On Writing: Flashbacks and Backstory!

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ก.ค. 2024
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ความคิดเห็น • 635

  • @HelloFutureMe
    @HelloFutureMe  4 ปีที่แล้ว +384

    And so we come to the end of another year - thank you so much for all your support and love this 2019 year, especially my patrons. Maybe consider getting yourself a Christmas present with both Nebula and Curiosity Stream at Nebula AND Curiosity Stream at curiositystream.com/hellofutureme Merry Christmas, eat family, sing your food, and talk with christmas carols. Stay nerdy for 2019, and I'll see you in 2020!
    ~ Tim

    • @jasper2719
      @jasper2719 4 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Love you Tim!!
      Wait we're can I buy Yr book

    • @HelloFutureMe
      @HelloFutureMe  4 ปีที่แล้ว +14

      @@jasper2719 Amazon! www.amazon.com/Writing-Worldbuilding-I-Timothy-Hickson-ebook/dp/B07PNKHDFZ
      ~ Tim

    • @knightowl2407
      @knightowl2407 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Your book is on my list, hope I get it. Merry Christmas Tim!

    • @jasper2719
      @jasper2719 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@HelloFutureMe thx I'm going to get that real quick

    • @sherlockwho5714
      @sherlockwho5714 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Question do you recommend any place to reach out to for advice or input on stories we are writting?

  • @mikelitoris8809
    @mikelitoris8809 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1655

    "I'm actually filming this beforehand."
    So this entire video was... a flashback?
    Twilight Zone theme intensifies.

  • @WeThePuppets
    @WeThePuppets 4 ปีที่แล้ว +956

    *Flashbacks affect pacing?*
    Naruto: This one character has one fight and will die, but before they do, here's a 20 minute episode explaining their entire life.

    • @ClashBluelight
      @ClashBluelight 4 ปีที่แล้ว +159

      i've seen naruto sadly sitting on a swing and crying next to shadow people as many times as i've seen the waynes die. and uncle ben for that matter.

    • @Gadget-Walkmen
      @Gadget-Walkmen 4 ปีที่แล้ว +71

      Clash Bluelight kishimoto’s insane for not realizing how over abundant that is and how it negatively ruins pacing.

    • @VayBabe
      @VayBabe 4 ปีที่แล้ว +66

      I want to know who Kishimoto's editor was because he/she did a terrible job. The redundancy in Naruto is shameful to the point of nearly ruining the show.

    • @kaysonoleen5261
      @kaysonoleen5261 4 ปีที่แล้ว +97

      what, you don’t like watching Sasuke and Itachi having the same conversation about the Mangekyou Sharingan 9 times?

    • @Gadget-Walkmen
      @Gadget-Walkmen 4 ปีที่แล้ว +58

      Kayson Oleen or seeing that bullshit of naruto and Sasuke passing each other other on the port as little kids?
      So many fucking times.

  • @ewanmartinnz9051
    @ewanmartinnz9051 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1125

    Ask Reddit: what words have you heard the most?
    Me: In Avatar the Last Airbender.......

    • @juanrodriguez9971
      @juanrodriguez9971 4 ปีที่แล้ว +104

      I couldn't agree more with this xD
      But I understand why, The last Airbender is a masterpiece of worldbuilding, creativity, character development, and narrative.

    • @TheCapedArtist
      @TheCapedArtist 4 ปีที่แล้ว +30

      There's a good reason tho

    • @catsinwonderland7473
      @catsinwonderland7473 2 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      Every community has a masterpiece that is cited as it’s “bible.” In the writing community ATLA is pretty much it’s “bible”

  • @duchi882
    @duchi882 4 ปีที่แล้ว +755

    *"Flashbacks and Backstory"*
    *Naruto:* _You called?_

    • @XEspadaSaDiosX
      @XEspadaSaDiosX 4 ปีที่แล้ว +21

      Perfect example

    • @akilw.3360
      @akilw.3360 4 ปีที่แล้ว +94

      _Sadness and Sorrow intensifies_

    • @onyxrose4349
      @onyxrose4349 4 ปีที่แล้ว +26

      @@akilw.3360 Love that Sad Naruto Flute

    • @ClashBluelight
      @ClashBluelight 4 ปีที่แล้ว +74

      quick: are you more sick of watching
      a: batman's parents die.
      b: spider-man's uncle die.
      c: naruto being upset on a swing.
      d: (insert overused memory here.)

    • @dracosfire7247
      @dracosfire7247 4 ปีที่แล้ว +68

      Naruto is both extremely bad at using flashbacks, and sometimes extremely good at it.
      The great timing of the flashback in the Lee vs Gaara fight really cemented it as a lot of people's favorite fight, because the stakes are very clearly presented, and the loss feels so much sadder as a result.

  • @ClashBluelight
    @ClashBluelight 4 ปีที่แล้ว +795

    my favorite kind of flashbacks that you didn't cover here are what i call "campfire stories." basically a character reveals information about their past in a slightly more humorous way. if you're being dramatic, the story may end with the character recalling something they didn't want to. a good example of one of these is thor joking about his dark world adventure in endgame. the main advantages of using this kind of flashback are that it keeps the story mostly in the present, and makes it easier to deliver information naturally.

