summary slow the pace. Here’s a strong moment of summary from Colum McCann’s LET THE GREAT WORLD SPIN: “I was nineteen, and Corrigan was seventeen, when our mother died. A short, quick struggle with kidney cancer. The last thing she told us was to take care to close the curtains so the light didn’t fade the living room carpet.”

Images from the past and suggestion can be powerful, too. Details dropped here and there can accumulate to create a larger picture of a character’s past. This is a subtle approach, but can profoundly deepen a reader’s understanding of a character’s past.

Hi Brandi,
I have a question too. I'm writing a short story where a present event transports the protaganist back in time. He is reminded of an event in the past--what I want to know is, should I take him back and forth or should I use the flashback after giving all details of the character? All the action is in the past. In the present he is only recalling.
Laya