Writing flashbacks

skb · 12-07-2017, 03:09 PM

Flashbacks. How I loathe that term.

Trouble is, I don't know what else to call it (them). In one word, that is. And strictly speaking, I don't think I have a flashback situation here...

So, I've got two characters. The story starts with the POV of one of them. Stuff happens. But there's stuff that happens that Character One doesn't see/know.

The big reveal (sigh) comes from Character Two's POV of those same (plus bits) events. Which, of course, is different.

It makes sense in my head. I just can't make it work with words (words are so hard. Who knew?).

I'm thinking (and believe me, that's not necessarily a good thing) that as long as I stay strictly to the POVs of the two characters, it should work(ish).

Or, I could stick to designing websites.

Discuss. Please.

Cinisajoy · 12-07-2017, 03:16 PM

I hate dueling POV stories.
That said, are you referring to 2 people being involved in the same event but remembering it in two very different ways?

Dr. Drib · 12-07-2017, 03:29 PM

Look over these two:

1) "As I Lay Dying," by William Faulkner.

2) "Alexandria Quartet," by Lawrence Durrell.

skb · 12-07-2017, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

I hate dueling POV stories.
That said, are you referring to 2 people being involved in the same event but remembering it in two very different ways?

Hopefully, not dueling. Rather 2 people, same events but some sub-events are not shared. i.e. conversations with others etc. So, the shared bits are the same, it's the extra bits that are different.

In my head, Part 1 is char1 and Part 2 is char2. That is, not (I hope) dueling.

@Dr Drib - wow. Thank you. I googled the first one and I can't believe I hadn't even heard of it. 19 POV! Now that's ambitious.

Cinisajoy · 12-07-2017, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skb

Hopefully, not dueling. Rather 2 people, same events but some sub-events are not shared. i.e. conversations with others etc. So, the shared bits are the same, it's the extra bits that are different.

In my head, Part 1 is char1 and Part 2 is char2. That is, not (I hope) dueling.

@Dr Drib - wow. Thank you. I googled the first one and I can't believe I hadn't even heard of it. 19 POV! Now that's ambitious.

Oh that is not at all what I was thinking.
I was thinking more along the lines of several people together, they get split up and each gets their own chapter.

Catlady · 12-07-2017, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skb

Flashbacks. How I loathe that term.

Trouble is, I don't know what else to call it (them). In one word, that is. And strictly speaking, I don't think I have a flashback situation here...

So, I've got two characters. The story starts with the POV of one of them. Stuff happens. But there's stuff that happens that Character One doesn't see/know.

The big reveal (sigh) comes from Character Two's POV of those same (plus bits) events. Which, of course, is different.

It makes sense in my head. I just can't make it work with words (words are so hard. Who knew?).

I'm thinking (and believe me, that's not necessarily a good thing) that as long as I stay strictly to the POVs of the two characters, it should work(ish).

Or, I could stick to designing websites.

Discuss. Please.

Recent book The Last Mrs. Parrish (a domestic thriller) uses this technique to good effect.

skb · 12-07-2017, 05:29 PM

Yeah, flashbacks is really not the correct term (I don't know what is though).

Dueling flashback stories always make my head feel like Linda Blair in the Exorcist. It spins.

I want to avoid all spinning heads. If possible.

skb · 12-07-2017, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Catlady

Recent book The Last Mrs. Parrish (a domestic thriller) uses this technique to good effect.

Thanks! I'll check it out (is that the Liv Constantine Mrs Parrish?).

I'm just doing Faulkner at the moment.

Cinisajoy · 12-07-2017, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skb

Yeah, flashbacks is really not the correct term (I don't know what is though).

Dueling flashback stories always make my head feel like Linda Blair in the Exorcist. It spins.

I want to avoid all spinning heads. If possible.

The worst one I ever read was one where a town is raided and one friend goes to the castle and becomes the princess, the other characters are left to fend for themselves.
The princess becomes pregnant, the other two find or fall into a hole in the ground. Next page 9 months later. Baby is born, other two are now near the castle and there was not any magic.
Uhm, what the heck.

Dr. Drib · 12-07-2017, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skb

Hopefully, not dueling. Rather 2 people, same events but some sub-events are not shared. i.e. conversations with others etc. So, the shared bits are the same, it's the extra bits that are different.

In my head, Part 1 is char1 and Part 2 is char2. That is, not (I hope) dueling.

@Dr Drib - wow. Thank you. I googled the first one and I can't believe I hadn't even heard of it. 19 POV! Now that's ambitious.

You're welcome!

skb · 12-07-2017, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

The worst one I ever read was one where a town is raided and one friend goes to the castle and becomes the princess, the other characters are left to fend for themselves.
The princess becomes pregnant, the other two find or fall into a hole in the ground. Next page 9 months later. Baby is born, other two are now near the castle and there was not any magic.
Uhm, what the heck.

Wait! You mean someone stole my story? Now I'll have to think up another one.

