Flashbacks

In my opinion, whenever you feel the need to add a flashback to your story, whether it's to explain a reason why a character doesn't like the colour red or why they hate white chocolate so much, ask yourself one question. "Do you need it?"

Yes?

Okay, so you feel you need the flashback and you've written an awesome 'past' scene that is to die for. But how long is it? Too long and your readers may feel bored by the side plot. What does all of this have to do with the plot? Where are the characters? Why should the reader car about what happened to the characters when they were four or ten years old?

Whenever I need to add a flashback I always try to make it really short, a couple of lines or just one paragraph. Or I make it an entire chapter as a sort of time-skip within the actual story line or to lump up all of the past experiences that have led up to this point.

If you make your flashback three paragraphs long in the middle of an action scene, you've done something wrong. Your character is busy fighting off the bad guy and they have enough time to reminisce about everything that led up to that point? No. They'd be busy fighting.

There's no rule or law set in stone about where flashbacks can or should appear. But there are times when it can make your story or break it.

If you feel you need to add a flashback ask yourself these questions:

1) Does your story need it or will it hold without the flashback?
2) Is it really necessary? Does it add or take away from the story?
3) What is it for? What is the purpose of the flashback?
4) Too long? Too short?
5) Wrong spot?

If you feel like you can't find the right spot or you're having trouble putting it anywhere, mess around. Move it from the start of the chapter to the middle and see how that affects it. Wait until the character is home until they remember said flashback. Does it work as a paragraph on its own? No? Yes?

Experiment and see what you think.