Back story versus flashbacks…
They’re very similar but differ enough that I thought I’d go over the two concepts. A flashback is a short narrative where authors, often through one of their characters, thinks back to a previous situation. It’s short. It can be used anywhere in fiction, often to relieve tension, but it can be used in non-fiction too—for example, in a memoir. Back story is a longer narrative that authors often use when new characters are introduced, but again, chapters of it might be in a memoir.
Length is indeed the key determinant here. Think of back story as possibly being chapter length or more; flashbacks are often only a few paragraphs—maybe only one! As a minimalist writer, I like the latter more than the former. I like to break up back story into flashbacks because long narratives often interrupt the flow of a novel too much, which can have disastrous consequences.
Minimalist writing requires authors to write in such a manner that the reader must participate in the creative process. For example, in character description, the author writes just enough of it so the reader can develop his own image of what the character looks like and how the character thinks. As such, it’s part of the Goldilocks Principle: Not too much, not too little, but just right.
Minimalist writing techniques apply to both flashbacks and back stories, of course. But several flashbacks can be used to create back story, to help stitch together the history of characters and what their lives were like before. Short stories and novellas don’t have much of either one, but novels tend to have flashbacks at least. And, as I said, several flashbacks can be used to make one (or several) back stories.
They’re also necessary too. When you introduce a new character, you don’t want the reader to ask what that character has to do with the plot. You don’t need flashbacks or back story for each character, of course. Some characters are minor ones. In fact, a reader can often tell in a novel who the principal characters are: they’re the ones with flashbacks and/or back stories. But authors shouldn’t flood their novels with back story when introducing a character either. Like I said, you can create back story with several flashbacks that also serve the purpose of relieving tension—your character often needs a breather from a fast moving plot as much as your reader.
This skipping around on the timeline can be confusing, of course. I think writing schools over-emphasize the two techniques to the point that writers like ones in the TV series Lost get carried away with them, confusing the hell out of everyone (Lost even had flash forwards, which is absurd!). The golden rule for writing: keep most of your audience from getting lost (pardon the pun). If 90% of your audience is lost, you’re in trouble as an author. You can write in a complex fashion (I do) because that intrigues many readers who love complex stories (and who eschew all the fluff that’s published nowadays), but you want to ask yourself from time to time whether what you’re writing will lose your audience (that’s why characters’ POV is so important, but that’s another topic).
In the sequel to Rembrandt’s Angel (I just finished the MS…phew! lots of research!), I used various flashbacks to build a back story about MC Esther Brookstone’s involvement in MI6 during the height of the Cold War. That back story can be considered a prequel within a sequel! (In all modesty, I consider that a new and interesting writing technique.) Early on I debated about whether to write a prequel or sequel first (I’d started both!), but, being a fellow who always looks forward, I decided on the sequel and used flashbacks to create a back story when stitched together.
Fiction writing is fun but not necessarily easy. Like most intellectual and artistic pursuits, it has its own back story: we have to learn the skills to pull it off. That learning process should never stop.
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The Chaos Chronicles Trilogy Collection. This trilogy is my version of Asimov’s Foundation trilogy. Unlike the inimitable Isaac’s, my universe is replete with ETs. Starting with dystopia on Earth and in our solar system, the reader heads off to the stars to encounter ET cultures and some strange collective intelligences. Humans have their problems, and not just with ETs. Dystopian, militaristic, and paranormal sci-fi awaits you. (The second edition of the first book in the trilogy is included here; it might remind you of where humanity might be heading right now, which is why it’s dystopian, of course.) This bundle is on sale now at Smashwords—you’ll pay only $2.99 versus the $5.99 retail price during the month of August—just use the coupon code on checkout. (Of course, even $5.99 isn’t a bad price for three full novels of sci-fi adventure.) Great for summer reading!
In libris libertas!
