FLASHBACK

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD THOUGHT BACK TO WHAT HER MOTHER TOLD HER. “DON’T TALK TO ANY STRANGERS AND
WATCH OUT FOR THE WOLF IN THE WOODS!” BUT IT WAS TOO LATE, SHE HAD ALREADY LISTENED TO THE WOLF’S
DIRECTIONS

A MAN IS ABOUT TO GIVE A SPEECH TO A LARGE AUDIENCE ON BIOLOGY. SUDDENLY, HE

REMEMBERS PLAYING WITH FROGS AND TOADS IN HIS BACKYARD AS A CURIOUS CHILD. HE SMILES
AT THE MEMORY, AND THEN BEGINS TO SPEAK TO THE AUDIENCE ABOUT A NEW,
GROUNDBREAKING FINDING ABOUT FROGS.

A WOMAN IS ABOUT TO GET MARRIED. AS SHE PUTS ON HER VEIL, SHE REMEMBERS HER FIANCÉ
THREE YEARS BEFORE, SWEARING HE WOULD MAKE HER HIS WIFE SOMEDAY. A TEAR COMES TO
HER EYE AND SHE PREPARES TO WALK DOWN THE AISLE.

A SUPERHERO IS STRUGGLING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE HIS  NEMESIS WOULD KEEP A HOSTAGE.

SUDDENLY, HE REMEMBERS HIS NEMESIS SAYING “DARK THINGS HAPPEN IN DARK ALLEYS.” HE
HURRIES TOWARDS A HIDDEN ALLEYWAY.

THE MOON SLIPS FROM ITS CEREMENT, AND MY SON, ALREADY DISAPPEARING INTO

A MAN, MOVES TOWARD HIS BED FOR THE NIGHT, WRAPPED IN A TOWEL

OF LAKE SCENT.

BELIEVING IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE BACK THE FIELD IN ITS FLOWERING, MY FRIEND HAS
BROUGHT ME HERE, HAS GIVEN ME AN OPEN WINDOW, THE PRELUDES, AN
ECHO OF MY SON’S LAUGHTER ON THE RUMPLED LAKE.
GO WHEREVER YOU CAN BUT KEEP RETURNING TO THE PRESENT.

BLAKE MEETS SARAH AT A BOOKSTORE. UPON SEEING HER, HE IS LAUNCHED INTO A CHILDHOOD
MEMORY OF A SIMILAR GIRL, A CHILDHOOD CRUSH, WITH BRUNETTE HAIR AND BLUE EYES.

CAN OCCUR AS A SUDDEN THOUGHT SEQUENCE, A HAZY DREAM, OR A VIVID MEMORY. IT CAN BE
ANNOUNCED OR UNANNOUNCED IN THE LINE OF NARRATIVE.

THE BACKFIRING OF THE BUS SENT THE OLDER MAN SPIRALING BACK TO HIS YOUTH. HE COULD HEAR THE GUNS
FIRING AND HIS COMRADES SHOUTING. ADRENALINE RUSHED THROUGH HIM, TAKING HIS BREATH. LEANING
AGAINST THE SIGN FOR THE BUS STOP, HE COVERED HIS EARS TRYING TO STAUNCH THE FLOW OF MEMORIES.

BELLA WAS PRETTY SLEUTHY WHEN IT CAME TO FIGURING OUT EDWARD WAS A VAMPIRE IN TWILIGHT. HOWEVER,
THIS MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT FLASHBACKS. BELLA CONNECTS ALL HER ODD MOMENTS WITH
EDWARD THROUGH A FLASHBACK OF JACOB AND HER ON THE BEACH TALKING ABOUT THE COLD ONES. IT HELPS
THE READER TO PUT ALL THE PIECES TOGETHER AND GIVE CONTEXT TO THE MOMENT.

IN MEDIAS RES

IT’S USED AS A LITERARY TERM TO EXPLAIN WHEN A STORY OR SCENE STARTS WITH A CHARACTER IN
THE MIDDLE OF THE ACTION.

DIVE INTO A CRUCIAL PART OF THE ACTION THAT IS PART OF AN IMPORTANT CHAIN OF EVENTS. 
 IT LEADS TO THE CREATION OF SUSPENSE AND TENSION. 

