April 27, 2020 • 11 mins
There's a storm coming. Now that brings a sense of foreboding, doesn't it? Join us in today's episode as we explore the basics of foreshadowing, a wonderfully fun and useful literary device.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Don't worry mom, nothing bad ever happens in this town.
(00:12):
My name is Ken Mears.
And I'm Melissa Fales.
And welcome to Writer's World.
(00:38):
Today we will be talking about foreshadowing.
Foreshadowing is a literary device in which a writer gives an advanced hint of what is
to come later in the story.
Foreshadowing hints at something coming down the road.
Now a red herring is foreshadowing which misdirects the reader.
(01:00):
In this episode we will only be talking about foreshadowing.
Foreshadowing is used more often than someone might think.
Some common examples of foreshadowing would be the weather.
In The Lion King there is a huge storm before Simba faces off his uncle.
And then the storm clears away, showing sunny skies indicating better days ahead.
(01:23):
According to Arthur's Craft, quote, foreshadowing is a way of indicating or hinting at what
will come later.
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.
(01:43):
If someone is struggling to understand foreshadowing, Ken, what advice can you give them?
First of all, I don't know if there's much to not understand, but I would suggest that
if you struggled to understand at least the importance of foreshadowing, take a look at
your favorite book.
I can almost guarantee there is likely some foreshadowing in it.
(02:03):
Often it's not very big, but it's there.
And then ask yourself, where would this story have been if the author hadn't used foreshadowing?
Would it have been as enjoyable?
Some well done examples of foreshadowing would be in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
Hogwarts students hear strange sounds in the wall.
(02:23):
Also, da-dum, da-dum.
If you are familiar with the jazz franchise, you know that that music is bad.
That music is foreshadowing.
Novelwritinghelp.com had a really great example of foreshadowing.
Quote, picture the scene.
We are in the cockpit of an airplane.
(02:44):
The plane hits turbulence and the captain struggles to regain control.
It doesn't last long and everything is soon seemingly fine again, but the reader understands
that this isn't going to be anything but a trouble-free fight.
End quote.
Ken, this leads to the golden question.
How do I include foreshadowing in my writing?
(03:05):
You include it in very subtle ways.
At least that's how it should be done in my opinion.
The best way to include foreshadowing is through very little things.
An offhand remark, strange sounds in the walls, even a pattern to what's happening up to this
point.
Now, there's another way you can very blatantly include foreshadowing that only really works
(03:27):
in fantasy.
That would be a prophecy.
Prophecies can be very good if used right in order to provide clues regarding the future
and what may happen.
I agree with Ken.
The first tip that came to my mind would be mentioning something a little longer than
you normally would.
Make it very subtle.
Foreshadowing is about hints and subtle weaving.
(03:49):
It often doesn't appear to be a big deal.
New York Book Editor dot com had a good tip.
Quote, when you foreshadow, don't make it a big deal.
It should be a casual mention.
Don't explicitly tell the reader, hey, this is important.
Let the reader figure it out.
End quote.
I would also suggest to wait to include foreshadowing in the second draft.
(04:11):
Types of foreshadowing, according to novelwritinghelp.com, are the pre-scene, which we talked about above,
where the pilot struggles to keep his flight in control at the beginning, which is really
subtle and good.
Quote, a pre-scene is simply a smaller version of a larger scene to come.
They are not significant by themselves, but they imply that there is something more spectacular
(04:33):
waiting to happen right around the corner.
Then, there is the foreshadowing by naming an approaching event.
An example would be from Camp Rock, where the main girl keeps talking about this camp.
And you know that this camp is going to be important.
The third is using irrational concern.
Using another shark example, there are a bunch of girls going surfing, and one of the girls
(04:57):
says, don't worry, sharks are never in this area.
And you're just sitting there going, great.
The fourth is, quote, foreshadowing through apprehension.
As a man gets ready for work, we see that he is tense and sweating.
His wife kisses him goodbye and wishes him good luck.