    • @Katwind
      @Katwind 4 ปีที่แล้ว +72

      An ever better example is Avatar: the last airbender (because Avatar is great at everything) when the Fire Nations kids leave the party they just destroyed.

    • @loremaster234
      @loremaster234 4 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      I actually intend on doing this but instead as a way of revealing some history in the mythos!

    • @intothevoid1996
      @intothevoid1996 2 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      I think this may also be a good way to show trauma, when handled well ofcourse. When a character slightly humorously or more lightheartedly retells a traumatic experience or an event that mentions dealing with trauma, it can show having moved past or (partly) processed said trauma and also feeling comfortsble in sharing or consoling in the people theyre with.

    • @autisticdancer
      @autisticdancer 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Like "the beach" episode in Atla?

    • @elenadirectorofmiiss7942
      @elenadirectorofmiiss7942 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      The one I like is V for Vendetta with V in disguise telling “his story” as one of the original Fingermen.

  • @kenedyg.4509
    @kenedyg.4509 4 ปีที่แล้ว +670

    **waits patiently for a On Writing: Anti-Heroes video**

    • @willieoelkers5568
      @willieoelkers5568 4 ปีที่แล้ว +31

      OSP just did a great Trope Talk on them. If you like these videos you should definitely give them a look.

    • @scottramsay4053
      @scottramsay4053 4 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      How about an 'On using "an" vs "a" properly' video first? Seems like you should deal with the fundamentals before tackling anything more complex.

    • @Mastafigz
      @Mastafigz 4 ปีที่แล้ว +23

      Scott Ramsay cause it’s not a grammar channel

    • @scottwramsay
      @scottwramsay 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      @@Mastafigz I think you've misunderstood who my comment was directed at...

    • @Mastafigz
      @Mastafigz 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      @@scottwramsay i doubt that

  • @absollum
    @absollum 4 ปีที่แล้ว +156

    Every time I think of poorly executed backstory, I hear Sorrow and Sadness while I see Naruto on the swing looking sad. I swear I remember Naruto's childhood better than my own.

    • @artofthepossible7329
      @artofthepossible7329 4 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      Well I would say that was a job well done on Kishimoto's part.

  • @craigebanks7847
    @craigebanks7847 4 ปีที่แล้ว +396

    This is definitely a needed video for an aspiring writer.

    • @piercewoodward4736
      @piercewoodward4736 4 ปีที่แล้ว +33

      this whole channel is tbh, I've been watching it for almost a year now my brain is now large

  • @leigh-anjohnson
    @leigh-anjohnson 4 ปีที่แล้ว +423

    I'm surprised you didn't mention "The Storm" in Avatar as a reference to how showing Zuko's backstory gave context to his action and developed his character. I kept waiting for it...

    • @ThePreciseClimber
      @ThePreciseClimber 4 ปีที่แล้ว +29

      My one problem with The Storm is that there's no proper reason for that flashback to be there. What I mean is that it's a random episode in season 1. It happened because they decided to have an important flashback in the middle of season 1 and wrote an episode around it. It could've been ep.12 or 13 or 10 or 15 and it would've made no difference.
      I guess it's just more of a problem with season 1 being quite episodic in nature.
      In season 2 the Zuko flashback (Zuko Alone) has a specific placement in the story and you couldn't really mess with it. Zuko & Iroh separate in Avatar Day and they reunite in The Chase. The only possible change you could make is place Zuko Alone before The Blind Bandit. That's it. Nothing more.

    • @nixian_zwaylus
      @nixian_zwaylus 4 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      i think its because avatar is coming back so much in those videos. especially the storm.

    • @HelloFutureMe
      @HelloFutureMe  4 ปีที่แล้ว +130

      I wanted to stay away from the usual examples that I and other people who discuss Avatar bring up. And as an example of what I was talking about in the video, the Southern Air Temple made a far better example.
      - Tim

    • @juanrodriguez9971
      @juanrodriguez9971 4 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      There is one small flashback in the chapter where Zuko and Sang start to train the fire bending, Tooh suggest them to research in the origin of fire bending, explaining that those animals (whose original names I don't know xd) where the first earth bending masters, explaining that earth bending wasn't for fighting, but for interacting with the world and in that flashback we see one of those animals walking and then we see Toph walking (or ducking) in the exact same way, showing us a bit of worldbuilding and character backstory.

    • @leigh-anjohnson
      @leigh-anjohnson 4 ปีที่แล้ว +19

      @@juanrodriguez9971 Badgermoles. I loved that scene and the bit of backstory on Toph. She actually mentioned it earlier in the episode "Sokka's Master" that she learned from Badgermoles, so it was great to learn what that meant.

  • @ethanotoroculus1060
    @ethanotoroculus1060 4 ปีที่แล้ว +252

    That sponsorship was slick, dude. Not even mad.

  • @emilyarmstrong83
    @emilyarmstrong83 4 ปีที่แล้ว +333

    My favorite example of a flashback is the fortieth episode of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, "Homunculus (The Dwarf in the Flask)." It's one of those flashbacks that only makes sense when you've watched the entire series, but when it happens it explains SO MUCH.
    The point being that y'all should watch FMA:B. It's an amazing show.

