What is a flashforward?
- A flashforward jumps ahead to a future moment.
- It is the opposite of a flashback.
- It can create suspense, irony, or anticipation.
- It often shows an outcome whose path the story then traces.
- Clear signaling prevents reader confusion.
A flashforward is a scene that jumps ahead to a future moment before returning to the present narrative — the opposite of a flashback. It might open a book with a dramatic future event, then circle back to show how things got there, creating suspense and anticipation as readers wait to understand the glimpse. Like flashbacks, flashforwards need clear signaling so readers track the time shift, and they work best when the future glimpse adds tension or meaning rather than spoiling it.
Chapter i·Why it matters
The flashforward is a powerful structural device for creating anticipation and dramatic irony — readers who glimpse a future outcome read the intervening story with heightened tension, wondering how it leads there. Understanding it (and its risks: confusion if poorly signaled, deflation if it gives too much away) lets writers use the technique deliberately. It is a key tool in nonlinear storytelling, alongside flashbacks, for controlling what readers know and when.
Chapter ii·What to include
- A jump ahead to a future moment.
- The contrast with a flashback.
- Suspense, irony, or anticipation created.
- A future outcome the story then traces.
- Clear signaling of the time shift.
- A glimpse that adds tension without spoiling.
Chapter iii·Example
A thriller opens with a flashforward — the protagonist standing over a body, sirens approaching — then jumps back two weeks to trace how she got there. The future glimpse hooks readers and charges every intervening scene with dread, as they watch events build toward the moment they have already seen.
Chapter iv·Related questions
WriteLoom's Plan studio keeps your timeline clear, so flashforwards build anticipation without confusing readers.
See the Plan studio