You’ve probably noticed that a lot of books and stories out there (including my own) use things like flashbacks and dreams throughout the narrative. Especially when it comes to fantasy, these sorts of things help a lot in building the overall story. However, sometimes, flashbacks and dreams are misused or are overused in a way that breaks the story’s flow and immersion. However, they are also some very helpful tools. So, in today’s post, we’ll be going through how to use flashbacks and dreams effectively in fantasy stories and how to ensure that they are done in a way that pushes the narrative forward, not backwards.
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Why Should You Include Flashbacks and Dreams?
There are honestly a lot of reasons why flashbacks and dreams are so helpful in fantasy stories. In fantasy, the world is typically rich and full of layers of complexity with histories and many different groups all converging into one story. Characters also typically start with some type of backstory that isn’t necessarily immediately relayed to the reader, which allows for prime flashback space.
Flashbacks allow you as a writer to explore the history and backstories of characters and places without needing to just outright explain things in real time to your readers. On top of this, dream sequences are really important because dreams let you reveal information in a vague way or convey things that will happen as a sort of foreshadowing tool.
Both of these devices help to build a reality to the world. The reader will probably feel more connected knowing beyond the main story or they may feel more intrigued to see what will happen if information is being conveyed in a certain way that is vague and thus provides lots of room for interpretation or speculation.
Tips on Writing Flashbacks in Fantasy Stories
One of the biggest things to remember when it comes to flashbacks is the way you integrate said flashback into the majority of the story. Flashbacks should not feel like forced interruptions or unnecessary moments. They need to serve the narrative and they need to fit into the scene where they have been written.
A flashback should have a clear purpose, such as revealing new information, revealing past traumas, important backstory elements or something similar. For instance, in my series, The Fallen Age Saga, flashbacks are often ways that you find out the reality of certain situations. Since I use the unreliable narrator trope, sometimes having the flashbacks serves to either confirm or deny something that you may think is already fact.
Flashbacks can be written as entire chapters or they could occur as a result of something that triggers the flashback. For instance, in Book 2 of my series, Joel Vandernord has a flashback when he sees something that reminds him of an experience he had a few years prior as a mercenary.
However, you shouldn’t overdo the flashback thing. Flashbacks are effective when they are tied to emotional moments or explain significant events that occurred in the story. If you include far too many flashbacks, then you’ll find that readers may start to think it’s cheap or not really worth reading.
I did read a trilogy called The Broken Empire by Mark Lawrence and his books were actually structured between flashback chapters and present day chapters, which I thought was really unique and fun to read but it served his story well and it made sense in the long run when everything comes together at the end.
Tips on Writing Dreams in Fantasy
Dreams are an interesting concept both in fiction and in real life. They tap into the human subconscious, so dreams are an open landscape to reveal anything from fears to desires to hidden knowledge and more. Dreams are often utilized in symbolic styles in fantasy stories, revealing prophecies, or showcasing the truth behind certain things occurring behind the scenes in the story.
When crafting dreams, you want to try and keep things vague but with enough context that a reader can eventually draw connections between reality and the dreamscape. Dreams can depict motifs, or recurring symbols that help to connect elements in the story together in an interesting fashion.
Additionally, you can use dreams to somehow simulate/explore the ideas of inner conflict in a character. I’ve talked about inner conflict in another post before, but this is a great way to really portray conflict in a story because internal conflict (person vs self) is something that builds a ton of character depth.
Similar to flashbacks though, you don’t want to overdo dream sequences. Unless this is something that is literally integral to your story (i.e., your story involves people who dabble in dreams or something), then you don’t want to interject dreams into every chapter. This will feel like it’s just too much for your readers.
Do You Need Both in Fantasy?
No, you don’t really need to include both in a fantasy story. Realistically, you can include one or the other or even none at all. The idea is that whatever you choose to include is something that you feel fits, belongs, and makes sense in the overall context of the story.
Flashbacks tend to be great if you’ve started at a point in a character’s life where there is a lot of mystery and intrigue behind them. Maybe you’ve got a lone wolf character, and so there isn’t much that’s known about them, but flashbacks reveal a bit about why they became the way that they are today.
Dreams are really unique and can be a lot of fun in fantasy, especially if there is a magic system that is tied to dreaming and the world of dreams. Dreams can also be used to help convey information or really have some mystical purpose in the story. I really like dream sequences and I feel like they have a great impact on the reader in showing them who the character really is deep in the depths of their own mind.
Conclusion
Flashbacks and dreams can be really helpful tools in writing to add depth and emotional stakes into a story. The idea of including them can add more to the overall narrative, add more development for characters, and more. In my opinion, including at least one isn’t a bad idea. Now, if it’s something that you feel needs to happen more often in your story, then go ahead and do that. However, you don’t need to include them constantly and multiple times in the story if you feel they will detract from your narrative.
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