    • @adidevaneumiller436
      @adidevaneumiller436 4 ปีที่แล้ว +30

      Emily Armstrong, you fucking queen. Keep spreading the good news of FMA Brotherhood. Thank you for your service. 😁

    • @adrithmanvik1853
      @adrithmanvik1853 4 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      True words

    • @PawanTanaySingh
      @PawanTanaySingh 4 ปีที่แล้ว +54

      The skill of FMA:B recommendation has been passed down through the Armstrong family for generations!

    • @VayBabe
      @VayBabe 4 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      tbh I hated that episode. It was really boring to me. BUT it explained so much and really gave insight to who the real enemy was and how the rest of the story fell in line with that one single episode. It was boring, but it was so necessary and well done. FMA Brotherhood will always be one of my favorite anime.

    • @JosephFlores-yn4yi
      @JosephFlores-yn4yi 3 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      @@VayBabe tbh, i personally found it very interesting
      Granted that was because i really wanted to know who hohenheim was

  • @pirateKaiser
    @pirateKaiser 4 ปีที่แล้ว +209

    People: *get outraged by a whole flashback episode*
    One Piece: hold my arc... for the next year

    • @holdenmuganda97
      @holdenmuganda97 4 ปีที่แล้ว +43

      pirateKaiser Onepiece flashbacks are usually well done. They show a will that continues or a legacy continued.
      Naruto on the other hand would just shovel backstory for everyone even when it wasn’t relevant.

    • @siddhartha894
      @siddhartha894 4 ปีที่แล้ว +20

      @@holdenmuganda97 yeah the oden flashback makes us care about Wano more, and makes us hate the villain more and gives us more info on Roger and than Whitebeard

  • @Pinkstarclan
    @Pinkstarclan 4 ปีที่แล้ว +186

    god it's so good to get writing advice that isn't just "Never do ____ ever."
    btw, what's that "it's not true" from? the guy he keeps using?

    • @carolinelabbott2451
      @carolinelabbott2451 4 ปีที่แล้ว +24

      Ripley's Believe it or Not.
      I think that is what the show was called. The guy he shows is an actor called Johnathan Frakes. Hopefully I spelled his name right, I am bad with names.

  • @matthewprice6465
    @matthewprice6465 4 ปีที่แล้ว +166

    my favorite use of a flashback is in "madoka magica" there is an entire episode about one characters backstory and it recontextualises the entire story. reactions you see earlier in the series you though were anger or frustration turn out to be saddness and desperation, the stakes it creates by giving the viewer more knowlege about the world adds a huge ammounts of weight to an already desperate situation. i honestly cannot recomend this series enough

    • @portalvt
      @portalvt 3 ปีที่แล้ว +15

      madoka magica is amazing

    • @rachelt9358
      @rachelt9358 3 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      I came here looking for this exact reply lol. Never has a backstory hit me harder.

    • @tiph3802
      @tiph3802 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      I want to be vague to avoid spoilers because honestly, absolutely everyone should watch Puella Magi Madoka Magica, but one scene in that episode fucking kills me every time. Towards the end, when one character makes an important request from the character the episode is about which suddenly makes everything make sense, followed by a second request. They don't show her complying, but you hear it and my god that actress is unbelievable.

  • @gonzalogutierrez700
    @gonzalogutierrez700 4 ปีที่แล้ว +148

    I like how the name of the channel is "hello future me"
    Meaning that he will eventuly watch this videos and that is going to be a flashback

  • @Izag-wn5kd
    @Izag-wn5kd 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

    I think a good examination of flashbacks is in the Legend series by Marie Lu. In this book most flash backs aren’t full scenes it’s the main characters remembering the main points instead of the entire scenes, this allowed the reader to know that these events have happened without having to put the plot on pause.

  • @Gadget-Walkmen
    @Gadget-Walkmen 4 ปีที่แล้ว +45

    Meanwhile in Naruto, there’s so many flashbacks that even tenten’s Kunai has one!

  • @annabethdiana5857
    @annabethdiana5857 4 ปีที่แล้ว +41

    The fact that Tim doesn't have millions of subscribers despite having some of the absolute best content on TH-cam is ridiculous.

  • @Knuckles2761
    @Knuckles2761 4 ปีที่แล้ว +53

    8. Naruto therapy flashbacks - if you can't defeat bad guy in fair fight, just show some 'sad childhood' moments and enemy will be immediately converted to good.

    • @davidajayi6516
      @davidajayi6516 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Knuckles #2761 that’s an extreme oversimplification

    • @Knuckles2761
      @Knuckles2761 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@davidajayi6516 believe it!

    • @davidajayi6516
      @davidajayi6516 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Knuckles #2761 yare yare

    • @YataTheFifteenth
      @YataTheFifteenth 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@davidajayi6516 daze

  • @benjamintillema3572
    @benjamintillema3572 4 ปีที่แล้ว +36

    One of my favorite use of flashbacks in recent memory is from the episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (nearly twenty years late, but I'm finally going through the series) The Body.
    It's a simple enough scene, just a dinner party, it has no influence on how Buffy reacts to her mother's death, but it's so crucial to the emotional weight of the scene. Seeing a slice of Buffy's everyday life, and then contrasting that with this shocking and horrifying event really let it sunk in. Amazing for a scene was added just so the audience wouldn't be distracted by the opening credits when Buffy calls for an ambulance.

