Ice's writing tips

Foreshadowing 101

Okay so this is something every writer should have in their story. Now there are things I want to cover in this topic as no one really gives clear ways on how to foreshadow. So here we go.

Foreshadowing is basically a fore telling of something that is to happen in the book, good or bad. It could be something little or something huge. I like to think of Foreshadowing as an Omen. It tells of something that is suttle and not clear but your readers need to fester over that idea.

Now as a writer, our goal is to confuse and make our reader’s jaws drop down to the ground in an 'omg I can't believe I saw that coming and didn't recognize it'. Now one key thing is to NOT overdo it. Leave one or two hints of foreshadow if it’s something bad let’s say or else your readers will figure it out before half way through the story. Now what I’m doing with my novel I’m in the process of having edited for actual publishing, I’ve taken a foreshadow of a characters death. This one character keeps going on and on about how they 'might not be around anymore' which foreshadows their death right? Wrong. I have my audience think that, that character will die at the end of the book but I change it around where it actually foreshadows another characters death that the readers couldn't believe that they didn't see that coming for that one character as they were focused on the one that was talking about his/her own death that they didn't pay attention to the character who was supposed to actually die. See? Now I do have full copyright of my novel right now (I went to court and everything) so don't even think about using this idea as I will find you. I am using this as an example to show you how to foreshadow good.

So, when we think of foreshadow, we think that we have to be dramatic and have a freaking god like being come down and give some foretelling of something. You can use this but I prefer the suttle foreshadow where it’s there but the readers skip over it. It’s like small WARNING signs that the readers just ignore because they are slightly covered in vines, but you know they’re there but ignore them. Tricking readers with foreshadow is fun and such a joy when people don't see the signs. These lead up to plot twists but I will go over that later.

Now a foreshadow doesn't always have to be someone saying/warning of someone of something. It can be an animal omen. For my novel, I use this if readers really dig deep and pay attention to the different animals. Now you don't have to use this but it’s an option to your foreshadow of a death or birth of a character (And when I mean birth, it doesn't always mean infant. like when you first introduce that character).

Foreshadowing can be tricky and it’s hard to use if you use it. Now remember don't plaster your story will WARNING signs everywhere as readers will be like 'Oh, well that ruins the surprise'. Now one thing I found entertaining that I just used as an example but, twisting the foreshadow around. Let’s say....there is a collection of characters, bob, sally and Steve (having Steve be the bad guy). Okay so let’s set the scene, let’s say that everyone (your readers) have the feeling that Bob and sally will get together because they are from different cities and are forbidden lovers. Well, let’s say there is an omen or foreshadow of this forbidden love. The readers will automatically think that Bob and Sally are a couple and end of book. This is where you could change it up, let’s say Sally and Bob are great friends but she ends up falling in love with Steve. TWIST! See you did foreshadow a forbidden love but you didn't foreshadow the exact couple. Now when you make things totally obvious to your twist, readers will be like 'pft, screw this book'. You don't want that.

Okay so the goal with foreshadowing is messing with your reader’s minds, but not too much as they will get frustrated. Foreshadowing is fun once you get the hang of it. Oh and the best foreshadow comes (In my opinion, feel free to argue with me) when the scene is happy as can be. It’s something you wouldn't expect. But don't change the mood because of that foreshadow. If it’s a foreshadow of death and kids are playing and having fun outside, it’s something the reader wouldn't expect and would just ignore but then go back and re-read it and be like 'ooooohhhhhh' but the goal with foreshadowing is LEAVE IT SUTTLE AND MYSTERIOUS if its Vegas lights saying THIS CHARACTER IS GOING TO DIE, WARNING! Then people will get bored of the book no matter how good it’s written and how well thought out the characters are.

Well, I think I covered almost everything on this subject. Um...feel free to comment and let me know if I missed anything and of you want me to go over a writing issue you are running into. Anyway, please comment, vote and fan and please check out my other stories on my account too :D

~Ice~