Fabulous Foreshadowing

Foreshadowing.

It’s one of those words, isn’t it? It gets bandied around the writing community, and it features heavily in writing guides. It’s something we, as authors, are supposed to do in our books to such an extent that it makes an impact but so subtly that the reader doesn’t notice until the end and all the pieces fall into place. That’s a big ask, right? In a way, yes, but it’s really not as daunting as it seems to be.

What exactly is foreshadowing?

Foreshadowing is a literary device used to hint at something that’s going to come later in the story. When done affectively, foreshadowing is so subtle that the reader doesn’t realise what it is or they’ve forgotten it until it all comes together. It’s those hints and clues that give the reader a chance to work out what’s going to happen and that – hopefully – give them that aha moment at the eventual revelation. It’s there to help build suspense, tension, drama, curiosity, even a sense of unease – and they’re all things that make a novel great, aren’t they?

It’s all a mystery…

Obviously, it’s a technique used often in mystery novels. Who could imagine Agatha Christie without the glaring red herrings or the tiny drip drip of detail that seem so innocuous until the end? But foreshadowing can and should be used effectively in all storytelling. After all, it’s part of the set up to the big reveals, isn’t it? Of course it should be too obvious, but if there’s no foreshadowing at all, readers are often left feeling tricked and confused, the revelation coming out of the blue with no roots at all in the tale.

But I hate spoilers!

There’s a big difference between foreshadowing and spoilers. You’re not telling your readers everything – it’s not a flash forward where we see what’s going to happen. Similarly, it’s not a red herring or false clue. It’s a tiny hint towards the ending without revealing all, and it can be used throughout your book and for different reveals. There are lots of ways you can add foreshadowing to your narrative, and they can be direct or indirect.

Direct Foreshadowing

As the name suggests, this type of foreshadowing gives an explicit clue. It’s a straight forward suggestion about what is going to happen. Direct foreshadowing can be used in a number of different ways:

• When a character says something like, “Little did I know…” they are literally telling us what is going to happen.
• In titles such as Murder on the Orient Express, it’s pretty obvious there’s going to be a murder!
• In prophecies where the reader gets to see what’s going to happen. It might seem counterintuitive, but it will keep the readers on edge as they find out how it happens.
• A prologue is similar to a prophecy though less obvious. They’re somehow different to the rest of the narrative and can come in the form of a flashback, a flash forward, an otherworldly setting, or something completely different.
• Name or place dropping, such as I’m going to see the boss today leaves the reader curious about who the boss is and why your MC is going to see them. It signifies to the reader that this person or place is important.
• A pre-scene that mirrors your big reveal works as a hint of what’s to come, though normally on a much smaller scale. Think of when Carlson has to shoot his dog in Of Mice and Men.

Indirect Foreshadowing

It stands to reason that if there’s direct foreshadowing, there will be indirect too. It’s much more subtle, a mere nod to future events. Like these sorts of foreshadowing:

• When your characters say something subtle like, “You’ll be the death of me.” They’re not literal and they may not be obvious, but they all add to that aha moment.
• Pathetic fallacy has the weather mirroring the mood. It’s not often we see a tragic novel full of sunshine and rainbows – think of the literal storm that brews while the events of the novel are building.
• Subtle symbolism includes things like a dove for peace or a snake for slipperiness. Think of character names too – Dr. Rearchild, the paediatrician, or Brian Noble, the honest man.
• Having an object appear, like Chekhov’s famous gun or a character slipping a knife into their bag, implies something’s going to happen with that object. Chekhov said that if something like a gun comes into play in a story but nothing comes of it, readers are left without the pay-off they’re expecting and it’ll ultimately leave them disappointed.
• Metaphor and simile work when comparing one thing to another. Her wit was like the sharp edge of a knife.

Tips for adding foreshadowing to your own writing

• Plan it out! When you create your outline (and you know how much I love an outline), don’t forget to include where you’re going to drop your hints and clues, as well as where you’re going to make your big revelations.
• Plant your seeds earlier rather than later. The closer to the event that you include your foreshadowing, the more like a spoiler it becomes – in other words, your reader is more likely to guess. Give your reader time to forget the clue. You don’t want it to be too fresh in their minds but likewise, you don’t want it to disappear completely. Timing can be the difference between your reader saying well that was obvious or having that elusive aha! moment.
• Use foreshadowing moderately. Too much and it’ll get boring.
• At the same time, don’t ignore it. Without foreshadowing, there’s nothing to hint at what’s to come and your readers will feel bored or tricked by the conclusion. You don’t want them to guess what’s coming, but you want them to realise that they could have guessed if they’d paid closer attention.
• Make it relevant. There’s no point foreshadowing if it’s not relevant to your plot or worse – your big reveal. Red herrings are a little different – though they don’t directly relate to your reveal, they do keep your reader guessing. They are the ‘could be’ and as such are still relevant.
• Remember what you’re trying to do: build curiosity, suspense, anticipation, and drama.
• Ask other people for another pair of eyes – what is obvious to you might not be clear to others.