Flashbacks and Headhopping in Writing (part 5)

There are circumstances where head hopping can really work well, but there are a few things to keep in mind if you choose to do it. Sometimes a scenario doesn't involve conversation between characters, yet it is crucial for the audience to know what the characters are thinking. Head hopping can help develop characters beyond the limits of dialogue, description, and action. However, head hopping can be confusing to an audience—especially if done frequently--so each character should have a distinct voice, with a way of thinking and speaking that sets them apart from other characters clearly enough that the audience quickly knows who that character is. One common complaint about this technique is that when characters are separated, jumping between therm disrupts the linear flow of the story's timeline. This can still work if you leave off from one character with a cliffhanger, then start the next character with strong intrigue. This creates a sense of longing for that storyline to return, but also an eagerness to move forward with the new character to find out what is happening in that timeline. Whatever writing techniques you choose, always be sure that you have a solid story and interesting characters first. Carefully consider using flashbacks and head hopping only after you've done proper development work.