How to Foreshadow In Fiction Like a Boss
In this article, we will define foreshadowing, explore the different types with examples from popular novels and films, and discuss techniques you can use to foreshadow effectively in your fiction writing.
One of the best feelings as a reader is that “aha!” moment. You know, the “Oh, so that’s how it ties together,” “That’s why so and so did XYZ,” and “I thought that might be where this was going.”
And then, of course, the cherry on top is the surprise twist at the end of a novel that you didn’t see coming because the author skillfully had you looking in the wrong direction. But you could have discovered the truth if you’d ignored the misdirection.
How do we craft stories that impart these feelings to our readers?
Answer: Foreshadowing.
What is Foreshadowing?
Foreshadowing is a micro-element of story that provides the reader with a hint about what might happen in the future by creating an intellectual and emotional reaction in the reader. It can be obvious or subtle, and usually, books contain a bit of both types.
Clever foreshadowing will heighten a reader’s curiosity and anticipation of what is to come. It helps to build suspense and tension, making payoffs to story questions more rewarding. It prevents the dreaded “deus ex machina,” where your reader feels cheated because you cheated and gave your characters an easy out to the story problem via an unexpected or unlikely occurrence. This is where the hand of god saves the day or the aliens (who weren’t in the book) suddenly land, wipe out the threat, and spare the protagonist.
There’s nothing worse than closing a book and saying to yourself, “Well, that ending was convenient.”
What Foreshadowing Isn’t
Foreshadowing is not foretelling. It’s not meant to be a spoiler, nor is it misdirection such as red herrings (clues intentionally planted to distract the reader from the truth), and it is not a flash forward where the reader is taken to a future time outside the story present.
The Two Types of Foreshadowing
You can break foreshadowing down into two main categories: Direct and Indirect.
Direct Foreshadowing
Direct foreshadowing is when the author points your attention to something in the novel that openly suggests a plot problem or twist. They are saying look at this and pay attention because it matters.
Indirect Foreshadowing
Indirect foreshadowing uses subtle hints or symbolism to suggest an outcome. Often, readers won’t catch these hints at first. Their meaning will become clear when the foreshadowed events happen.
Examples of Foreshadowing in Well-Known Stories (Sorry, incoming spoilers here!)
Direct Foreshadowing
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
The title is an example of direct foreshadowing. We know there will be a murder, and we know where it will happen, but the question we’re reading to answer is who did it.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
The prophecy that “Neither can live while the other survives” overtly states that Harry will need to kill Voldermort to live. So we know what must happen and read on to experience how it will happen.
Indirect Foreshadowing
The Godfather (Film)
Oranges are used throughout the series as motifs (a recurrent idea, image, or symbol that amplifies the theme of a literary work), as omens of death or impending violence.
This is an example of indirect foreshadowing through symbolism.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Example 1:
Chapter 1
“She’s about as safe as you can get, since she’s only entered once.” pg. 15
Katniss’s belief that her sister Prim is relatively safe from the reaping because her name has only been entered for tesserae once, vs. Katniss, whose name has been entered twenty times, sets us up for the big emotional impact of Prim being chosen as tribute. Remember, foreshadowing is designed to help build up the emotional impact of a reveal or payoff to a story question. In this case, the story question in the play was, “Who will be chosen as tribute?”
This is an example of subtle or indirect foreshadowing.
Example 2:
A tribute by the name of Foxface dies after stealing the berries Peeta had gathered, not knowing they were deadly (pg. 319). Later, Katniss and Peeta threaten to use the berries to commit suicide rather than fight to the death to win the Hunger Games (pg. 344).
An example of subtle foreshadowing, but it is powerful, right? Their stand against The Capitol would not have been as strong had Katniss conveniently pulled those berries out of her pouch and said, “Hey, I’ve got an idea. I’ve been saving these the whole time. My dad said they kill you before they hit your stomach.” Yeah, not happening to our main character. It was much better to see someone else die long before from eating those berries!
Mixing Direct and Indirect Foreshadowing
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
There are SO MANY moments of foreshadowing in chapter one alone–many through dialogue!
Here are just a few:
Professor McGonagall predicts that Harry will be famous and that they’ll write books about him one day. This is an example of direct foreshadowing through character dialogue.
