: Re: When and how to reveal the details of a protagonist's traumatic backstory I'm writing a screenplay. The main character has suffered a major tragedy, but we don't know that yet. This, of course,

@Holmes449

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You can hint at the tragedy early on, as a flashback or memory, without revealing the full extent of it.

I don't know your story so this may be an inaccurate example, but you should get the idea and adapt it to your actual story.

Opening: A man is driving his car, he tries to take a sip of his coffee from a paper cup with a plastic lid. The lid pops off, he spills hot Latte on himself, reacts, trying to put the cup back in the cup-holder. He hears a very loud horn, then looks up -- then sits bolt upright in bed, at night, with a look of terror on his face, sweating and breathing hard.

End of scene, cut to same man walking in daylight. Five seconds, and the audience knows something horrible happened to him, it still haunts him, he may have some disability as a result. They should sympathize.

This can be an entirely visual scene without a word of dialogue. The crash doesn't have to take place. If you can find some fitting song or news on the radio, fine.

In most accidents (and I've had my share), there is a moment of realization that you are screwed and there is nothing you can do about it. Show that moment of psychological trauma, without the subsequent consequences, literally as a nightmare. It will only take a few seconds, it can be very powerful and recognizable to people, and it won't eat up seconds you can use for your story. (It may not occupy any real estate at all, since you have less to reveal later). Reveal the consequences later.

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