One of the most frequent questions I get from students is about transitioning into and out of memory or "flashback" or narrative backstory. Given that most of our consciousness is memory (who we are, who we're married to, how we got here, what we're supposed to be doing today), you'd think it would be an easier proposition to approach memory on the page. And it is easy! I promise!
But we tend to overthink things, and either mimic unhelpful film techniques or neglect memory altogether or present it in unwieldy chunks. Let's talk about how to avoid these pitfalls, how to represent memory accurately, and how not to write yourself into a flashback corner.
REBECCA MAKKAI is the author of the New York Times bestselling novel I Have Some Questions for You as well as four other works of fiction. Her last novel, The Great Believers, was a finalist for both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award and was the winner of the ALA Carnegie Medal and the LA Times Book Prize among other honors. A 2022 Guggenheim Fellow, Rebecca teaches graduate fiction writing at Middlebury College, Northwestern University, and UNR Tahoe, and serves as Artistic Director of StoryStudio Chicago.
