Flashbacks can be extraordinarily powerful storytelling devices. But they’re also dangerous territory for young writers. For this reason, many screenwriting gurus insist on rigid rules that scare young writers away from using flashbacks at all.

While that will definitely keep you out of trouble, it probably won’t bring out your best writing either. So if flashbacks are calling you, there’s nothing wrong with dancing with the devil in your writing. Just make sure you understand him first.

Here are the top three reasons why flashbacks can be dangerous for young writers:

1: Movies move! And a lot faster than you think.

Generally, when movies are working, they’re hurtling forward at a breakneck pace, propelling your character on the most powerful journey of his or her life in a mere 100 pages. Flashbacks can stop this forward motion and reverse the momentum of your story, driving your character’s journey backwards when you want it to be moving forwards. Imagine if you were driving your car at 100 miles per hour, and suddenly slammed it into reverse. That’s exactly the effect that a poorly executed flashback has on a screenplay-killing the transmission just when things were finally starting to get moving.

2: Exposition Is Boring

Nine times out of ten, flashbacks exist in a movie purely to explain stuff to the audience. We call this stuff exposition, and it absolutely kills drama. No matter how exciting the content of your flashback may seem, if it exists only to explain stuff to the audience, it’s probably not going to have the effect you intendedAudiences come to movies to watch drama-a character pursuing something they desperately want in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles-not to find out information about stuff that happened a long time ago. Watching a movie filled with expository flashbacks is the equivalent of having an annoying friend whispering in your ear the whole time, explaining why things are happening, instead of just letting you experience the character’s journey.

3: If You’re Focused On The Audience, You’re Not Focused On The Character.

Even more dangerous than the problems flashbacks can pose for your audience is the confusion they can create for you as a writer. » Read more: Screenwriting Tips: Flashbacks