  • @jawstrock2215
    @jawstrock2215 4 ปีที่แล้ว +54

    aww you forgot the part that is most used in Tv series/anime: make viewer remember important scenes they already saw!(That is suppose to affect the event of the same episode)

    • @Katwind
      @Katwind 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Overly Sarcastic Productions made a video about that.

    • @karmiya-plays
      @karmiya-plays 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      To be fair, at least in anime (and older anime before streaming), this was largely a necessity in order to make sure that newer viewers who missed the original episodes are up to date. From what I've heard, TV stations that run anime in Japan largely don't do re-runs (probably due to the volume of anime that's produced every year), and as such they often felt it necessary to make sure that new viewers weren't confused. Long-running old anime even had entire episodes which summarised previous seasons (often very far into their run, like 100 episodes in). It's a little annoying, but was pretty much a result of the time in which they were being made and the airing circumstances.

  • @sherlockwho5714
    @sherlockwho5714 4 ปีที่แล้ว +55

    I like your revelant screens

  • @super-weirdo5219
    @super-weirdo5219 4 ปีที่แล้ว +128

    I'm kind of surprised you didn't mention Once Upon a Time. That show had tons of flashbacks and it was interesting how they used them. Awesome video, I think it will definitely help me with my writing.

    • @leigh-anjohnson
      @leigh-anjohnson 4 ปีที่แล้ว +20

      In Once Upon A Time, the flashbacks themselves weren't in chronological order, but they were done in such a way that you could piece together where/when everything fit. Beautiful writing

    • @andoryuubushido7191
      @andoryuubushido7191 4 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      When he mentioned the parallel stories use of flashbacks in arrow I immediately thought of OUAT as another example, though in Arrow the flashbacks tell one long story over the season and in OUAT they tell an episodic story relevant to what is currently happening.
      I agree Hanz Hanzo, Rumple is the best because he's part of literally everyone's backstory somehow.

    • @autisticdancer
      @autisticdancer 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Oh yeah! I watched once upon a time until season 5 when I started getting annoyed at the show. But seasons 1-4 were good in my opinion and the flashbacks every episode were genuinely interesting!

  • @khalidbrown743
    @khalidbrown743 4 ปีที่แล้ว +86

    Me: **After pausing the video for a while as I get distracted** What was I watching again?
    Anime me: I remember, so long ago, when I got that message... **Flashback to me getting the notification like 30 minutes before**

  • @asura7915
    @asura7915 4 ปีที่แล้ว +48

    one piece and berserk does flashbacks pretty well

    • @an8strengthkobold360
      @an8strengthkobold360 4 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      I like mha approach a charter only gets flash back chapter if they are going to get a charter ark.
      Other wise they get a single panel.
      Then there's the naruto aproch of giving multiple episodes to a flash back then show those same clips 3 times throught one fight then a few more times throughout the show.

    • @Skallva
      @Skallva 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Pandora Hearts does an amazing job with its flashbacks. A large part of its story is comprised of all kinds of them and they do a great job further fleshing out the characters, building the story's ever-present mystery and subverting the reader's expectations.
      Manga as a whole is just a really good medium to utilise flashbacks in.

    • @Crosshill
      @Crosshill 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      i so often forget that first chapter of berserk that makes the entirety of the golden age arc technically a flashback

  • @KatNapsArt
    @KatNapsArt 4 ปีที่แล้ว +36

    How many times have I had to watch Eren's mom getting chomped in Attack on Titan? It almost seems like it was an inside joke to include it so much in the anime.
    On the other hand, it could've forced us to remember what the Titan looked like so that the big reveal at the end of Season 3 would be more impactful (I was definitely shocked).

    • @mae8631
      @mae8631 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      The fact that this moment was overused is real. But I disagree with what you said about the reveal of this Titan during the Season 3 being more impactful, since this same titan was the actual reason why Hannes and Carla died, and of course, that it permitted the introduction of the Coordinate.
      I think we wouldn't have saw that reveal differently if this overused scene was taken off.

  • @miaththered
    @miaththered 4 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    BACKSTORY IS A GOOD THING THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

    • @alexanderwheeler3943
      @alexanderwheeler3943 4 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      As an avid world builder and backstory constructor, I agree. It is important to know what the backstory is, but to explain it to the audience isn't always necessary, no matter how much we want the audience to know all the cool ideas we had.

    • @anthonydavis5288
      @anthonydavis5288 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I agree backstory is extremely important. You can do so much just through the environment, and the atmosphere of a place without a single line of dialogue. I think its important to keep that in mind

  • @aster4025
    @aster4025 4 ปีที่แล้ว +23

    i paused the video to go read "story of your life" bc the spoiler warning got me interested haha
    awesome read, recommended! on to the movie now. thank you for everything Tim!

  • @deadringer-cultofdeathratt8813
    @deadringer-cultofdeathratt8813 4 ปีที่แล้ว +49

    I was going to watch some AoT but this is important 😤

    • @parkerhennessy2852
      @parkerhennessy2852 4 ปีที่แล้ว +18

      AoT is also important though...