@Dr Drib - I'm well underway with Faulkner (ah, procrastination...I haz it). Many, many thanks.

Cinisajoy · 12-07-2017, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skb

Wait! You mean someone stole my story? Now I'll have to think up another one.

@Dr Drib - I'm well underway with Faulkner (ah, procrastination...I haz it). Many, many thanks.

So sorry that you have to think.

Dr. Drib · 12-07-2017, 08:01 PM

Being a Southerner, I've always loved Faulkner and Southern Authors.

Catlady · 12-07-2017, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skb

Thanks! I'll check it out (is that the Liv Constantine Mrs Parrish?).

I'm just doing Faulkner at the moment.

Yes, it's the book by Liv Constantine, which is a pseudonym for two sisters.

Steven Lake · 12-09-2017, 01:42 AM

I've often found that, unless absolutely necessary, it's best to avoid doing either flashbacks or dual points of view. Well, outside of the normal narrative I mean. The only time I've actually had to use something like that, I only covered the first view in detail, and made the other character an observer in the second. IE, the reader already knew what'd happened from the first POV, so the second was more the reactions of the other person who observed the same scene as I didn't need to cover the events twice to get the desired effect. Also, thankfully I've only ever needed to use that once.

So I would say, do action and POV for the first person, and reactions only for the second so you're not doing a "Groundhog Day" on the reader. If there's one thing I hate is when writers do that. It's like, "I already read this. Why are you telling me twice!?" It made me actually change up some scenes in a series I'm working on right now to avoid that very thing, turning the second POV into nothing but a teaser for what was coming next rather than repeating it over again verbatim in the next book.

12-07-2017, 03:09 PM	#1
skb Evangelist Posts: 401 Karma: 1597305 Join Date: Mar 2010 Device: Ipod G4, MacOS 10.12, Calibre, Pocketbook Touch HD 3	Writing flashbacks Flashbacks. How I loathe that term. Trouble is, I don't know what else to call it (them). In one word, that is. And strictly speaking, I don't think I have a flashback situation here... So, I've got two characters. The story starts with the POV of one of them. Stuff happens. But there's stuff that happens that Character One doesn't see/know. The big reveal (sigh) comes from Character Two's POV of those same (plus bits) events. Which, of course, is different. It makes sense in my head. I just can't make it work with words (words are so hard. Who knew?). I'm thinking (and believe me, that's not necessarily a good thing) that as long as I stay strictly to the POVs of the two characters, it should work(ish). Or, I could stick to designing websites. Discuss. Please.

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12-07-2017, 03:16 PM	#2
Cinisajoy Just a Yellow Smiley. Posts: 19,161 Karma: 83862859 Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Texas Device: K4, K5, fire, kobo, galaxy	I hate dueling POV stories. That said, are you referring to 2 people being involved in the same event but remembering it in two very different ways?

12-07-2017, 03:29 PM	#3
Dr. Drib Grand Sorcerer Posts: 45,344 Karma: 59447733 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Peru Device: KINDLE: Oasis 3, Scribe (1st), Matcha; KOBO: Libra 2, Libra Colour	Look over these two: 1) "As I Lay Dying," by William Faulkner. 2) "Alexandria Quartet," by Lawrence Durrell.

12-07-2017, 05:29 PM	#7
skb Evangelist Posts: 401 Karma: 1597305 Join Date: Mar 2010 Device: Ipod G4, MacOS 10.12, Calibre, Pocketbook Touch HD 3	Yeah, flashbacks is really not the correct term (I don't know what is though). Dueling flashback stories always make my head feel like Linda Blair in the Exorcist. It spins. I want to avoid all spinning heads. If possible.

12-07-2017, 08:01 PM	#13
Dr. Drib Grand Sorcerer Posts: 45,344 Karma: 59447733 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Peru Device: KINDLE: Oasis 3, Scribe (1st), Matcha; KOBO: Libra 2, Libra Colour	Being a Southerner, I've always loved Faulkner and Southern Authors.

12-09-2017, 01:42 AM	#15
Steven Lake Sci-Fi Author Posts: 1,158 Karma: 14743509 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Michigan Device: PC (Calibre)	I've often found that, unless absolutely necessary, it's best to avoid doing either flashbacks or dual points of view. Well, outside of the normal narrative I mean. The only time I've actually had to use something like that, I only covered the first view in detail, and made the other character an observer in the second. IE, the reader already knew what'd happened from the first POV, so the second was more the reactions of the other person who observed the same scene as I didn't need to cover the events twice to get the desired effect. Also, thankfully I've only ever needed to use that once. So I would say, do action and POV for the first person, and reactions only for the second so you're not doing a "Groundhog Day" on the reader. If there's one thing I hate is when writers do that. It's like, "I already read this. Why are you telling me twice!?" It made me actually change up some scenes in a series I'm working on right now to avoid that very thing, turning the second POV into nothing but a teaser for what was coming next rather than repeating it over again verbatim in the next book.

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