Literary Technique: Flashback

Since this technique is such an important element in Water Signs, particularly in terms of creating intrigue, I decided to devote an entire post to its discussion. Given that readers know the ending of the story the moment they read the Prologue, I had to employ every possible literary tool at my disposal to build suspense and maintain a good pace throughout the novel. I've noted most of them previously, but wanted to delve into the flashback technique in greater detail, since the entire work of fiction is, in essence, a series of smaller flashbacks within the context of one big 16-year flashback.

Part One begins in 1992, with Southeastern Pennsylvania and South Jersey (i.e. Greater Philadelphia area) as the setting. The Prologue, set in Deerfield Beach in 2008 at St. Ambrose Catholic Church (a place where I regularly attend Mass), has just alerted readers to the significance of the nuptials about to take place between Ken Lockheart and Madeline Rose, "by the grace and mercy of God" and "at the end of a long, arduous and oftentimes broken road." Considering I've now piqued their interest in the long journey leading to this momentous occasion for my two main characters, I next had to focus on crafting an interesting, page-turning tale worthy of the intrigue generated from the outset.

Of course, as I've noted before, it helps that so much of Water Signs is based on real life, proving the maxim "write what you know". And in spite of a well-meaning editor/friend's advice, I declined to change the geographic locations of the story from Southeastern Pennsylvania to Illinois, and from South Florida to Southern California, for this very reason (along with a few others). I didn't have to agonize over describing unfamiliar locations, or researching the local culture and traditions of unknown parts of the country, and then trying to infuse them into the makeup of my characters.

I know what constitutes a Philly girl versus a suburban Philly girl versus a Boca Babe, and a South Jersey guy versus a South Florida guy. I feel passionate about Philly sports, food, culture and history. I've spent countless summers at the Jersey Shore in my childhood, adolescence and young adulthood. I've lived in South Florida most of my adult life. Therefore, immortalizing these characters and settings was effortless. And the result is an authentic work of fiction that simultaneously uplifts, instructs and and occasionally tugs at the heartstrings.

However, I still had to make many necessary adjustments and/or embellishments to certain plot points because -- let's face it -- sometimes actual events do not quite have the same dramatic oomph required for compelling fiction. Case in point: the night Maddy and Ken peruse his old US Navy photo albums while hanging out at his house (Chapters 4 and 5). While this is a true-to-life occurrence, it took place in "Ken's" living room, while we were both seated on the couch in broad daylight, not in his bedroom in the late-evening, as is the case in Water Signs. I changed the locale from living room to bedroom and time period from afternoon to the almost wee-hours of the morning, to increase the sexual tension between the characters, as well as to test Ken's ability to respect his new love's clearly articulated boundaries, and in turn, her willingness to trust in his sincerity.

This incident is also a great example of the flashback technique, as although the scene begins in Chapter 4 and continues into Chapter 5, it's not until later in Chapter 5, when Madeline is cruising along the highways of suburban Philly conducting sales calls for her job that we learn the full extent of what transpired during the previous night's intimate moments. Prompted by the song, Just Another Day, she reminisces back to Ken's recounting of his broken engagement, complete with raw emotional betrayal and visceral heartbreak. This gives readers another insight into Ken's history, and his motivation in wanting to marry and settle down with his true love. It also offers a window into Maddy's soul and the extent to which her lingering insecurities -- exacerbated by a previous relationship -- will cause problems in her nascent romance with Ken.

Much later in Chapter 31, an older, wiser and recently reunited couple are cruising down Camino Real on the way to Ken's parents' home in the Royal Oak Hills section of Boca Raton, Maddy embarks upon a silent remembrance celebrating the history of her family. This provides readers yet another new insight into her character and conveniently (for the author) lays the groundwork for future prequels featuring the entire Rose clan.

Look for the strategic use of flashback throughout the novel.

Literary Techniques Used In Water Signs

As someone who believes good fiction should engage the reader to the point where he or she loses all concept of space and time, it was important to me that my book have the same all-consuming effect. Thus, I used several different techniques to create a "mental vacation" for the reader and underscore the points I was trying to make through plot and characters.

