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1->''“There is no future. There is no past. Do you see? Time is simultaneous, an intricately structured jewel that humans insist on viewing one edge at a time, when the whole design is visible in every facet.”''
2-->-- '''Dr. Manhattan''', ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}''
3
4''The choice and sequencing of events to depict, especially nonlinear storytelling. For events that actually'' happen ''in a nonlinear order, see TimeTravel. For time periods, see HollywoodHistory. For depictions of various times of day in fiction, see TwentyFourHourTropeClock.''
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6[[index]]
7* '''{{Flashback}}''' (main trope): A break in the story to remember a character's past vividly.
8* AnachronicOrder: Scenes, episodes, or installments are deliberately presented out of chronological order.
9* AndThatLittleGirlWasMe: A character recounts a story about a seemingly irrelevant person before revealing the story is about themself.
10* BackToFront: The story is told backwards, from end to beginning.
11* CallForward: The flashback sequence alludes to events that the audience knows eventually happened.
12* DashedPlotLine: Time periods larger than one year where nothing interesting happens are skipped to preserve TheLawOfConservationOfDetail.
13* DeathByFlashback: Revealing a character's backstory is a good indication that they are about to die.
14* DecadeThemedFilter: A flashback from a different decade is filtered in the manner of the camera technology of the time.
15* DelayedNarratorIntroduction: The narrator is only introduced partway through their own story.
16* DistantFinale: The ending takes place significantly in the future.
17* DistantPrologue: The introduction takes place significantly in the past.
18* FabulaAndSujet: Distinction between the chronological order of the story's events (Fabula) and the order in which we see the scenes (Sujet).
19* FastForwardToReunion: The main plot resolves with characters going separate ways, the ending skips to the future when they eventually reunite.
20* FlashbackBackBack: Flashback is preceded by an echoey sound effect.
21* FlashbackBPlot: A linear secondary story is told through flashbacks alongside the main story, both involving the same character(s).
22* FlashbackCut: A very brief flashback (usually lasts a few seconds) in the middle of a scene
23* FlashbackEcho: Events in the present are quickly followed by flashbacks to similar events in the past.
24* FlashbackEffects: Visual and audio effects used to indicate a flashback.
25* FlashbackMontageRealization: A character's realization is shown with a montage of previous scenes and lines of dialogue.
26* FlashbackNightmare: A character dreams of a traumatic past event.
27* FlashbackStares: A character stares into the distance while remembering a past event.
28* FlashbackToCatchphrase: A flashback reveals the origin of a character's catchphrase.
29* FlashbackTwist: A flashback is used and subverts the audience's expectations.
30* FlashbackWithTheOtherDarrin: A flashback to a previously shot scene with [[TheOtherDarrin a new actor]].
31* FlashbackWithinAFlashback: A flashback occurs inside another flashback.
32* FlashForward: A break in the story to show a future plot development ahead of time.
33* {{Futureshadowing}}: We see the aftermath of an event before seeing the event itself.
34* HappyFlashback: A flashback to a happy(er) time in a character's life.
35** HappierHomeMovie
36* HilariousInFlashback: Events in a flashback turn out to be funny because the audience knows the present state of things.
37* HowDadMetMom: A flashback to how the parents of a character met for the first time.
38* HowWeGotHere: The story starts in its climax and quickly is followed by a retelling of the events that led to it (a form of InMediasRes).
39* InMediasRes: The story doesn't start at the beginning; it's either in the middle or at the end.
40* InstantMysteryJustDeleteScene: A scene is skipped so the viewer doesn't know what happened there for the sake of mystery and suspense.
41* {{Interquel}}: A work takes place in the middle of a previously-published work (or in between two).
42* InterrogationFlashback: The story is told via a character being pumped for information.
43* MonochromePast: Past events depicted in black and white, sepia tone, or muted colors.
44* NecroCam: A FlashbackMontageRealization about how a character died.
45* NestedStory: Stories within stories within stories...
46* NotTheFirstVictim: A predator had victims before the apparent "first" victim.
47* OffstageWaitingRoom: Some characters do important things for the plot while others wait for them to finish their own adventure (do nothing).
48* OnceMoreWithClarity: We see a scene and it seems to mean one thing; after several plot developments, we see the same scene, and this time it means something completely different
49* PensieveFlashback: A character physically observes a flashback.
50* POVSequel: A story retold from another character's perspective.
51* RashomonStyle: Several characters narrate a past event, but each version is different.
52* RetrauxFlashback: A flashback is presented with an appropriate ArtShift.
53* RewatchBonus: Now that the work is over, we'll find a new meaning in those little strange details if we watch it again.
54* SeamlessScenery: Different scenes transition into each other as if they're still in one location or linear sequence; characters can literally walk into the next scene.
55* SequencingDeception: The work implies that two scenes happen simultaneously or one after the other, but the true order is completely different than we thought.
56* StartsWithTheirFuneral: A story begins with a character's funeral and flashbacks to show [[HowWeGotHere how they got there]].
57* StylisticCallback: A work references stylistic changes since prior works in the same series.
58* SuspiciouslySpecificSermon: Religious service is oddly plot relevant.
59* TakeUpMySword: TheHeroDies and must be replaced.
60* ThirdPersonFlashback: A person remembering a past event will see everything from a third-person perspective instead of through their own eyes (first person).
61* TimeSkip: A good chunk of time is skipped between two plot developments or installments.
62* TroubledBackstoryFlashback: Flashback showing the moment a character's life goes downhill.
63* ViewersAreGoldfish: The creators think we can't remember past plot developments, so they will remind us constantly.
64* WhenItAllBegan: A past event that is responsible for the current plot.
65* WholeEpisodeFlashback: The entire episode is a {{Flashback}} to a past storyline.
66[[/index]]

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