Using flashbacks and time jumps in creative writing.

[cjrig]

In my trial exam I got 12/15 for my creative writing because I need to "develop my character and choice of language" which is what i'm currently working on. I recently gave the same creative to a different teacher a few days ago and she gave it a 9/15 because I "used time jumps and flashbacks which is ineffective for creative writing."

Due to this comment I'm unsure on whether to use time jumps and flashbacks for my HSC exam. Is using time jumps and flashbacks going to bring my mark down in the HSC?

[jakesilove]

In my trial exam I got 12/15 for my creative writing because I need to "develop my character and choice of language" which is what i'm currently working on. I recently gave the same creative to my a different teacher a few days ago and she gave it a 9/15 because I "used time jumps and flashbacks which is ineffective for creative writing."

Due to this comment I'm unsure on whether to use time jumps and flashbacks for my HSC exam. Is using time jumps and flashbacks going to bring my mark down in the HSC?

I can only give you advice based on personal experience; I often used flash backs, time jumps etc. although only briefly, and I was never told it was problematic. If it is necessary to the plot, if it develops your characters, and if it isn't too cheesy ('For a moment, James was back in 'Nam' etc.) then I don't think you should run into any problems with HSC markers!

[isaacdelatorre]

On the topic of flashbacks, I used one in my trial but the marker did not know it was a flash back and said it was confusing and lacked cohesion. How do I make it obvious that it is a flashback besides indenting the paragraph and changing the tense??

[cjrig]

I can only give you advice based on personal experience; I often used flash backs, time jumps etc. although only briefly, and I was never told it was problematic. If it is necessary to the plot, if it develops your characters, and if it isn't too cheesy ('For a moment, James was back in 'Nam' etc.) then I don't think you should run into any problems with HSC markers!

Okay thanks! For my creative writing the two flashbacks I use is necessary, as it shows how my character got to the situation that they are in (in the present).

[jakesilove]

On the topic of flashbacks, I used one in my trial but the marker did not know it was a flash back and said it was confusing and lacked cohesion. How do I make it obvious that it is a flashback besides indenting the paragraph and changing the tense??

Hey! I used stars to signify that something weird had happened, and then just made it clear in my text that it was a flash back. ie. I would do something like

*******************************

Cjrig, I think that sounds totally fine

[vincentso69]

Hey! I used stars to signify that something weird had happened, and then just made it clear in my text that it was a flash back. ie. I would do something like

*******************************

Cjrig, I think that sounds totally fine

I used this as a practice creative and my teacher thought i was squiggling random lines haha

[sudodds]

I don't know whether this will work in your situation, but when I transition into a flashback I always finish the sentence before with an ellipses and try to italicize my writing. I use the star thing as well

If you can, maybe put a date at the beginning of the flashback? That would make it clearer, but I don't know whether that fits with your work, or would ruin the flow of it.

Hope this helps!

[Ayyddaan]

I used this as a practice creative and my teacher thought i was squiggling random lines haha

When you do the 'stars' just make asterisks and make them spaced out

*      *      *

I usually just use three to show a shift in time; recommended by my teacher who was an HSC marker back in her days