Using Foreshadowing
How can effective foreshadowing create a thrilling experience for your reader?
🍂 Foreshadowing is the technique of weaving in clues, directly or indirectly, of what will happen in your story. These clues signal to the reader that there’s a storm on the horizon.
Good foreshadowing sparks questions and makes your readers worry for your characters, keeping them glued to the page.
🍂 Effective foreshadowing:
▪️ Fuels suspense for your reader, so they need to know what happens next
▪️ Layers in clues, so plot twists are not bizarre accidents the reader has no way of predicting
▪️ Does not reveal so much of the ending that the reader figures it all out long before the protagonist
It’s a fine line to walk: to show hints of what is to come but not reveal all. Luckily, there are several different ways to sprinkle in clues.
🍁 Foreshadowing character arc: The reader is shown seeds of what a character is capable of, good or bad.
▪️ You can use mirrored, contrasting scenes (where in the beginning, the protagonist reacts like THIS, at the end, the protagonist reacts like THIS)
▪️ You can use a mirrored action, smaller in scope, to predict a larger action in the climax. (Ex: The “mercy killing” of Candy’s dog in Of Mice and Men predicts the choice that must be made about Lennie later.)
▪️ You can “preview” a terrible fate that is possible in your world through another character’s demise
🍁 Foreshadowing plot: The reader is clued in to what events will unfold.
▪️ You can use lines of dialogue that the protagonist either doesn’t heed or doesn’t know how to interpret. (Ex: “I don’t want them to change me in there. Turn me into some kind of monster I’m not.” –Peeta, The Hunger Games)
▪️ You can use setting descriptions, such as using the weather, to create atmosphere (Ex: “The leaves fell early that year.” -A Farewell to Arms)
▪️ You can use character reactions: if another character knows something the protagonist doesn’t know and is worried…now the reader is worried.
The right balance will feel especially satisfying to your reader, as they watch pieces fall into place in the climax–as if the great reveal was always there, but they were just short of seeing the whole picture until now.
🍂 While not every event needs to be foreshadowed, neither is it a good idea to have every twist of plot and character come as a surprise. Going back through your manuscript a second time to layer in foreshadowing hints can be a great way to increase suspense for your reader and prepare them (even subconsciously) for where the story will go.
Tip: Foreshadowing is a great thing to have betas/editors check for! You know your story so well, it can be hard to tell if the clues work.
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