So here they are, in no particular order:

1. Italics - A significant factor in Madeline's personal development is learning how to effectively confront people and circumstances when warranted. Throughout most of the novel, this is a daunting challenge for her. To denote this element of her personality and allow readers a window into her real thoughts and motivations, I employed italics. One of the most dramatic examples occurs in Chapter 19, when Ken forthrightly asks her how the news of his engagement makes her feel. Unlike Ken, readers get the truthful answer, immediately followed by her articulation of a lie she deems honorable and necessary under the circumstances:

How the hell do you think I feel Kenny? You were the one calling and crying on the phone for nearly two years about how much you loved me and missed me; the one who practically begged me to move here in the first place; and the one who kept your live-in girlfriend a secret until there was no turning back! How the hell do you think I feel after uprooting my entire life, hurting my family and having to face the consequences of a misinformed decision alone? How could you deceive me like that? Is this some sort of payback for hurting you?

“Hey, I think it’s great!” she replied brightly. “Congratulations! I’ve been dating a lot myself since I got here. Believe me; I have my own things going on!”

Look for this technique throughout the novel.

2. Music - Water Signs spans sixteen years in the lives of its two main characters -- 1992-2008. In order to help readers identify with the changing time period throughout the story, and relate more deeply to Ken and Madeline's world, particular songs and artists are mentioned. Some of these were chosen specifically for their relevance to real life, while others either fit the narrative at a particular juncture perfectly, or reflect the characters' Philly-area roots.

For example, in Chapter One, Ken and Maddy's first slow dance takes place to Elton John's The One, which debuted during the summer of 1992 and immediately became one of my favorites.

In Chapter Three, as the two characters are driving to Atlantic City -- site of their first official date -- in Ken's black Acura (another detail taken from real life), Maddy asks him to stop switching the radio dials when Jon Secada's Just Another Day starts blaring through the speakers. That's also a page (no pun intended!) out of real life, with the song being a 1992 hit with both the characters and their living, breathing counterparts.

In Chapter 23, Madeline performs her own unique rendition of the song, On My Own, from Les Miserables, for her dance studio's local production. As I've mentioned before, singing beautifully and powerfully was something I've always wished I could do, but alas was not in God's plan for me. Thus I took some creative license as an author and infused the character based on me with that very talent. I chose this particular song for two reasons: 1.) to dramatically underscore the melancholy circumstances of Madeline's life at this point in the book; and 2.) to pay homage to my very favorite Broadway show. However, like Madeline I am also a ballroom dancer, and I did participate in a Fred Astaire showcase in Boca Raton, as part of a group tango!

In Chapter 30, The Spinners' Then Came You, not only retells the love story between the two main characters, but also recalls their native metropolitan Philadelphia origins.

3. Sports - In Water Signs as in real life, professional sports play a significant role. When crafting the novel, I endeavored to recreate the culture of the Philadelphia/South Jersey area (site of Part One) and South Florida (site of Part Two) via the incorporation of real-life sporting events. Much of this occurs as a remembrance uttered by a character over a breakfast or dinner conversation, such as when Maddy relates her experience as a young teenager at the 1980 World Series when the Phillies beat the Kansas City Royals, and at the 1981 NFC Championship Game when her beloved Eagles beat the Dallas Cowboys, 20-7. Both are examples of art imitating life, as is Dr. Rose's passionate devotion to the Phillies.

4. Food - As part of bringing regional culture and tradition to both a new and familiar audience, much of the activity in Water Signs revolves around popular foods and delicacies. Maddy and Ken's beach picnic, for example, features provolone cheese from South Philly, homemade Italian wedding cookies and "tomato pie" (a special pizza-like creation first introduced to the area by a South Philly bakery in the 1900s).