McGonagall’s apprehension about trusting Hagrid with Harry, and Dumbledore’s saying he’d trust Hagrid with his life, indirectly foreshadows Hagrid becoming one of Harry’s strongest allies. Also, the fact that Hagrid deposits him on the doorstep indirectly foreshadows that he will be the one to collect Harry some ten years later.
McGonagall notes Harry’s scar and asks Dumbledore if he can remove it. Dumbledore then says, “Scars come in handy…”. This indirectly foreshadows how Harry’s scar becomes a warning system of sorts.
Techniques for Effective Foreshadowing
For indirect foreshadowing, plant the clues early, so they feel natural and not forced, but not so far from the reveal or twist that the reader has completely forgotten them. Foreshadowing is only effective if it enhances the emotional impact of the plot twist or reveal.
Dialogue is a goldmine for foreshadowing. Characters can drop hints in their conversations or engage in ominous discussions, as we saw in the exchange between Professor McGonagall and Albus Dumbledore. This is a prime example of how dialogue can be used to foreshadow events in your story.
Use your setting or atmosphere and tone. For example, exploring an abandoned, dilapidated house early in the novel could foreshadow the place where the tragic showdown will occur.
Remember, it’s okay to give away the outcome for direct foreshadowing: Harry will be famous, there will be a murder on the Orient Express, the House of Usher will Fall, and the star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet will take their lives because it’s HOW the outcome will occur that holds the story question and the reader’s interest. Plus, it stirs up dramatic irony, where we have more information than the characters do about what is going to happen to them, and we will read on to see how they handle it.
Do vary direct and indirect foreshadowing in your book. If it’s all direct, it can be too obvious, and if it’s all indirect, it can be too ambiguous, to the point that the emotional impact is imperceptible.
When to Worry About Foreshadowing
There are two times a writer should be consciously thinking about how they are foreshadowing: planning stages and revision.
If you are a planner, consider how to plant some hints to increase the emotional impact of your big plot twists and turns. Have fun with it, but don’t overthink it.
If you are a pantser—go forth and trust your instincts. In either case, you’ll be surprised by how much you naturally foreshadow outcomes. Just remember not to let things be too convenient, and if you see they are in your first draft, don’t worry; you’ll fix it in revision.
Revision is the place where you can amplify and nuance your foreshadowing. Look at your major plot events and ask how you can prime your readers for those big moments. How can you make them more emotionally impactful or awful for your characters? Think, how can I make it worse? How can I make it even worse than that? What about bittersweet?
How to Know if Your Foreshadowing is Working
Use beta readers or critique partners after you’ve finished a self-edit and specifically ask them about their emotional experience for each turning point in the book. Were they surprised, and did they feel invested in the character’s journey? Did they have those “aha!” moments that connect the dots, and why did this happen? Did they see it coming in retrospect?
If not, then you may need to add more foreshadowing. If they weren’t surprised at all or what happened had no emotional impact, then you may want to pull back on the foreshadowing or make what’s there less obvious.
The Magic Happens in Revision
Here’s a comforting fact to chew on—remember the first chapter of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone—the one with all the delicious direct and indirect foreshadowing I pointed out. Rowling rewrote that chapter more than a dozen times in revision.
Today, the opening line reads, Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. But the original opening line was this: The Potter family lived in Drake’s Hollow. Rowling is quoted saying the current version of chapter one holds no semblance to its original; in fact, Drake’s Hollow doesn’t exist. We know it as Godric’s Hollow.
The End is Near!
Foreshadowing, whether direct or indirect, is not just about planting seeds for future events but about enhancing the emotional impact your plot twists and revelations will have on your reader.
Whether you’re using direct or indirect foreshadowing, remember that it’s all about striking that balance—too much, and it’s obvious; too little, and it’s missed.
As you dive into revisions, think about how you can fine-tune those clues to make your big reveals even more impactful.
Foreshadowing is a craft that gets better with practice—so keep experimenting, keep revising, and most importantly, remember books are made in layers and iterations. Take the pressure off and have fun with it. Just get the story down as best you can then go back and make it stronger.
Keep practicing, analyzing, and learning!
What are some of your favorite foreshadowing moments in books or films?
