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How Not To Do A Flashback #1

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Contributed by Terotrous of

Phalanx Says:

Firstly...

AHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAA

I must apologise for laughing but while breaking the fourth wall and admitting that one is going into one can sometimes be amusing, but naming the chapter after one simply takes the cake.

Flashbacks can be a fantastic tool when used right. When used wrong, your audience will either be bored to tears or be in tears because it's so bad.

If you have to do a flashback, use muted colours or different borders, or any other suitable way you can think of to denote a flashback. Please, please, do not say "it's flashback time!"

Terotrous says:

Starting the plot with a flashback can be a useful plot device.
It gives people a taste of the action, and helps provide useful backstory.
Except that it completely ruins it if you state directly that it's a flashback!
Don't laugh, I've seen this be done.

mcDuffies says:

Starting with a flashback in any case, makes no sense to me. Whose flashback it is? We simply got to meet character first! If he's just gonna start a comic with some events from past and later skip 20 or so years, that's simply not called a flashback! "Back" in flashback meant you're going back in past! Well, how can you go back in past if you weren't in present in the first place?
Anyway, I think Tetrous here had in mind the urge oh (mostly fantasy) authors to have a flashback, even when there's nothing interesting to be said in it. Really, it's like a must: three things constitute S&S fantasy: warriors, magic and flashbacks!
Tetrous here plays a role of author who is in hurry to start his flashback so much that he starts it right after he starts a comic.