by Mayv 'SpearBourne' Amaia

Created on: September 23, 2010   Last Updated: September 29, 2010

When writing a fictional narrative, some authors choose to use a flashback, or a description of a character's memory, to provide a bit of insight into that character's backstory.

Describing a character's past history in such a manner, rather than setting the beginning of the story further in the past, allows a writer to develop a character slowly. This also lets a plot unfold at a certain pace that can feel less rushed than it otherwise might be were it told in chronological order.

Take, for example, television's Highlander: The Series. Much of the main protagonist, Duncan MacLeod's, history is revealed through flashbacks, even though episodes were generally set in the present day, or rather, the late twentieth century, when the series was produced.

Gradually revealing parts of his past rather than in a strictly chronological order allowed for a frame story in many episodes. An event in the present day would evoke a memory which would, in its own way, aid Duncan in solving a current problem.

By showing the audience bits and pieces of a character's history, they can slowly come to understand how he or she has come to be the person he or she is in the time the story is set.

A flashback can also help a story's plot move along when a writer is unsure of how to have the story progress. This is not to say that inserting a flashback is a form of literary cheating; far from it. I only mean to say that describing a past event shows something the character endured, suffered, or enjoyed once.

This can help guide the contemporary action that may have stalled or needed to be taken in a new direction.

If a character recalls how he or she handled a particular situation before, he or she might choose to take a different course of action when facing a similar situation now.

This can enable an author to have the story shift gears, as it were, or alter a character's perspective somewhat.

If you've ever written a fictional story, you know that there are times that the action can come to a standstill or metaphorical fork in the road.

Having a character get lost in a memory can give you just the impetus you need to get the plot moving again. It can also help you explain why he or she has whatever predominant personality trait you have given him or her, be it cynicism, a lack of trust, or fear of making a commitment.

The important thing to remember may be that a flashback should fit into the story. An object, a sound, or a scent might be what sparks the memory, but the flashback should bear at least some thematic semblance or connection to the situation that immediately preceded the memory being described.

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