    • @guillermoc7736
      @guillermoc7736 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      What is AoT?

    • @silasbetit9659
      @silasbetit9659 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Mr Serpophaga I’m guessing attack on titan

    • @arvindganeswaran3279
      @arvindganeswaran3279 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@guillermoc7736 Attack on Titan

    • @erufailon4723
      @erufailon4723 4 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      Oh boy, AoT and flashbacks. Many of them are good from the perspective of this video's 3rd point, but the ones in season 3 part 2 are golden - saying that they alter how the story works moving forward is an understatement

  • @unshackled2907
    @unshackled2907 4 ปีที่แล้ว +90

    Me: *Creates power system that entirely depends on a character's backstory* Welp.

    • @BonaparteBardithion
      @BonaparteBardithion 4 ปีที่แล้ว +19

      Power and magic systems are usually best explained in pieces as they're relevant to story anyway. If the backstory is also tied to it, that actually gives something engaging to explain it through instead of dumping dry exposition.

    • @kaysonoleen5261
      @kaysonoleen5261 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      could be great if well executed!

    • @KHBogWitch
      @KHBogWitch 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      FMA Brotherhood?

    • @bladewolfvii6383
      @bladewolfvii6383 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      So, how did you handle it?

    • @nithindanday7747
      @nithindanday7747 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      t o l k i e n

  • @LtSprinkulz
    @LtSprinkulz 4 ปีที่แล้ว +15

    An interesting case of the flashback comes from the book Halo: Evolutions. Its a book full of short stories from the Halo universe and one of them is called "Dirt" where a dying soldier tells the tale of how he got there to a Rookie ODST (basically a spec ops trooper)
    The entire story takes place in a flashback, with only the beginning and ending taking place in the "present"
    Not much more to it than that, but i found it very interesting how my thoughts slowly turned from "when does this flashback end" to "Oh yeah this was a flashback!" Once the story came together.
    The entire book is a good read, but that story in particular really held my attention from beginning to end just because of the suspence of how it all tied together. And boy the payoff is awesome.

    • @rp-lopez
      @rp-lopez ปีที่แล้ว +1

      And also a huge chunk of ODST was missions based on flashbacks

  • @kaugummigeschmacke6905
    @kaugummigeschmacke6905 4 ปีที่แล้ว +51

    Your videos are an absolute cure! Thank you so much!

  • @caitlinbrewer4843
    @caitlinbrewer4843 4 ปีที่แล้ว +104

    Huh, not nearly as many Avatar examples as I thought there would be.

    • @buggymah
      @buggymah 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      I thought he’d talk about “the storm” episode

    • @catsinwonderland7473
      @catsinwonderland7473 ปีที่แล้ว

      Half of this guy’s videos is just avatar circlejerks 😂😂

  • @andrewmelnikov292
    @andrewmelnikov292 4 ปีที่แล้ว +12

    12:30 Damn, I was using this instinctively the whole time! it just felt... right, more alive, more close up and personal, I never considered doing it any other way.

  • @marcossffilho9089
    @marcossffilho9089 4 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    My mind: remember the John Carter fight scene while he remembers him burying his wife and daughter

  • @matthewmuir8884
    @matthewmuir8884 4 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    3:22 You would absolutely love One-Punch Man. As a parody of Shonen Anime, one of the tropes it pokes fun at is how Shonen Anime always gives such overly-long backstory. Seriously; you'll love it.

  • @alexgrimes2186
    @alexgrimes2186 4 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    Can we talk about that flashback from "A Study in Scarlet" . So abrupt that I thought my book was misprinted

    • @jakerockznoodles
      @jakerockznoodles 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      I was listening to it via audio book the first time and thought I must have accidentally hit a skip button or something 😂

  • @JakeCapitano
    @JakeCapitano 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I love watching these videos when I am sleepy or have executive dysfunction. The music at the end is so soothing and when it finishes I tell myself to get up.

  • @ChaosShadoWolfe
    @ChaosShadoWolfe 4 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    This is a lesson I learned years ago, when I was still writing my character's motivation out in the first pages of a story which often contained their backstory as well. I've stopped doing that once I felt excessively disappointed with my own style of writing. So I quit a few years and did my research. You, amongst other channels, recindled my love for world building and writing, and I've started rewriting one of the last stories I was working on. A story with multiple characters, each with their own motivations and backstory but none being conveyed.
    Thank you for this video, and for all your writing tips and trick. They've helped me, and a lot of peoople here I assume, a lot with settling a few issues within our stories. Keep up the good work.

  • @paaperman
    @paaperman 4 ปีที่แล้ว +58

    Oh right.... It's summer for you...

    • @merrittanimation7721
      @merrittanimation7721 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Damn planetary tilt...

    • @an8strengthkobold360
      @an8strengthkobold360 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Definitely not for me. F*ck Canadian weather .

    • @archivist_13
      @archivist_13 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@an8strengthkobold360 you said it man.

