Well, yes and no. The backstory is the raw material from which flashbacks are drawn, but they have very different uses and purposes.
Backstory
Let’s define backstory first. As the word indicates, it is everything that happened before the story began. It is useful for giving readers context in a quick and simple way and is often relayed through narration or dialogue.
It can be everything from a fragment of memory to an attitude, which stems from a past event, that pops into your character’s mind as he experiences what is happening in the story present.
If you think about it, even in real life how you see the world and process, add meaning to and react to external happenings is based on past experiences and events. It is exactly the same with fictional characters. Backstory is what gives your story context and meaning, it’s what makes your reader care and sympathize with your character.
Flashbacks
Sometimes, backstory is not the most effective way to tell a reader about a character’s past. Especially, if it is a past event that is pivotal in understanding your character’s worldview or inner struggle.
Long expositions of backstory can quickly drag on and here it is easy to fall into the trap of telling your reader about it, instead of showing them what happened.
One way to show them what happened is by using flashbacks.
Flashbacks are actual scenes, that allow the reader to fully enter a memory of a character. Flashbacks stop the main storyline and demand the reader’s complete attention – therefore, you have to make sure, that you have a clear and well-founded reason to do so.
How to use backstory and flashbacks
Here are a few tips on how to use backstory and flashbacks well:
Keep them short and simple.
Less is more. Think of it as a seasoning and not as a sauce to drench your story in. Backstory or flashbacks are always triggered by something. Just like in real life, we are brought back to memory lane when we see or experience something that reminds us of a past event.
For example, you might see a border collie strolling down the road, which immediately brings you back to the happy days with your dog before it had to be put down.
Avoid info-dumps
Stay clear of anything that resembles an info dump. Info dumping is when a writer starts filling up pages with information, that is not relevant or important to the reader, storyline or character. Writers often do this with the notion, that their readers need to know specific things in order to be able to understand the story.
But, instead of dumping the information on the reader in a long exposition, weave in the information throughout the story. Always reveal information on a need-to-know basis and not “just because” – your reader will be just fine.
Ask yourself why.
Always keep it relevant to the story and character. When fleshing out a character you might decide that their favourite ice cream is vanilla – which is cool but don’t put this in the story unless you have a very clear goal with it.
When using backstory or flashbacks, keep the “why” in mind. Show readers why this backstory is important and how it affects your character in the story present. Often, backstory is very effective in showing readers why your character is the way they are – remember, past events and experiences shape your character’s worldview and decision making.
Use transitions
Make flashback transitions clear. To avoid confusion for your readers make sure that the transition into and out of the flashback scene is obvious.
You can do this by either adding paragraph breaks or adding actions or signals, that indicate to the reader, that they are about to go into a flashback. A tip is to start and end the flashback in the same place in the story present to underline, that a flashback just occurred.
Let’s look at an example
In a Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas, the protagonist Celaena is exploring the room she has been allocated in the Glass Palace and she walks into the adjacent music and gaming room.
She forced her hands to her sides, shaking her unease, and strode into the music and gaming room. She could not play billiard or cards by herself, but…Celaena eyed the pianoforte. She used to play – oh, she’d loved to play, loved the music, the way music could break and heal and make everything seem possible and heroic. …… Sam. What would he make of all this? If he’d been alive when she was captured, he would have had her out of the royal dungeons before the king even got words of her imprisonment. But Sam, like her, had been betrayed – and sometimes the absence of him hit her so hard that she forgot how to breathe. She touched a lower note. It was deep and throbbing, full of sorrow and anger.
Notice how the pianoforte triggers Celaena’s memory and backstory? Notice how the pianoforte brings back the memories of Sam and how she plays the lower note of the pianoforte, showing us how she is feeling, instead of telling us of the pain she is currently experiencing?
Ask yourself the following:
- Does this backstory or flashback reveal crucial need-to-know information about my character or storyline?
- If I delete this backstory or flashback will the story still make sense?
- Is the backstory or flashback revealed in the most relevant spot of the story?
- Are you telling the reader, instead of showing the reader an important backstory, which would have a bigger effect as a flashback?
- Have you made sure, that your backstory is not an info dump?
Be sure to check out my article on how to write a strong first chapter – and remember, stay clear of gearing up or adding too much backstory in your first scene.
