Hi folks, Looking for some opinions. I'm currently on chapter four of my WIP. It's a dystopian world written in third person omniscient. The first three chapters are fast paced, the fourth has slowed the pace down and I plan on ending it with a cliffhanger question posed to the MC. The answer to the question is a very pivotal decision in the character's and therefore his daughter's life and of course the story. I know the answer , I know the vague idea of where the story goes in my head after but I have this niggling feeling there's a little gap to be filled between the answer and the continuation of the action. I feel a flashback at the beginning of the next chapter, anywhere between a third and half a chapter long is the answer, completely prompted by and feeds into this question but I've read various opinions that flashbacks should be avoided in general? The pros of doing so in my head; it's chapter five so I've hopefully got the reader invested, it bridges something I feel is missing, it keeps the pace slowed before I start to increase it again, it gives some important background on the motivations of the MC while provoking new questions. The cons of doing so in my head; it could be off putting to the reader jumping back, it's advised to avoid if possible and I might be unintentionally taking the easy way out and convincing myself it's correct. Sorry that's long winded, I wanted to try and be as detailed as possible to help inform responses. I've had this nagging feeling about the gap for a wee while and got excited when I thought this was the answer. I've calmed and now trying to re-assess. Over to you....
Write this flashback as a prologue? Unless you plan on doing several flashbacks, when you could need several prologues... The main problem with a flashback is the transition into it; just go for it, and the reader is going to think "did I just miss something?" Start it with "Four years earlier..." and it's really clunky. Start with "Jack mused about the time when..." and it's really clunky. IDK...
Yeah I know what you mean. My idea to transition it was two-fold within the first few sentences; MC's mum is speaking to him (she is already established as dead ) and in the dialogue she says something along the lines of, "C'mon Leon, you're only 18....etc" as it's also already established he's a lot older than that. But like you say, the reader might just ending up thinking what's going on here.
How many words-ish are you thinking? I think short flashbacks, used very sparingly, are okay. Too many or too long aren't. The plot should be moving forward, and going back in time is often frustrating.
Anywhere between 500-1000 words I think. Yeah your last part seems to be the main criticism of flashbacks . Another idea I had toyed with, as opposed to the flashback idea was a chapter introducing a new character, someone who shows the world from the perspective of the "prole", for want of a better word, the sort of people my MC essentially wants to free, that could allow me to get in some of the details and background about the world I want and give a different perspective on the revolution, but then it's another character which is more complex. If I did do this, I could place the chapters with this character intermittently in the story but that might be even more distracting than a simple one off flashback
I wouldn't introduce another POV character to get across one piece of information, personally. But if there was a 'use' for that character all throughout the story, and an arc for him/her... that can really enrich a novel. How many POV characters do you currently have?
A paragraph or two of flashback will often work for me, as a reader, but 1000 words seems like way too much. I think they're most effective as a way to convey emotion rather than information, if that makes sense? Like, if a character is really damaged by something in the past, having the character herself flash back and think about the damaging event so we can feel it rather than just being told about it... that works, for me. But it might be more difficult if you're writing in omniscient - I'm not sure.
If it were done as a prologue, would it ruin the suspense of what you've already done with your first three chapters? If not, I'd seriously consider it. Unless the story is a mystery, and solving the mystery is what you want the readers to do, don't make it into one. If readers need to know something important that happened in the past, let them in on it, the sooner the better. A prologue is a great way to do this—and has been used this way for a couple hundred years. Readers rarely get confused if something is presented in chronological order. If you do decide on a flashback instead of a prologue, and it is CLEARLY delineated as such, there shouldn't be any confusion about it. Strive for clarity in the transition, and don't try to be coy, or start with dialogue that could be misunderstood as happening 'now.' The flashback will be easier on the reader if it answers questions that were raised in the first three chapters. That way, the flashback will continue to move the story forward for the reader. If it's just new information plonked on them, though, that might not work so well. Best to either present it at the start, or work it in as needed.
With no intention to re-open a debate that will likely never be resolved: OP, prologues are fairly controversial. There are agents/editors/readers who hate them, others who are fine with them. This controversy is mirrored in the WF.org population - some members like them, others avoid them. I don't think there's any point in rehashing any of the debates on the topic, but just thought it was a good idea to counterbalance the prologue suggestions. For me, as a writer, I'd avoid a prologue at just about any cost. Obviously other writers here feel differently.
I wouldn't do it just for the sake of that one moment, I agree. But now this has stirred my creative juices I'm thinking what if this character and their story is throughout the story. Without too much details my MC and "gang" are acting in a way they assume is for the common good, to achieve something they presume everyone wants to see but these things are never simple, maybe this character could be the flip side, the grey in amongst the black and white haha. I only planned for two POV, this new character would make it three.
I could tighten it to less than a 1000, that was my guess at an upper end. I want it to give a glimpse into the MC's motivations and the emotional background behind his determination so it is about feelings but like you've said, I'm not sure how I get that across well in omniscient without the flashback without it descending into telling.
Thanks. I guess a prologue isn't something I've really considered too much before, it might be worth considering here. I'll definitely need to go and look at examples to see how they are done and if I feel it works for me. I do feel I could do it without giving away important aspects that come later in the story. My worry is that it seems to just come from nowhere to the reader which is the last thing I want.
I like the sound of it - grey among the black and white. And three isn't too many. Sounds like thinking about it is good for your story, even if you don't end up doing it
What's interesting about the prologue approach is that your readers will be expecting it to matter at some point. So if, in chapter four, the prologue issues suddenly reappear ...bingo.
Analepsis as a valid writing tool. Just make it count. If you want to do a prologue, do that. Either way you go, as long as it's interesting and relevant, it won't be a problem. Don't get too hung up on things like this in a first draft. Think about it, sure, but continue to write. You can always go back and change it if something doesn't seem to work later on.
