Flashback
A scene that interrupts the present action to depict events from the past.
A flashback shifts the timeline backward to show earlier events that explain the present. Writers use it to reveal motivation, backstory, or causes of conflict without lengthy summary. Well-placed flashbacks deepen understanding while keeping the main narrative moving.
Example
Faulkner moves through flashbacks to Emily’s father, her suitor, and the smell complaint, assembling her past out of chronological order.
A Rose for Emily · William Faulkner
See it in action
Analyses on StoryBites that use flashback: