I have an idea for a story and as I plot driver I think it would work to have flashbacks. The story will focus on a single character searching for clues to an event that will lead him to understand his present situation. What techniques are there for using flashbacks? How would I let the reader know that while they are reading we have made a jump into a flashback? I would like to construct the flashbacks as short stories in and basically insert them into the larger narrative. I'm thinking of tell the story from the first person. But I'm toying with the idea of making the flashbacks unique to the characters point of view the main character interacts with. I don't know if that switch along with the flash backs will make it too confusing.
I am doing something similar in a story I am working on. In my story, the main character is a former marine and I am basing his flashbacks off of post traumatic stress syndrome. He has constant nightmares where bits and pieces of his past (which are important to the story) are revealed bit by bit. What I do, I always start a dream sequence at a new paragraph or chapter. I then just jump right into it, never mentioning that it is a dream until my character wakes up. There may be people on these forums with more experience than me who might disagree with my methods but that is what I did. I find it adds a bit of excitement to it.
The transition into a flashback should be as natural and unobtrusive as possible. The flashback itself should be an "action before our eyes" scene that illuminates something meaningful about the present story. How you do the flashback is entirely up to you. It can be in the middle of another scene or at the start of a new chapter or wherever else you need it--just make sure the transition in and out of it is smooth. As long as you don't jar or bore your reader with the flashback, you'll be fine. (Probably.) Also, it would serve you well to make the first sentence of your flashback one that grabs the reader, making them want to read through the new "mini-story" you're presenting. Good luck!
