So what were all saying is that once again it comes down to the needs of the story. Gee...funny how so very much a writing works that way. Why yes, I am a sleep-deprived smart ass, does it show that much? Hell, at least I'm not telling. Where's my bed? I'm were-confused. All this talk about werewolves, werecats, wereelephants and werewombats, but not a single wereconfused in the bunch. And what about the TW's? Ya know the transwerecatwolves. They deserve respect too. Did I ever mention that I have a WIP that includes a whole world of weres? The main two are a wereunicorn and a werepegasus. Yeah, it's fantasy, but it's fun. Which would make it funtasy. And all of that is really freaking funny to me right now.

My weregophers are annoyed at you for ignoring them, Cup. They've decided to move your entire lawn to the neighbor's.

My husband and I have been discussing this, and it seems as though it is a matter of opinion (after reading y'all). I think for some stories it is very necessary, b/c the main character is dealing with a bunch of crap that is best shown thru the flashbacks. Sometimes it works great for emotional impact, as with what Marguerite said. I read a lot of Koontz, King, and John Saul, and they use the flashback very effectively, sometimes throughout a story :) Again, I think a lot of this comes down to what a person likes.

Oooh quickie: In response to Cup, what happens to italics in a Palm reader? My vision is bad so I prefer my computer screen set on 800 res, so everything is large with no problems on italics.

Most of the time when I see flashbacks, I see an artistic choice that isn't necessarily the best choice for the story, which is why I mentioned rewrite the story with proper chronology. If a writer is up to doing out of sequence chapters well (and I mean well in terms of good story progression), then fine. But if not, then I don't recommend using flashbacks.

I have yet to find a writer or erotica or romance that I recall doing a good job using a extended or repeated flashback or non-linear structure, which is not to say they don't exist or even that I haven't read them--but none spring to mind. A few that do it badly do come to mind but I won't be undiplomatic enough to name them.

LOL, Em. No, I have yet to see extensive flashbacks done well in erotica, not without massive editing fixes at least. And sometimes these stories end up getting revised to become linear anyhow. Most of them read much nicer in linear chronology. Hi, Cadence. I don't read Koontz or Saul and I haven't read all that much of Stephen King. Last book of King's I enjoyed (and also the first book I read of his) happened to be The Shining. I read that many many years ago and only recall that I enjoyed it. I don't recall the writing style or whether it had flashbacks. I may have read one other book of his, about a pie and a guy getting skinnier, and that was it for me and King. Anyhow, if you really want to do a series of flashbacks in a story, I recommend a "time stamp", such as the date at the top of the chapter. A simple asterisk break isn't always enough to keep the reader focused.

Hi Gals :) I have yet to read erotica that moves thru time, so, I have not seen it done, badly or otherwise. KM, John Saul writes a lot of supernatural tales involving children or teenagers. Lots of flashbacks, and lots of unhappy dead people wreaking havoc on the living. I prefer Saul over Koontz, b/c Koontz went from scary stories to mysteries, which I don't like. The Stephen King story you're thinking of is "Thinner". That one was okay, but nowhere near "The Shining," "Pet Sematary," and "Misery". I've never been able to get my nerve up and embark on the over-1000 pages of "it". I was asking about the flashbacks for something I am writing that probably will not be an erotic story. I just wanted to pump you guys for your knowhow anyway, b/c you have more experience than I :)