The man throws her an uneasy look and picks up his briefcase.
We don't know what's about to happen yet, but we are certainly looking forward to finding
(05:21):
out how it turns out.
So not only are the readers uncertain about how this upcoming event will work out, they
don't even know what the upcoming event is, end quote.
Another type is, quote, showing the reader a loaded gun.
An old man is sitting at his desk looking at his stamp collection.
When he opens the drawer for his magnifying glass, his fingers brush against a revolver.
(05:44):
He finds the magnifying glass and closes the door.
Us readers know that the gun wouldn't have been shown at all if it wasn't going to be
fired later in the novel.
And then as Ken mentioned, there is the foreshadowing through prophecy, also almonds, narrative
statements.
There are a lot of options and ways that this can be done after such a long spill.
(06:08):
And what tips and tricks would you give to someone trying to include foreshadowing?
I would say my number one tip would be to keep it subtle.
Foreshadowing has the word shadow in it for a reason.
Leaving clues in the shadows for your brain to subtly pick up is a brilliant way to do
foreshadowing.
Also consider how much you're giving away with your foreshadowing.
If you're giving too much information away with your foreshadowing, you're probably doing
(06:31):
it wrong.
And one last tip I would give is to make sure that you know where you're going.
If you're foreshadowing something, you better have whatever is foreshadowing actually happen.
Yeah, that's why as I was researching it, they were like, yeah, maybe include foreshadowing
in your second draft.
And I was like, yeah, that might be, that's a good idea.
And anyways, this leads to the question, could I put foreshadowing in my book when I'm not
(06:55):
talking about horror?
For sure.
In fact, I've been using a fair amount of foreshadowing in my next book.
Without spoiling too much, one of my characters is having a big struggle with the dark side
of his nature, which is leading up to a huge confrontation with the dark side of himself.
I feel I've been using it quite well in this case.
And my next book, I'm pretty sure is most certainly not a horror story.
(07:16):
Before we continue, we will be back after a short break.
As we wrap up, the New York Book Editor had a good tip that quote, foreshadowing should
be subtle, delicate and never overpowering.
(07:38):
Quote, now novel also had a good tip quote, when planning the plot of your story or novel,
make sure an incident needs foreshadowing before you include any end quote.
Here are the eight laws of foreshadowing according to now novel.com, which I thought was helpful.
Number one, make it relevant.
(07:59):
Keep foreshadowing for significant plot events.
Number two, use with purpose, foreshadowing to build suspense or to explain plot clauses.
Number three, give the payoff.
If there is a gun in act one, it must go off eventually.
Side note, this is called Chevron's gun.
(08:19):
I'm not sure if I'm saying that right, but if there is a gun in your story, it needs
to go off at some point.
Continuing on number four, outline it in.
Once you have a story outline, add foreshadowing.
Five, don't overdo it.
Make plot clues subtle, apparent on rereading.
(08:39):
Six, make payoffs fit.
Ensure that later events fit the tone of the buildups.
Seven, fix when revising.
Fix foreshadowing if plot changes in revision.
And before we go on to the last tip, Ken, could you explain what a beta reader is?
Sure, a beta reader is whoever you want, but basically a beta reader is someone that is
(09:04):
either paid or unpaid who reads your book for the main reason of critiquing it so you
can improve.
Often publishers and editors will have a group of beta readers they run your book through
to get generalized ideas for what needs to be improved.
Beta readers work best when they are in the age group you're writing for, but beta readers
can even be your friends and family.
With my next book, I've actually been having beta readers from both the ones that my publisher
(09:27):
is providing and some of my friends and family.
And Ken is actually on the beta reader stage in his upcoming book right now, which is exciting.
That book should be coming out in June, so watch out, world.
But moving on to tip A, get feedback.
Get feedback on your foreshadowing from beta readers.
And I feel like that's why I wanted to explain what a beta reader was.
(09:51):
Now, after all of this, do we think foreshadowing is important?
