tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4940224740718934743.post8956281936926304967..comments2024-03-10T04:29:20.044-04:00Comments on Mad Genius Club: FlashbacksSarah A. Hoythttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478124095732219352noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4940224740718934743.post-76075632798661219302009-11-08T16:48:43.445-05:002009-11-08T16:48:43.445-05:00Dear Rowena
Good point.
I think that was the probl...Dear Rowena<br />Good point.<br />I think that was the problem with the book I read. The author got me hooked on a sub plot and then....it was dropped.<br />JohnJohn Lambsheadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04598696442104566164noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4940224740718934743.post-77211577220867671432009-11-08T15:34:32.587-05:002009-11-08T15:34:32.587-05:00Flash back stalls the narrative pace. I'd be v...Flash back stalls the narrative pace. I'd be very judicious in their use. The problem is that the reader may like the flashback story more than the original and then not want to go back to the real narrative.Rowena Cory Daniellshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08995983965583233914noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4940224740718934743.post-52171287003330440352009-11-08T06:26:30.514-05:002009-11-08T06:26:30.514-05:00Dear Amanda,
yes, I agree.
I think it ruins stori...Dear Amanda,<br />yes, I agree.<br />I think it ruins stories.<br />JohnJohn Lambsheadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04598696442104566164noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4940224740718934743.post-33421101638884731762009-11-08T06:25:50.044-05:002009-11-08T06:25:50.044-05:00dear Kate
yes, Apart from a reader-grabbing prolo...dear Kate<br /><br />yes, Apart from a reader-grabbing prologue, I do not see why important earlier event cannot be told in a chronologically linear fashion. Odd bits of past info can emerge as part of the plot.<br />JohnJohn Lambsheadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04598696442104566164noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4940224740718934743.post-58149926975030587792009-11-08T06:24:10.657-05:002009-11-08T06:24:10.657-05:00Dear Matapan
Agreed, the prologue should be excit...Dear Matapan<br /><br />Agreed, the prologue should be exciting to grab a reader, then you can flash-back to the buildup.<br />JohnJohn Lambsheadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04598696442104566164noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4940224740718934743.post-4646238002831894662009-11-07T19:51:56.051-05:002009-11-07T19:51:56.051-05:00John, I don't mind a flashback here and there....John, I don't mind a flashback here and there. Provided, of course, that it forwards the plot and isn't a huge chunk of the scene/chapter/book. I dislike most books where you have entire chapters or even parts of the book taking place as one huge flashback. It's authorial cheating to do that, lazy imo.Amanda Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02927312739323222344noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4940224740718934743.post-33291972535067517872009-11-07T14:56:18.034-05:002009-11-07T14:56:18.034-05:00I'm with Matapam here. If there isn't enou...I'm with Matapam here. If there isn't enough story for a novel, find ways on increasing complexity rather than giving readers whiplash with excessive flashbacking. <br /><br />It can be done well, but I prefer to see the vital earlier-time information Heinleined in as a short (maybe a paragraph or two) bit of reminiscence on the POV chacter's part rather than a full jump across time.Kate Paulkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02034983693134240754noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4940224740718934743.post-22743888361935204812009-11-07T14:20:08.012-05:002009-11-07T14:20:08.012-05:00I think part of the reason writers use flashbacks ...I think part of the reason writers use flashbacks are the current insistence on a fast hook in the first chapter.<br /><br />Necessary, because it's so easy to put down the book and play a game, watch TV, read something else. Our attention span is into instant gratification too.<br /><br />Not enough story for the required word count may account for a lot of it. I'd rather see complexities than history, though.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com