Reap the Benefits of Foreshadowing: Fascinated Readers

“I was sitting in a taxi, wondering if I had overdressed for the evening, when I looked out the window and saw Mom rooting through a Dumpster.”

This is the first line in Jeannette Walls’ magnificent memoir, The Glass Castle. Talk about inviting the reader to keep going!

While this is a great opener, this sentence does more than grab our attention: it’s setting us up for the story to follow. We are all curious: Why is Mom in the Dumpster? Is this a frequent occurrence? What is the relationship like between the narrator and her mother? How did the daughter end up in a taxi worrying about being overdressed?

This one sentence does a great job of making us curious about what happens next and anticipating certain reveals, by foreshadowing the details of the story to come.

Foreshadowing, or the Setup/Payoff

Screenwriters have a great way to talk about this literary device: they call it the Setup/Payoff. As the name suggests, you want to create/set up a certain expectation, foreboding, or curiosity, and then deliver on it—in either an expected or unexpected way.

Like swans, the two halves of this arrangement mate for life. They do NOT do well without their partners.

If your beta readers are giving you a “huh?” reaction to certain events or details, it’s possible that you’ve dropped the ball on the setup/payoff. I see these halves missing quite frequently. Most of the time, payoffs suddenly show up without any foreshadowing. If your readers indicate something is dropping in out of the blue, that’s your clue.

Setups that never deliver also exist, but not every reader will be able to pinpoint them all. The unpaid setups are like a vague mental itch…a promise unfulfilled.

Walls is setting us up for a payoff down the road. If she never revisits this image or behavior, we would be sorely disappointed.

Foreshadowing Creates Anticipation and Tension…
But Don’t Overdo It

Foreshadowing creates anticipation (as with The Glass Castle), and also can be used to set up tension. Characters may be oblivious about the significance of certain details, but you can make your readers pay attention, and therefore wonder how the consequences will all play out. Writers of all genres should consider using foreshadowing in their work.

I think of this technique as “planting the seed”—what reactions are you hoping to generate in your reader?

The more curious they are about what happens next, the more you will keep them reading.

There is a fine art to foreshadowing, and one is knowing how much to use it. Too much of a good thing isn’t great either (I’m thinking about you, cotton candy, lure of my childhood). If your book is only a series of “hey look at me, I’m a clue!” moments, that’s exhausting. And surprises can be good, too.

Tips for Using Foreshadowing

1. Foreshadowing usually works best in second or later drafts. Some of the gifted among us can start scattering clues the first time through, but it’s hard.
2. Plant the seed early, so it can grow. A setup that’s paid off immediately has less impact than one that your readers get to think about over a longer period of time.
3. Be cool. Subtlety pays off…you respect your reader by letting them figure it out for themselves, and they get more out of the book.
4. Think about where you can use foreshadowing and where you want the element of surprise. You can also generate surprise by paying off a previous setup in an unanticipated way.
5. Remember, the Setup and the Payoff need to go together—don’t leave loose ends.

Bottom Line

Good foreshadowing is story muscle—it holds everything together and moves the action forward. Keep your readers reading by using the setup/payoff structure well.

== ==

Stuck on the first draft? Want a deep dive into your book challenges and opportunities (including foreshadowing)?  A brainstorming session could be for you.

Subscribe to the monthly newsletter & receive instant access to How to Find an Editor: a Resource for Independent and Self-Publishing Writers, plus all blogs delivered straight to your inbox, plus any upcoming local events and indie publishing tidbits I share.