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I recently heard one writer asking another writer: "Why is your book so unusually linear? Everything happens in order. Why don't you used flashbacks or foreshadowing? Your book just goes from one day to the next to the next to the next." Hmmm....
Now moving from one day to the next to the next may not be a bad thing in your book. But using FLASHBACKS and FORESHADOWING can often strengthen our plots and increase what we know about our characters as our story is progressing!
Here is a computer animated conversation between a teacher and a student discussing foreshadowing in the book Hatchet - by Gary Paulson. Perhaps it will help us think about how to use foreshadowing or flashback more effectively in our own novels.
And here's a little scene that gives some not-so subtle foreshadowing about some of the upcoming amazing authors who will be sharing their writing tips on Writermorphosis over the next few months (we're very excited!):
SCENE:
"Batman, you really might want to consider reading a few of the books on this secret underground bookshelf I've just discovered. I think they will make our future more, uh, enlightening. Based on what I'm seeing here big things are coming our way on Writermorphosis. REALLY BIG things."
"Really?" Batman squinted through his new video-com device as the feed from Robin's camera panned over the books that Robin had discovered in a tunnel off the main sewer line 300 feet below Gotham City. The drip, drip, drip of water from the sewer pipes near Robin's head echoed in the deafening darkness and reminded Batman of Chinese water torture. But the books looked like good ones. A food of the titles caught his attention: Fracture. Immortal Beloved. And a very shiny new one called United We Spy...
"But I don't understand what these novels have to do with our future or Writermophosis, Robin."
Robin grabbed the books off the dripping bookshelf and shoved them into his backpack as the sound of running feet and shouts of "stop him," and "He's found them!" resounded in the corridor to his right.
"You gotta trust me on this one, Batman," he said, shining the flashlight into his face so that Batman could see his excited expression for just one second before he ducked into the dark dripping corridor to his left and disappeared into the night. "Just trust me, man. Some big things are coming! And these are the books that we want!"
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