What is Flashback?
When you interrupt the story to depict an event from the past.
Flashbacks can:
- Provide background
- Develop characters
- Advance the plot
- Introduce conflict
- Build suspense
- Reveal a character’s emotions and motivation
Examples
- The movie Forrest Gump consists of a series of flashbacks.
- In the novel Gone Girl, every other chapter is a flashback.
- The children’s movie Up features the main character reliving memories of his wife. These help the viewer understand actions not explained through dialogue.