Foreshadowing is a literary device.
Well done foreshadowing.
It builds tension, engages, and leads to questions.
It should never be point blank, and I think it is something totally awesome to have.
If you are not fully convinced, I would recommend researching foreshadowing even further because
(10:15):
it is an awesome literary device.
Ken, do you think foreshadowing is important?
I definitely do, and I'm not just saying that because I use it.
I think it is important because it can help to engage the reader and make them eager to
see what all this foreshadowing is leading up to.
It helps to draw them in and keep them reading, which is precisely what you want as a writer.
(10:38):
Not to mention that it can be very effective when done right.
So to sum up, yes, foreshadowing is definitely important.
And we hope today's episode was helpful.
If you like our podcast, please share it with your friends and family.
For sources in the transcript, visit writersworldpodcast.weebly.com.
And our Instagram is at writersworldpodcastofficial.
(10:59):
Our Patreon is patreon.com slash writersworldpodcast.
And if you want your questions answered, our email is writersworldpodcastatgmail.com.
Until next time, I've been Ken Mears.
And I've been Melissa Fales with Writers World.
And keep on writing.
Don't worry mom, nothing bad ever happens in this town.
(00:12):
My name is Ken Mears.
And I'm Melissa Fales.
And welcome to Writer's World.
(00:38):
Today we will be talking about foreshadowing.
Foreshadowing is a literary device in which a writer gives an advanced hint of what is
to come later in the story.
Foreshadowing hints at something coming down the road.
Now a red herring is foreshadowing which misdirects the reader.
(01:00):
In this episode we will only be talking about foreshadowing.
Foreshadowing is used more often than someone might think.
Some common examples of foreshadowing would be the weather.
In The Lion King there is a huge storm before Simba faces off his uncle.
And then the storm clears away, showing sunny skies indicating better days ahead.
(01:23):
According to Arthur's Craft, quote, foreshadowing is a way of indicating or hinting at what
will come later.
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.
(01:43):
If someone is struggling to understand foreshadowing, Ken, what advice can you give them?
First of all, I don't know if there's much to not understand, but I would suggest that
if you struggled to understand at least the importance of foreshadowing, take a look at
your favorite book.
I can almost guarantee there is likely some foreshadowing in it.
(02:03):
Often it's not very big, but it's there.
And then ask yourself, where would this story have been if the author hadn't used foreshadowing?
Would it have been as enjoyable?
Some well done examples of foreshadowing would be in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
Hogwarts students hear strange sounds in the wall.
(02:23):
Also, da-dum, da-dum.
If you are familiar with the jazz franchise, you know that that music is bad.
That music is foreshadowing.
Novelwritinghelp.com had a really great example of foreshadowing.
Quote, picture the scene.
We are in the cockpit of an airplane.
(02:44):
The plane hits turbulence and the captain struggles to regain control.
It doesn't last long and everything is soon seemingly fine again, but the reader understands
that this isn't going to be anything but a trouble-free fight.
End quote.
Ken, this leads to the golden question.
How do I include foreshadowing in my writing?
(03:05):
You include it in very subtle ways.
At least that's how it should be done in my opinion.
The best way to include foreshadowing is through very little things.
An offhand remark, strange sounds in the walls, even a pattern to what's happening up to this
point.
Now, there's another way you can very blatantly include foreshadowing that only really works
(03:27):
in fantasy.
That would be a prophecy.
Prophecies can be very good if used right in order to provide clues regarding the future
and what may happen.
I agree with Ken.
The first tip that came to my mind would be mentioning something a little longer than
you normally would.
Make it very subtle.
Foreshadowing is about hints and subtle weaving.
(03:49):
It often doesn't appear to be a big deal.
New York Book Editor dot com had a good tip.
Quote, when you foreshadow, don't make it a big deal.
It should be a casual mention.
Don't explicitly tell the reader, hey, this is important.
Let the reader figure it out.
End quote.