    • @bartandaelus359
      @bartandaelus359 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      I'm in Adelaide and fleeing my home from bushfires and I can very much confirm that it is indeed summer down here

    • @bartandaelus359
      @bartandaelus359 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @De Nile the wind has turned north so it's doubling over itself and a cool change has come through. Looks like very good news however even wet the native grasses are so dry they'll still catch. I've got my car packed ready though

  • @lingy69
    @lingy69 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    IT, the book, is a good example, it uses parrallel stories to have two plots linking together

  • @glitchygear9453
    @glitchygear9453 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    A good technique for conveying backstory of very specific/main characters is simply starting the story earlier in time. Not as a prologue, but as the actual beginning of the story.

  • @julzbehr6696
    @julzbehr6696 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I wrote a short story once “door to my past” to get over bullying in my past. It was basically that I would walk through doors, into rooms that I was in, in the past. I’d have a normal day and would run out of my room, into a classroom I had been a long time ago. I would have no control over my movements anymore. However, I had control of my mind, so the story is a lot about thoughts. Which really helped me deal with my issues.

    • @sadi5430
      @sadi5430 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Nice concept,bro

  • @bloop6111
    @bloop6111 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Annihilation (the book) was great for me when it came to flash backs. There’s one point where we are at a moment we’ve been waiting for throughout the whole book, then right before she turns the corner, we’re stopped for a flash back. And while that should have been jarring, that flashback was told at the perfect time and it made the big reveal so impactful.

  • @nickkoster7087
    @nickkoster7087 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I love it when anime gives entire episodes of backstory to every character. It builds the world. Yeah, it slows the pacing dramatically, but it gets you to care & know the characters. But yes, excessive backstory isn't needed in a 300 page stand-alone novel

  • @nmtarts1909
    @nmtarts1909 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Arrival is an incredible film and i am so happy you brought it up.

  • @TheDragiix3
    @TheDragiix3 4 ปีที่แล้ว +19

    I like to use flashbacks in the form of dreams or memories linked to trauma. Because my story focuses on the memory contained in blood and the prolonged life one can gain from it these dreams and flashbacks are very important, because they merge and come up from different perspectives given on the relationship the person had with the original man or woman whose blood was consumed. The dreams always have to do with the moment though, with the situation at hand.

  • @rustyrodentmotorcycles1041
    @rustyrodentmotorcycles1041 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I think a show that does this really well is the new “lost in space”, it uses the flashbacks during a mortal danger scene for one of the characters, and uses the flash back connecting the person in danger with the other character in the situation with them that adds gravity to the relationship and history so you feel the weight of the two character being trapped in the situation, and gives he fight and fury of how to get out of it

  • @sunyavadin
    @sunyavadin 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Hickman did a very good job of using the flashbacks in the recent big X-Men crossover series, House of X/Powers of X -
    All the flashbacks to Moira's past lives beyond the initial ones presented in summary in the third chapter are each presented in a manner in which they each present an engaging, curious look at a possible future, and only finally deliver the important information about Moira's plan in the new timeline she's created, at the moment when it becomes most relevant to the rest of the story's present-day arc.

  • @jndvs95
    @jndvs95 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I struggled with this in my current book as when i was younger i remember hearing from someone that flashbacks were considered lazy writing for exposition. As i developed the world and overall story though I realized the flashbacks were pretty vital in dealing with the first main character's ptsd like trauma and in setting up the climax at the end of the first part. To make it less cheap i plan on using magic to explain why the character is having so many flashbacks as it ties into the main plot. Your video definitely made me more confident in that plan so thank you

  • @kahlbutomacfarland
    @kahlbutomacfarland 4 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    Great subject matter that needs more examination. I would love a similar breakdown of Wizard and Glass and how it grades out in the context of the Dark Tower series.

  • @PeloquinDavid
    @PeloquinDavid ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Listening to this, it struck me that effective use in Villeneuve's films of "flashbacks" (and mind-bending non-linear story telling in general) that show how faultily remembered traumas of the past or future affect people in the here and now isn't limited to Arrival.
    It's prominent (or at least hinted at) in most of his films that I've seen: Polytechnique, Incendies, Enemy, Arrival, BR2049 and Dune. (And in Prisoners and Sicario, the traumas of the past are left to the imagination, prompted by images of photos, press clippings and people having nightmares...)

  • @phantasmalemperor8887
    @phantasmalemperor8887 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    The amount of work you put into these videos is staggering. Your work is really appreciated and I hope you continue forever! Thank you very much and a Merry Christmas!

  • @NaraMouse101
    @NaraMouse101 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    I really appreciate all of the varied examples and the way you present them. I feel like often times people giving writing advice will present one 'correct' way of doing things, but you always give a much more well rounded approach that is much more helpful for me as a writer.

  • @marianamora4203
    @marianamora4203 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    The best part about your videos is that you can watch them more than once after a long time and get inspired on how to write a part of your narrative. I am thus eternally grateful.

  • @therealpyromaniac4515
    @therealpyromaniac4515 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Stand by me is entirely a flashback with some a sprinkling of flashbacks in about will's brother

  • @forevermore9431
    @forevermore9431 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    I like your way of communication because you don't tell writers what to do (unlike other "advise videos"), you give them tools to decide by their own!

