I'm sure, if you read my blog regularly, that you're wondering what happened to me this past month. January was a vicious whirlwind of sickness and revising. As I've been busy Lysoling my house (is that a verb? it should be....), I've also managed to make it halfway through my 2nd round of revisions.
But, as I'm rearranging and updating, I've debated putting a flashback right into the center of my story. I've seen flashbacks as prologues and I've seen them used throughout. I think the amount of success of flashback varies based on story and skill of the storyteller--a topic for another post--but I don't know how I feel about having just one. My gut tells me that it's probably an unnecessary info dump.
My reasoning for even considering it? My characters had a falling out when they were young, a fight. Things were said and left unsaid and then they had a ten year separation. I've debated whether I need to give that argument or not.
What do you think, readers? Do you think giving a past argument, if it's important to the characters' shared history, is necessary? Or do you get annoyed when authors go back in the past when you just want to read the present and future? Thoughts?
I like to know what is said. What happened. Sometimes though I like when it's snippets of the conversation or event that comes back to a character throughout the book instead of 1 big scene.
ReplyDeleteI was wondering if maybe I could introduce snippets throughout. Or I was wondering if maybe I could introduce it as parts of a diary or something. I'm still pondering. But I think I need to at least give some of it.
ReplyDeleteI think I'm against a big scene too. At least for this book. I'm afraid it would slow it down. :)
Thanks for the feedback, Sabrina!
Even if you do snippets, I'd love the whole scene. I could totally live with one flashback. In the right place, could be a great turning point in the story. For the characters and the reader.
ReplyDeleteMmmm.... I need to think this through, I think. There's a spot where the entire scene MIGHT fit. Hmmmmm.....
ReplyDelete