Some people have said that the best way to display backstory, or flashback as it is commonly called, is not to write it at all. Instead, maneuver this sort of set-up material into the beginning of the story as a natural chronology of the narrative. But for the purpose of this article we are assuming that backstory is critical to a particular text, so here are several methods for presenting it from a visual perspective. Among the options are: within parentheses, via italics, or as an aside by way of a “remembrance.”

Parentheses Never Seem to Make the Right Impact

I have long espoused that the parentheses should never be used in fiction, and I still believe this. First and foremost, a parentheses, by its very nature, is an aside to indicate something of lesser significance, and therefore would seem to contraindicate the need for backstory. Simply, if this aspect of the narrative is so important, as stated earlier, write it into the normal sequence of events. Now this last remark is a stretch, but if backstory is deemed necessary, why relegate it to second-class status as a parenthetical expression? Plus, from a purely pedestrian view, when a long run of backstory ends with a parenthesis, isn’t it irritating to be “told” via the closed parenthetical mark that what was just read had not happened in real time?

Long Italics can be Annoying

I once wrote an entire story in italics, as have other novelists. A couple of other authors’ works have been successful, but they are few and far between. Most people find that more than a few pages of italics will grate on the brain. And I’ve even found that italics beyond a couple of paragraphs can be too much. I look at this like reading stream-of-consciousness writing. Unless parked under Faulkner, Joyce, or Woolfe, a little bit goes a long way.

Offering a “Remembrance” for the Reader seems to Work Best

Backstory for me seems to work best when the character begins with a short muse and then a full scene follows. This can be anything from a couple of sentences to a long chapter. Either way, something with this sort of set up: John looked across the barren field at the rusted chassis of the old Chevy truck, now seeming like it had died while planted up to its rims in the hard ground, and remembered the first time Mary came into his life on a comparable cold Kansas afternoon in late November, ten years earlier. “Hey,” a voice called from over his shoulder. He turned and saw a woman….

No One Size Fits All, but a Particular Style seems to Work Best

I’d create something such as what is in the preceding paragraph–in the three ways I’ve described–and see how each of these set up with what is written before and after it. Maybe the dreaded parentheses is the answer, or a half page of italics will do the trick. But if more than a few paragraphs of text is required, I’d seriously consider a “musing” and closing this with the end of the chapter, or at least an extra space to begin a new scene within the chapter.

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