Quote:
Originally Posted by VydorScope
Disagree! They "show" the past, and can have plenty of action.
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Interesting that we're disagreeing about a technique that has its origin in film. OK, I'm sure somebody will be able to find a flashback somewhere in Dickens, but essentially it only means anything in a linear narrative, and written fiction doesn't have to be that. A really able writer - say, Hilary Mantel - may slip back and forward constantly without any formatting or signalling and without deterring the reader for a moment.