So you are writing your book, or thinking about it. You feel like there may be something missing? Your outline not quite lining up? Not sure how to tie things together? How can you link point A to B?
As always you can watch the video version of this article here:
Think back to any good book you have read or TV show/movie that you have watched. You remember those little “aha” moments? The ones that seemed to stitch the story together and remembering after reading (or watching) a big plot point, or even the climax, “Oh damn, it was right there the whole time!”
Yeah, me to. This is the power of foreshadowing!
You remember those little “aha” moments? The ones that seemed to stitch the story together and remembering after reading (or watching) a big plot point, or even the climax, “Oh damn, it was right there the whole time!”
So what the hell is foreshadowing? Foreshadowing is a literary device that writers utilize as a means to indicate or hint at what will come later. These are hints to the answers of all the questions you are presenting to the reader. Foreshadowing can be subtle, like storm clouds on the horizon suggesting that danger is coming, or more direct, such as Romeo and Juliet talking about wanting to die rather than live without each other.
Of course the other side of the coin, sometimes authors use false clues to mislead a reader. These are called “red herrings,” but we will talk red herrings in another blog post.
So why is foreshadowing important?
Foreshadowing adds dramatic tension to a story by building anticipation about what might happen next. Authors use foreshadowing to create suspense or to convey information that helps readers understand what may come later. The key here is the anticipation, which build tension around those nagging questions you’ve presented to the reader, and promised to answer later. Bottom line, use it!
What are types of foreshadowing?
- Direct: when an outcome or answer is directly hinted at. It gives readers a piece of information, prompting them to want more (The reader will likely know its a hint).
- Indirect: when an outcome is indirectly hinted at or indicted. A subtle nod to a future event, but is typically only apparent to readers after that outcome or event has occurred (the ah-ha moment’s).
Direct Example From Game Of Thrones:
- The now famous House Stark words “Winter Is Coming” in Game of Thrones. We didn’t know exactly what that meant but it directly told us that something was on its way, whether an actual harsh winter or demon ice zombies.
- Ramsey Bolton saying:
“If you think this has a happy ending, you haven’t been paying attention.”
Indirect example from Star Wars:
Consider this line spoken by Obi-Wan Kenobi to Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars episode II:
“Why do I get the feeling, you will be the death of me?”
Obviously in episode 4 “A New Hope”, Anakin kills Obiwan.
So how do we foreshadow?
Here are 6 foreshadowing techniques with examples!
- Pre scene – A scene that mimics a later plot event by mimicking what happens on a much smaller scale. Example: Stranger Things season 1: The kids are playing a game of dungeons and dragons, they have to fight a monster called a demigorgon in the game. This parallels the full story of actually fighting a creature from the upside down that they call a demigorgon.
- Irregular description – giving ID to something sets it apart, clueing the reader that something bigger will come from it. Example: Game of Thrones: The hounds scar.
“He had lowered the visor on his helm. It was fashioned in the likeness of a snarling black hound, fearsome to behold, but Tyrion had always thought it a great improvement over Clegane’s hideously burned face.”
That’s just one example, but every time in the early chapters he is mentioned, so are his burn scars. It not only stands out in his physical description, but its mentioned quite a few times. This is saying it will come into play, at the very least why is he burned. Of course we learned that he fears fire because of it. We learn the backstory of his brother doing it, and that he wants revenge on his brother, The Mountain. This all foreshadows that he will learn to embrace the fire.
- Chekhov’s gun – Named from Pavlovich Chekhov, he noted:
“If in act 1 you have a gun on the wall, then it must fire in the last act.”
Typically this is an object but can be anything that comes back in the story. Chekhov’s guns are important because it creates satisfying payoffs in resolving conflict as opposed to something out of left field that the reader has no understanding of, like an unexplained magic system or technology.
Example from Game of thrones. Arya’s dire wolf Nymeria is run off by her to save her life. Later on we learn that there is a massive wolfpack roaming the Riverland’s. The show failed at this, but in the books it seems that this gun will be fired and we will see Nymeria again. Even George RR Martin said this:
“You know, I don’t like to give things away, but you don’t hang a giant wolf pack on the wall unless you intend to use it.”
- Symbolism – More subtle clues that use objects to represent future events. Another example from Game of Thrones. (Apparently this is a theme in this post). Book 1 or episode 1 we see a dead stag and then the dead dire wolf that killed each there. This is clearly symbolism for the upcoming conflict between House Stark (their sigil is the dire wolf) and House Baratheon whos sigil is the stag.
- Prophecy – Foretelling’s, dreams, etc. Here the author is kind of of overtly telling readers what will happen. But of course these can be literal, metaphorical, or straight up bullshit!
Yet another example form GOT:
The prince that was promised is the big one. Who is this person who will wake dragons from stone, or pull forth the flaming sword called light bringer to save the world? Or is it all bullshit? The prophecy fits multiple characters, in some ways literally like Dany hatching dragons again from stone. This also fits Jon figuratively the flaming sword just means a Valyrian steel sword, his being longclaw. Either way it keep the reader on the edge of their proverbial seat trying to figure it out.
- Simple phraseology – Hidden clues right in the text (one of my favorites).
Yet another GOT example :
“Sometimes she felt as if her heart had turned to stone.”
Catelyn later becomes Lady Stoneheart.
Maybe one more GOT example?
Hodor!
“Hodor!” Hodor agreed happily. He ducked to get his great shaggy head under the door. Hodor was nearly seven feet tall. It was hard to believe that he was the same blood as Old Nan.”
“The door opened with a bang, and Bran’s heart leapt up into his mouth in sudden fear, but it was only Maester Luwin, with Hodor looming in the stairway behind him.”
Both examples are from early Bran chapters, what do they (and a lot of others) have in common? They all mention doors! Of course later on (in the show) we learn the origin of “Hodor” was “hold the door”. A young Willis had a seizure-like episode in the past while Bran was warging present Hodor. He could “hear” Meera Reed yelling “hold the door” as they tried to escape. Young Willis (in the past) then started to repeat “hold the door” over and over until it was shortened to “hodor” while it destroyed his mind. So sad…
So there are the basics! Foreshadowing shows the reader an idea of the tension they can expect and binds the story together. It guides the readers experience. A story feels more cohesive when a reader tries to anticipate what could happen. Not to mention, this is one of he most fun and satisfying aspects of writing!
What is your favorite method?
Whichever it is, keep writing!
~Chris
