Grade 6 · Writing · Lesson 13

Experiment with time: flashback, foreshadow

Time in a story does not have to move in a straight line. Skilled writers bend time — reaching back into the past with a flashback or leaning forward into the future with foreshadowing. These techniques deepen character, build suspense, and create emotional resonance that a simple chronological narrative cannot achieve.

What this lesson teaches

1Identify flashback and foreshadowing as deliberate time-manipulation techniques
2Explain how flashback reveals past events that shape character or plot
3Explain how foreshadowing creates anticipation and prepares the reader for future events
4Write a scene that uses flashback or foreshadowing to shift the narrative timeline intentionally

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