Humorous Side Note: When I spoke at the Hawthorne Writers Group last fall in North Jersey (about 20 miles from Manhattan), I thought it would be fun to bring wedding cookies (baked by yours truly) and tomato pie. Although I knew the latter was mainly found in South Jersey, I'd assumed it had finally made its way north, for the simple fact that it is absolutely scrumptious. After several fruitless calls to North Jersey bakeries and pizza shops, I realized the Philly-area delicacy was nowhere to be found anywhere north of Trenton. So I ordered it from a local suburban place near my parents' home and transported it by car. Thankfully, it survived the 2 1/2 hour trek unscathed (and uneaten). :)

5. Technology - One of the most enjoyable aspects of tracing the progression from 1992 to 2008 was referencing the various technology used by my characters. When the story opens, "car phones" are the latest rage, as evidenced by an excited Lori happily showing off the one that came with her brand-new Pontiac Bonneville (an actual event borrowed from reality) to her younger sister and her new beau. As the plot progresses, Madeline notes the heretofore unknown and excessive use of cell phones and pagers in South Florida (circa 1995). By the time we arrive near the end of the first decade of the new millennium, she is employed as a content manager for a company that specializes in online marketing for the hospitality industry, a fictional career based on the fact that I did indeed work as a content writer for a Boca Raton-based company, creating e-proposals for major hotel chains.

6. Juxtaposition - Water Signs is about the journey, not the destination. Therefore, readers know the ending from the moment they read the prologue, demanding a compelling narrative on the part of the author to keep them turning the pages. In addition to the other methods mentioned, the use of juxtaposition was a great help in building suspense, beginning in Chapter One. It opens with Madeline and Carmen crossing the Walt Whitman bridge, before speeding down the Atlantic City Expressway, their conversation informing readers of their backgrounds, motivations and plans for the evening ahead. Before long, the chapter shifts to a back-and-forth narrative that alternates between the girls' arrival at the club to Kenny's reluctant preparation in front of the mirror for a night of drinking and dancing (which also serves as his initial introduction to readers). This technique continues throughout the novel, with most chapters picking right up where the previous one left off.

7. Branding -- Another method through which the culture and traditions of Philly, South Jersey and South Florida come alive for readers is branding. In Part One, I make several references to familiar retail chains and brands throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania and the Jersey Shore, including Wawa convenience stores; Tastykake commercial baked goods; water ice (known to the rest of the country as flavored Italian ices); soft pretzles; Herr's potato chips; and Turkey Hill ice cream.

In Part Two, Maddy gets stood up by Mark Donnelly, who was supposed to take her to SunFest (an incident straight out of real life, SunFest being an annual event held in West Palm Beach). Several chapters later, Maddy and Ken reunite over lunch at the Samba Room, a popular restaurant chain in South Florida.

Side Note: I did once work in downtown Fort Lauderdale, where I also shared a few lunches with former co-workers at this particular Samba Room location, thus the inspiration for using it as the setting for Madeline and Ken's long-awaited meeting.

8. Water Imagery - Aside from obviously paying homage to the book's title, the use of water imagery also evokes a dream-like quality within the narrative, and supports the interwoven concepts of renewal and reconciliation. On a basic level, the coastal locations of the story, the characters' shared Pisces sign and Ken's US Navy service contribute to Water Signs' "escapist" quality, conjuring up images of beach-inspired beauty, majestic ocean waves, colorful fish swimming beneath the sea's surface and American heroes serving their country on awe-inspiring aircraft carriers.

But on a much deeper level, water is a symbol of rebirth in traditional religious customs and spiritual practices. It is also a symbol of the emotions, which play a significant role in character development, particularly for Maddy. She suffers for years with panic and anxiety disorder -- a gross distortion of the emotions that negatively impacts the physical body -- without actually knowing what it is -- until she reads the packaging for the medication prescribed by her doctor. Prior to her unusual cure by a psychic, the only time she finds relief from her sometimes frightening symptoms is when she's immersed in water, whether swimming in a pool, riding a wave in the ocean or standing under the pulsating refreshment of a hot shower.

Ken, although not a co-sufferer with this affliction, often heads to the beach or to the Deerfield Beach Fishing Pier when life seems overwhelming. In Part Two, when rocked by Maddy's unexpected arrival in Florida -- blissfully unaware of his engagement to another woman -- the pier is his destination of choice when he seeks his mother's counsel in person.

Side Note: When I first moved to Florida, I'd often go to this pier for my own consolation, which is why it is also the setting for Maddy's date with Mark (another fact turned into fiction). Today, I still visit there frequently, as this section of Deerfield also boasts plenty of retail and mom-and-pop stores and restaurants, as well as a beautiful, two-mile sidewalk along the beach.

More to come in another post!