  • @DawnRego
    @DawnRego 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Hello, HFM!
    I just started watching your videos and I thoroughly enjoy them. Thank you for your fantastic content. 😊

  • @chazaktyler
    @chazaktyler 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Have your videos always been this good? I mean, you've been awesome in the past, but it feels like you've dialed it up. Good show sir.

  • @annajoy9359
    @annajoy9359 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    These videos are super helpful for me. Thank you for making content like this.

  • @spacecowgirl5233
    @spacecowgirl5233 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Thank you for this- I always enjoy your content

  • @ambienceandmusicstudios
    @ambienceandmusicstudios 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I appreciate these videos so much! I've been taking note and you have the most useful writing advice I've ever heard!

  • @shadowthehedgehog181
    @shadowthehedgehog181 4 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    lol This video couldn't come at a better time: I was literally writing a flashback

  • @loripeterson
    @loripeterson ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Love your videos. Each one shows your passion for all of the aspects of writing.

  • @QuanticDreamer
    @QuanticDreamer 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Thank you soooooooooooo much for this video, sensei!

  • @Meeblo
    @Meeblo 4 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    [Major Way of Kings spoilers]
    I feel like Brandon Sanderson does such a great job with the way he withholds information in one of the first chapters only to gradually lead back up to that point in flashback.
    If you read that chapter and found out Kaladin chose not to take the shardblade, you would be confused and say "Why not? Why not immediately become a rich, landed lord?". However, by withholding the information, Sanderson allows himself to reveal Kaladin's slowly growing hate for lighteyes, the true reason why he choses not to become one. It also does a great job of adding context to the scenes in the present, by showing how Kaladin lost one of his patients and doesn't want to lose any of bridge four, and other examples.

    • @EchoKnightYT
      @EchoKnightYT 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Stormlight Archives is honestly one of my favorite book series, alongside the other cosmere works.

    • @romicabhatia5519
      @romicabhatia5519 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      On point. Love that book, love Sanderson.

  • @Alex-xc5ju
    @Alex-xc5ju 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Hey! I just wanted to say that this video broke me out of writer's block. I think it’s the tone of your voice and how engaging you formulate your sentences. You made everything so easy to understand. Also, Shaelin is really fun, thanks for introducing her! I put on a playlist of your and her videos and finally got two paintings done and could take really great notes for my writing at the same time! I'm gonna go buy your book now, bye!

  • @merrittanimation7721
    @merrittanimation7721 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I've had some trouble working some character development in my writing due to some issues in revealing her backstory too soon, so this is really helpful.

  • @bartandaelus359
    @bartandaelus359 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    This was immensely helpful to me as I'm currently figuring out how to implement some backstory for some presumed dead characters.
    I really appreciate all of the work you put into videos like this to help out plebs like me.

  • @supimbob12
    @supimbob12 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Gotta tell you, as a huge fan of your channel, seeing a thumbnail with Arrival (my favorite movie) and The Last Airbender side by side is one of the most exciting moments of the week.

  • @jishnusuresh4007
    @jishnusuresh4007 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Story of ur life is the best sci fi short story I have read and I read it today

  • @benparrish672
    @benparrish672 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    You always do a great job

  • @gamermemayne1292
    @gamermemayne1292 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Future me you are an amazing TH-camr and an intelligent one so actually posts useful videos. Super glad I got to find your channel that you work so hard on.

  • @mathieuleader8601
    @mathieuleader8601 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    A Christmas Carol with the Ghost of Christmas Past gives you great insights to the inner workings of Scrooge's mind

  • @demonicbunny3po
    @demonicbunny3po 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Thank you for this. Thank you for all your videos. I am an amateur writer currently focusing on fanfic for now to practice my craft and my current work is a very experimental piece where I regularly flash back to previous events. In fact, it would be more accurate to say my story is set in flashbacks connected by a thread of the current time period. This enables me to experiment with different writing techniques in the flashbacks.
    Your advice and analyst into techniques and story telling tools is incredibly useful.

  • @autisticdancer
    @autisticdancer 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    For an example on half scene flashbacks, this happens in the first Divergent book quite a lot. The main character, Beatrice (or Tris), has a lot of moments in the book where there is a paragraph or so of a flash back to something that happened in her childhood/with her family. We get a lot of these flashbacks after Tris chooses her new faction, Dauntless, during the choosing ceremony in the inciting incident of the book. These flashbacks appear whenever Tris misses her family or links present events to events that happened in the past. We don't need a full scene to show that Tris misses her family, but these short moments do remind us of her homesickness (at least that is my interpretation of it.)

  • @TheOverArchiver
    @TheOverArchiver 4 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    I was wondering when Arrival would be mentioned.
    Also, have you read/heard of “We Have Always Lived in the Castle”?

    • @pjmeis5226
      @pjmeis5226 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Oh my gosh! Yes! What a fantastic book

  • @heitorla
    @heitorla 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Hello, Tim
    Man, your videos have been helping me A LOT. It is so cool that there are not only talented people on TH-cam, but those who can actually express their lessons so well. I know a lot of the references/people you use in your videos, but slowly, you are becoming the new reference for me. I write fiction in my free time and all your videos are priceless. Though I am sure you would like to put a price on them. LOL. Thank you for all this work and effort. Your material is invaluable to new /amateur writers. I hope to see good changes in my writing in time, and I owe a lot to you. And good luck with your upcoming book as well.
    Cheers.

