Introducing A Flashback

How to Introduce and End Flashbacks

Introducing a Flashback

Through Sensory Triggers A sound, smell, or physical sensation can catapult a character into a memory. Example: The faint scent of jasmine wafted through the open window, pulling her back to her grandmother’s garden. She could almost feel the warm sun on her back as they planted flowers together, her grandmother’s laugh ringing in her ears. Sensory cues are especially effective because they feel immediate and relatable.

Using an Object or Photo Physical items are natural prompts for reminiscing. Example: He picked up the crumpled letter, its edges worn with age. As his eyes scanned the familiar handwriting, the years fell away. He was 16 again, reading those very words for the first time.

Dialogue That Sparks a Memory A conversation can easily lead to a flashback when a particular word or phrase resonates. Example: “You always overthink everything,” she said, laughing. He froze. Those were the exact words his father had thrown at him that night, before slamming the door and leaving for good.

A Character’s Internal Reflection This works well in introspective or emotional scenes. Example: As she stared at the divorce papers, her mind drifted to the first time they’d met.

A Sudden Triggering Event High-emotion events often cause memories to resurface. Example: The screech of tires on asphalt sent a cold shiver down her spine. In a heartbeat, she was back on that icy road, watching headlights careen toward her father’s car.

Dream or Hallucination For a more surreal tone, a dream or hallucination can segue into a flashback. Example: The dream unfolded like a reel of film, showing her the beachside house they’d once called home. She saw herself, small and wide-eyed, chasing the waves as her father’s voice called out in laughter.

Abrupt, Emotional Break For intense moments, an abrupt flashback can mimic a real-life flood of memory. Example: The argument escalated, he slammed his fist on the table. The sound echoed in her ears, morphing into the memory of her father’s hand hitting the dining room table, his voice booming in anger.

Ways to End a Flashback

Tie Back to the Trigger Return to the sensory cue or object that initiated the flashback. Example: The scent of jasmine faded, and she blinked, back in her office. The garden was gone, replaced by the gray walls and the cold glow of her computer screen.

Return to Present Action Use a sharp, present-day event to jolt the character back. Example: “Hey, are you even listening?” Her coworker’s voice snapped her out of the memory. She turned, realizing she’d been staring at the clock for minutes. OR “Are you okay?” His voice cut through the silence, pulling her out of the memory. She nodded quickly, hiding her unease.

Reinforce the Emotional Impact Show how the flashback has affected the character’s current emotions or decisions. Example: The memory left her hands trembling. She wiped her eyes quickly, unwilling to let the tears win this time. She had a meeting to face.

Transition with a Parallel Action Use a seamless flow between the past and present through similar actions or emotions. Example: In the memory, she had dropped the vase, its shattering echoing in the quiet house. Back in the present, her hand hovered over a similar vase on the shelf. She hesitated, her breath shallow, before carefully setting it down as if the past might repeat itself.\

Narrative Reflection Let the character or narrator explicitly acknowledge the memory and its significance. Example: She exhaled, shaking off the memory like dust from an old book. It didn’t matter anymore, she told herself, but her heart still felt heavy.

Anchor to the Setting Bring the reader’s focus back to the surroundings. Example: The memory faded, and she was left staring at the cracked pavement under her feet, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows over the street.

More Posts from Icylancet and Others

icylancet

11 months ago

In a rush, Japan wins their Olympic match, and Hinata's too blurred with exhaustion and high on victory to stop himself. He kisses Kageyama.

A gift for ALetterToTheSea in the KageHina Exchange

4K notes View Post

icylancet

3 months ago

MHYK MS2 SPOILERS BELOW

I finished ms2 like. weeks ago. but holy shit it's still haunting me i have so many thoughts about it like:

IT ENDS LIKE THAT???? CLIFFHANGER AHH💀💀

owen constantly provoking cain to "leave his knight-like/knighthood" and cain going "aight bet" then owen legitimately crashing out when he saw cain doing Whatever at the western country???? Chat this is actual peak.

