Help with Tying in a Flaskback back to the Main Story Hello guys I'm creating this thread in need of help with wrapping up a flashback. This is based on a comic book series that I'm writing but I changed it around so it won't hurt my chances of it being published. This is the pilot story of the series and I'm worried that I'm dragging out my flashback on for too long and I don't know how to end it and tie it all back in. Here is a summary of what is happening before and during the flashback. The planet is consumed in a Planetary War at the moment. All of the nations form a unified military army to protect to planet from total takeover. It all start 5 years ago when they contacted a Comet that was flying by the planet which they didn't know harbored alien life and now they are in an all out war for their life. My character's age is based around a college freshman with no experience in war. This story is based around character's with supernatural powers. My character is able to control the weather at will but does not awaken his hidden powers until he witnesses his men die in a failed ambush mission. The planet my character is on is not Earth but an Earth like planet that has no relevance to Earth. After killing the military men the alien species are able to bring them back to life but as the alien. My character is a solider in a world war and is in a military meeting in the present time. The generals are going over their military strategy for the next mission and they choose the main character as the leader because of his ability and bravery for bringing his unit back to the base safely in his previous mission, but while they are going over the strategy he is remembering the moment when he was ambushed. He was assigned a mission to travel with a unit of 8 men to capture the enemy's high ranking officers. But apparently the leader of the unit was a spy for the enemy and led them into an ambush. The enemy kills 3 of the men in his unit and bring them back to life and try to kill the remaining men then all of a sudden my character summoned a tornado and 4 other men from the unit escaped the ambush but they somehow landed into the desert. The desert has a never-ending sandstorm where you die from the debris, hurricane force winds, and the heat from the sandstorm. My character awakens from the crash and realizes where they are and summons his powers to subside the sandstorm to protect his men, but he collapses from fatigue and becomes unconscious. The men wake up and notices that the sandstorm is reforming in the distance and will return soon but luckily the rest of his men looks up into the sky and signal down a chopper. The Chopper touches down and picks the guys up and starts to ascend when all of a sudden the sandstorm reaches the chopper and slams it back down. The chopper is not damaged but the visibility and the pounding winds are preventing the men from escaping from the desert. And that's all that I have right now, I'm stuck at this moment and I need help with ending this flashback. What I plan on doing after the flashback is over is the generals learn that the alien species are moving on the offensive to totally take over the planet and my character is reassign to a mission to safely escort the remaining civilians that are still alive to a secure locate before the alien species reach the civilians cities. Here is what I'm thinking about as an ending: the enemy men somehow finds the men and attempts to take the chopper away, but my character somehow wakes up and sends the sandstorm away.
Hi - Well this has interesting potential. Assuming you are going to keep the sandstorm incident as a flashback, then maybe you should tie something else in to your opening bit. "The generals are recognizing his ability and bravery for bringing his unit back to the base safely but while they are applauding him he is remembering the moment when he was ambushed." Why is he remembering this incident at this particular time? Does he feel maybe that he doesn't deserve his award, because he didn't recognise the spy and led his men into danger in the first place? Where is this story going? I presume the sandstorm incident is just the start of the story? Or is it the entire story? About his supernatural powers. Is he unique with these powers, or do other share them too? Does he feel privileged to have them? Responsible? Is he angry that he's not like everybody else? Do other people know he has these powers? If so, they will probably be slightly afraid of him, but also be very eager not to cross him, and would want to be on his side, no doubt. If nobody knows he has these powers yet, what would happen to him if they found out? It will be easier for us, as forum members, to know more about the character AND where you see the main body of the story going. Then it's easier to help placing a flashback.
That is very good idea about him not thinking he deserves the award. While he was ambush he lost 3 men during the failed ambush attempt. The story continues with the character waking up from his daydream or flashback when he hears his named called at the meeting. Okay I'll elaborate more in the original post of mine so everyone will understand. Edit: I've changed the Summary for Flashback.
Good, Joel. I'm waiting to hear more. Specifically about the supernatural powers. I think it will make a great difference to know if he's kept these powers hidden, or if everyone (or even a few others) knows he has them. I'm already interested in where this story is going.
A story concept means nothing. What matters is how you write it: the characterization, the flow, the imagery, all of it. There's absolutely no benefit in asking what other people think of the concept! They'll either say,"Sounds great," or, "it sounds like a ripoff of..." If the idea stirs you, write it. Then ask people what they think of the final story. After they tell you what they don't like about it, revise it, usually several times, until you're happy with it or until you throw up your hands and say the hell with it. Please read What is Plot Creation and Development?
What if he has to recount his last mission to the generals so he's not having a flashback at all. He's standing in front of the big screen and explaining what happened and how to prevent another disaster in future.
But would that still just be a flashback? I like the idea, of him telling what happened in the fail ambush. I'm still stuck with trying to end the flashback does anyone have an idea of how to end the flashback?
if you like that idea then they just conclude the meeting "Ok" says General Blah Blah "That's enough for today"
Plotting by committee is not a good idea. Plot is mostly a construct of characters interacting within a particular situation, where each solution/action they come up with produces consequences, which creates even more consequences (cause and effect cascade) and so on 'til the climax.