  • @drana150
    @drana150 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Wow... I was subbed to you a year or two ago for your HTTYD theories, which I was enamored with at the time. I started my first really truly serious (i. e. Publish??) writing project just a few months ago and found one of your writing advice videos yesterday. Until I went through your channel, I wasn't even aware that you were the same person. So, to conclude this mini ramble, thanks for being there as I go through different stages in life and keep being awesome!

  • @Duchess_Van_Hoof
    @Duchess_Van_Hoof 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I keep forgetting to get your book. This series is very much appreciated. Even when I don't fully agree there are still interesting points and things to learn from. Good examples and bad examples alike.

  • @museofsalzburg2373
    @museofsalzburg2373 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    I think Mr. Robot, especially the currently airing season, does a fantastic job of showing just the right amount of information in its flashback, as well as not having too much of them, so that all of them add to Elliot’s character. The fact that they were payed out so specifically, and in some particular cases, vaguely, is what made the huge reveal this season possible. Mr. Robot is one of the best tv shows of the decade, and Rami more than deserves an Emmy for his work, as do the show’s writers and directors

  • @findingmomo3179
    @findingmomo3179 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    I always love your insightful explanations on writing. It gives me a better grasp of story telling and the art of fiction. I decided that I'd like to write books myself and your videos can provide me with the appropriate wisdom into making some impactful storytelling.

  • @ravena1441
    @ravena1441 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    I really like working with flashbacks. I find it fun to go back and forth between past and present (as a reader and writer). I am currently writing a story with a character who experiences panic attacks and with those panic attacks, the memories that they are trying to force into the back of their mind resurface. I also don't let too much information come through and a few of the flashbacks are repeats of themselves but with slight differences to express how many people will forget, remember and rewrite details from their experiences.
    Also love how you mentioned Arrival! I've only watched the film so far but I loved it and thought it was very well done.

  • @tracepool8944
    @tracepool8944 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Ugh I LOVE your videos, so helpful.

  • @Molimo95
    @Molimo95 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    my favorite flashback of all time is definitely the last scene at the dinner table in the godfather 2. it shows perfectly a far michael has fallen, how he ruined the family and seeing how fredo is the only one who actually congratulates him just after micheal had him killed in the present is such a gutpunch. there is no need for a godfather part 3 because michael is already dead.

  • @antoinemonks4187
    @antoinemonks4187 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Thanks Tim and Merry Christmas! 100% agree. A few months ago I removed an entire chapter of backstory from my novel and boiled it down into a memory of a few hundred words for the sake of pacing and relevancy.

  • @bensonkaufmann197
    @bensonkaufmann197 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Love the subtle desktop of arrival language, also never knew that it was an adaptation from a book; gonna give that a read

  • @zitalee2
    @zitalee2 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Im reminded of an anime that, while it was mainly a self aware action comedy, gave its villains so much backstory that they even made fun of it in-universe, but then made no attempt to fix it and even doubled down. Basically we're even shown the villains own bullies having a heel face turn in the flashbacks, which undermined the whole point of the flashbacks in the first place. It got bad 🤣 and i always think back to it when i need to be reminded what *not* to do

  • @jocelynnelson4426
    @jocelynnelson4426 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    I'm attempting to break into fantasy fiction writing myself!I've published one book on Kindle out of a trilogy that I'm currently crafting. I still intend to buy your book but I wanted you to know I so enjoy your videos and I feel like they're really helping me get a clear thought process while writing. Thank you so much for the help!

  • @DangerDurians
    @DangerDurians 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    I have honestly learned more in this video than I did in my creative writing class.

  • @josephcrane4795
    @josephcrane4795 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Riker spitting straight facts will never stop being funny to me.

  • @danielsula4720
    @danielsula4720 ปีที่แล้ว

    Absolute banger of a channel.

  • @akilw.3360
    @akilw.3360 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    I love the Beyond Belief clips so much

  • @YellowAbsolve
    @YellowAbsolve 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Yes. Exactly what I needed. Thanks, bud!

  • @12XxXHandlesAreStupidXxX123
    @12XxXHandlesAreStupidXxX123 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Your videos helped me write my best and smoothest D&D session I’ve ever run!

  • @tfpradgirl9537
    @tfpradgirl9537 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Thank you for making this video, I love writing flashbacks. Because I love seeing why are character is and their life before. And after watching this, it's helped me a bit on how to make them better. Particularly on tramatic flashbacks, and how it affects them in the present. Something I never thought of before until now.
    In my current wip, my protagonist was abused by their step mother when they were young. And those scars still affect them as an adult. So now I'm making notes on how they were abused and how that effects them later on. And incorporate that into the story.

  • @terrorcop101
    @terrorcop101 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Thanks for al your movies. Merry Christmas

  • @TicTacPilgrim
    @TicTacPilgrim 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Thanks for the video. Been editing a book for a while that I wrote that consists of flashbacks telling of how the character got where they are as the story progresses. This will help as a reference

  • @vitriolette6620
    @vitriolette6620 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    I'm honestly surprised I didn't see the Kite Runner in here. God... that book does flashbacks fantastically