Narrative Techniques Series: #6 Flashforward
In our Narrative Techniques Series, we already talk about the Flashback narrative technique. Today it is the turn of the Flashforward narrative technique.
Flashback and flashforward are two narrative techniques that concern the timing of the narrative.
In particular, Flashback allows us to jump into the past during the course of a story. On the other hand, Flashforward is the opposite.
Let’s see it together in detail.
What is the Narrative Technique of Flashforward?
This Narrative Technique of Flashforward, also called prolepsis, shows a scene that temporarily jumps the narrative forward in time.
Flashforwards often represent events expected, projected, or imagined to occur in the future. They may also reveal significant parts of the story that have not yet occurred, but soon will in greater detail.
In a narrative text, it is a scene that interrupts the chronological sequence of facts. The main purpose is to anticipate events that belong to the continuation of the story. This technique allows a leap in time and gives more rhythm to the story, creating suspense and high expectations.
It is important to think that this narrative technique should always help in the construction of the plot of the narrative. If you use this technique taken out of the story and out of context, you risk confusing the reader or the viewer.
Flashforward: some examples of use in literature and cinema
In both literature and film, this technique is used very often. This technique occurs in A Christmas Carol when Mr. Scrooge visits the ghost of the future.
In the Back to the Future saga the director Robert Zemeckis plays a lot with this narrative technique, especially in the second chapter of the trilogy, where Marty McFly finds himself projected into the then distant 2015.
It is also frequent in the later seasons of the television series Lost. Think about the series This is us where already in the first episodes we know that something has happened to the dad of the three main characters.
Introduce the Flashforward technique in your story with the innovative bibisco’s novel writing software
As anticipated, the flashforward technique also plays a lot with the narrative time. However, in order not to confuse the reader or detach him too much from the story, it is useful to follow a logical thread.
Bibisco and its writing and planning software can help you with this.
Use its advanced functions, like the Timeline, to figure out which narrative fabric to give to the story.
Conclusions about the narrative technique of FlashForward
The use of certain narrative techniques, such as flashforward, allows the reader to anticipate facts, events, and situations that capture his or her attention and encourage him or her to continue reading.
It is that surprising element that often manages to make many viewers fall in love with a film, or readers of a book.
If you want to know more about the management of time in the novel, take a look also at the previous posts of the Narratives Techniques Series about Flashback and Backstory.