FORESHADOWING

 IN THE LORD OF THE RINGS, BILBO’S PITY IS FORESHADOWED: FRODO:

"WHAT A PITY THAT BILBO DID NOT STAB THAT VILE CREATURE WHEN HE
HAD A CHANCE!" GANDALF: "MANY THAT LIVE DESERVE DEATH. AND SOME
THAT DIE DESERVE LIFE. CAN YOU GIVE IT TO THEM? THEN DO NOT BE TOO
EAGER TO DEAL OUT DEATH IN JUDGMENT. FOR EVEN THE VERY WISE
CANNOT SEE ALL ENDS."
 IN JAWS, TWO CHARACTERS TALK ABOUT THE FACT THAT SCUBA
TANKS ARE COMBUSTIBLE: "YEAH, THAT'S REAL FINE EXPENSIVE GEAR
YOU BROUGHT OUT HERE, MR. HOOPER." SNEERS QUINT. "COURSE, I
DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT BASTARD SHARK'S GONNA DO WITH IT.
MIGHT EAT IT I SUPPOSE." THIS FORESHADOWS THE SHARK BITING
THE TANK.
 IS A LITERARY DEVICE USED TO GIVE AN INDICATION OR HINT OF WHAT IS TO
COME LATER IN THE STORY. 

A PROFESSIONALLY DRESSED WOMAN HURRIEDLY LEAVES THE HOUSE, SLAMMING THE FRONT
DOOR. SHE FRANTICALLY SEARCHES FOR HER KEYS IN THE BOTTOM OF A GIANT PURSE WHILE
BALANCING A BRIEFCASE UNDER HER OTHER ARM. SHE FINDS HER KEYS, GETS IN THE CAR AND
BEGINS BACKING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY, AND THEN SLAMS ON THE BRAKES. “I FEEL LIKE I’M
FORGETTING SOMETHING,” SHE SAYS. SHE SHRUGS AND DRIVES AWAY.

A PIPE IS GOING TO BURST, BUT BEFORE IT DOES, THE AUTHOR WRITES A SCENE WHERE THE FAMILY
NOTICES A SMALL DARK SPOT ON THE CEILING, BUT IGNORES IT..

 A CHARACTER IN A STORY COMMENTS ON THE WEATHER, AND SAYS, "I THINK A STORM IS COMING."
THIS CAN SIGNIFY A PHYSICAL STORM OR A METAPHORICAL STORM THAT IS COMING IN THE STORY.

TUT MAN, ONE FIRE BURNS OUT ANOTHER’S BURNING.

ONE PAIN IS LESSENED BY ANOTHER’S ANGUISH.
TURN GIDDY, AND BE HELPED BY BACKWARD TURNING.
ONE DESPERATE GRIEF CURES WITH ANOTHER’S LANGUISH.
TAKE THOU SOME NEW INFECTION TO THY EYE,
AND THE RANK POISON OF THE OLD WILL DIE.

AND THIS I BELIEVE: THAT THE FREE, EXPLORING MIND OF THE INDIVIDUAL HUMAN IS THE MOST
VALUABLE THING IN THE WORLD. AND THIS I WOULD FIGHT FOR: THE FREEDOM OF THE MIND TO
TAKE ANY DIRECTION IT WISHES, UNDIRECTED.

I WANTED YOU TO SEE WHAT REAL COURAGE IS, INSTEAD OF GETTING THE IDEA THAT COURAGE IS
A MAN WITH A GUN IN HIS HAND. IT’S WHEN YOU KNOW YOU’RE LICKED BEFORE YOU BEGIN, BUT
YOU BEGIN ANYWAY AND SEE IT THROUGH NO MATTER WHAT.
ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WAS A LITTLE GIRL WHO LIVED WITH HER MOTHER. HER MOTHER ASKED HER TO TAKE
HER OLD AND LONELY GRANDMOTHER SOME FOOD ONE DAY. "DON'T STOP ALONG THE WAY. GO STRAIGHT TO YOUR
GRANDMA'S HOUSE AND BACK. DON'T TALK TO ANY STRANGERS AND WATCH OUT FOR THE WOLF IN THE WOODS!
NOW GET ALONG!"