There are several ways to begin a story and any good primary school composition guidebook worth its salt would talk about them. Some of the techniques are:
1. Describing the setting
2. Direct speech aka dialogue
3. Climax
4. Characterisation
5. Unique action
6. Flashback
Today, we are going to talk a little about the last technique - the flashback. A story begun with a flashback starts off in the present (hence, the tense used in the beginning should be the present tense) and then travels back in time to the past (now the tense is changed to the past tense) where the main action takes place.
The thing to watch out for when using the flashback is that in the conclusion, the story needs to return to the present before ending off. We cannot leave the story dangling in the past.
So when using a flashback to start a story, remember to return to the present (and present tense) at the end.
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Advanced Composition
1. The beautiful scenery zoomed past in a blur.
2. apologetically
3. insufficient time
4. stubbornly refused to oblige
5. When it had gained sufficient momentum, its nose tilted upwards and it lifted into the air.
6. Debris hurtled in all directions as the burning wreckage crashed back
7. miasma
8. transfixed
Intermediate Composition
1. A delighted smile lit up her face.
2. A frown wrinkled her forehead.
3. anxiously
4. Without twitching an eyelid, Betty hid the wallet behind her back and denied having seen it.
5. spanking new
6. surprised
7. withdrew her privileges
8. dishonest
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