also owen holds So Much Affection for cain. not speaking as a caiowe shipper right now but i'm speaking like in an analysis way. he refuses to admit it out loud but he constantly, without fail, puts his trust on cain's attitude and character. (See: the lennox vs cain discussion wherein owen was literally the only one who said cain would win over lennox LMFAO) (Speaking as a caiowe shipper: HO THIS GAY AHHHH)

i seriously love the oz and arthur discussion at the later chapters🥲 arthur Really, REALLY needed to hear those words come out from oz himself, and oz really needed to tell his feelings to arthur. they're so father and son🥹 (See: Screenshot below ↓)

also arthur and owen interactions were so cute

FUCKKKK MY EASTIES😭😭😭😭💔💔💔💔 I NEARLY SHAT MY PANTS WHEN NERO WAS ON THE BRINK OF DEATH AND BRAD FOUND HIM (brad going "now tell me who did this to you" LIKE? this wizard yaoi shit serious, i'm out!)

oughhh but easties in general,,,,, i love their dynamic so so much they're my favorite country🥹🥹 faust cares so much for his students and vice versa!!!! aghhh this entire convo of faust and shino just made me genuinely so emotional. THEY'VE TRULY COME SO FAR. AHHHH

Figaro will die soon

i did not expect mitile to actually eat the stone but wow!!!!!! i mean it's expected but i was still surprised :O

rustica bride reveal... Ho that lore drop crazy

lenofigafau......... Guys... GUYSSSSSSS i have so much to say about them but i feel i need to write that in an actual Document instead of a tumblr post like it's that serious

Can i come out as a figaoz supporter

the current progression of main sto is so interesting!!! super curious to see how everything else will play out (Example: Nova, Easties finding out about Nero's past, the prophecies about Arthur and Mitile, etc.)

speaking of prophecies. MANNNN oz really loves arthur so much he tried to change fate so he dies instead of him but it still didn't work out dufkehfidhj

Also! i did NOT expect arthur to actually make a promise like holy shit. that was peak. and for chloe too weurygsgshg i know chloe wouldn't pull any bad shit but wow!!!! just thinking about the Gravity of the situation is so surprising

i need more shymurr lore....... + the fact that ms2 is mainly set in the west is vv interesting i want to know more about the world building especially in thr west

rutile🥹🥹 ashekdjd i long for angst i wonder how he'll react once he figures out mitile's prophecy.... i also want to see more of him in Action. like can he please punch mithra.

the twins are always so ominous lol i wonder if their prophecies now (the ones about arthur and mitile) would actually come true or not🤔 well everyone did kept on saying that their prophecies are always right but seeing how oz is trying to play with arthur's fate while mithra is unknowingly messing with? or confusing? mitle's fate, maybe something could not go in the way they expected? IDK

i absolutely love how riquet is always direct. he talked some sense into oz like yeah kid tell that 2000 year old man about how he should talk to his 17 year old son!!!!

Ok i think that's all for now. i'll add more when i'm not in a rush LOL

Tags

icylancet zen mhyk mhyk ms2 spoilers LMFAO WHAT THE FUCK I can't believe any of this is real the amount of angst and yaoi mixed with the world building is actually insane... figaro garcia will die soon

10 notes View Post

icylancet

9 months ago

jesus in the hades art style

92K notes View Post

icylancet

11 months ago

Kagehina again

I (accidentally) rewatched Haikyuu first season, now I wanna draw them so much

297 notes View Post

icylancet

9 months ago

For Valentines, Yachi made all the other first years tomo-choco (friend chocolate) !! It was well-received :,,) Tobio is going to put off eating his so he can continue staring at it. Yachi-san made this for him… friends chocolate… because they are friends…

1K notes View Post

icylancet

2 months ago

436 notes View Post

icylancet

10 months ago

Guess Who Loves The Season 3 Op So Much They Redrew It In Timeskip (this Guy)

guess who loves the season 3 op so much they redrew it in timeskip (this guy)

16K notes View Post

icylancet

11 months ago

the crossover no one expected but we all agree onto :3

5K notes View Post

icylancet

1 year ago

I'd sacrifice myself to you, right here tonight, because you know that i love you

576 notes View Post

icylancet

9 months ago

So a very interesting phenomenon has been happening to me the past few weeks. In which Vil shows up in my thoughts to poke me about my bad posture. Like, I never thought Vil invading my thoughts would go like this 💀

At least it's in character for him XD

3K notes View Post