I would also suggest to wait to include foreshadowing in the second draft.
(04:11):
Types of foreshadowing, according to novelwritinghelp.com, are the pre-scene, which we talked about above,
where the pilot struggles to keep his flight in control at the beginning, which is really
subtle and good.
Quote, a pre-scene is simply a smaller version of a larger scene to come.
They are not significant by themselves, but they imply that there is something more spectacular
(04:33):
waiting to happen right around the corner.
Then, there is the foreshadowing by naming an approaching event.
An example would be from Camp Rock, where the main girl keeps talking about this camp.
And you know that this camp is going to be important.
The third is using irrational concern.
Using another shark example, there are a bunch of girls going surfing, and one of the girls
(04:57):
says, don't worry, sharks are never in this area.
And you're just sitting there going, great.
The fourth is, quote, foreshadowing through apprehension.
As a man gets ready for work, we see that he is tense and sweating.
His wife kisses him goodbye and wishes him good luck.
The man throws her an uneasy look and picks up his briefcase.
We don't know what's about to happen yet, but we are certainly looking forward to finding
(05:21):
out how it turns out.
So not only are the readers uncertain about how this upcoming event will work out, they
don't even know what the upcoming event is, end quote.
Another type is, quote, showing the reader a loaded gun.
An old man is sitting at his desk looking at his stamp collection.
When he opens the drawer for his magnifying glass, his fingers brush against a revolver.
(05:44):
He finds the magnifying glass and closes the door.
Us readers know that the gun wouldn't have been shown at all if it wasn't going to be
fired later in the novel.
And then as Ken mentioned, there is the foreshadowing through prophecy, also almonds, narrative
statements.
There are a lot of options and ways that this can be done after such a long spill.
(06:08):
And what tips and tricks would you give to someone trying to include foreshadowing?
I would say my number one tip would be to keep it subtle.
Foreshadowing has the word shadow in it for a reason.
Leaving clues in the shadows for your brain to subtly pick up is a brilliant way to do
foreshadowing.
Also consider how much you're giving away with your foreshadowing.
If you're giving too much information away with your foreshadowing, you're probably doing
(06:31):
it wrong.
And one last tip I would give is to make sure that you know where you're going.
If you're foreshadowing something, you better have whatever is foreshadowing actually happen.
Yeah, that's why as I was researching it, they were like, yeah, maybe include foreshadowing
in your second draft.
And I was like, yeah, that might be, that's a good idea.
And anyways, this leads to the question, could I put foreshadowing in my book when I'm not
(06:55):
talking about horror?
For sure.
In fact, I've been using a fair amount of foreshadowing in my next book.
Without spoiling too much, one of my characters is having a big struggle with the dark side
of his nature, which is leading up to a huge confrontation with the dark side of himself.
I feel I've been using it quite well in this case.
And my next book, I'm pretty sure is most certainly not a horror story.
(07:16):
Before we continue, we will be back after a short break.
As we wrap up, the New York Book Editor had a good tip that quote, foreshadowing should
be subtle, delicate and never overpowering.
(07:38):
Quote, now novel also had a good tip quote, when planning the plot of your story or novel,
make sure an incident needs foreshadowing before you include any end quote.
Here are the eight laws of foreshadowing according to now novel.com, which I thought was helpful.
Number one, make it relevant.
(07:59):
Keep foreshadowing for significant plot events.
Number two, use with purpose, foreshadowing to build suspense or to explain plot clauses.
Number three, give the payoff.
If there is a gun in act one, it must go off eventually.
Side note, this is called Chevron's gun.
(08:19):
I'm not sure if I'm saying that right, but if there is a gun in your story, it needs
to go off at some point.
Continuing on number four, outline it in.
Once you have a story outline, add foreshadowing.
Five, don't overdo it.
Make plot clues subtle, apparent on rereading.
(08:39):
Six, make payoffs fit.
Ensure that later events fit the tone of the buildups.
Seven, fix when revising.
Fix foreshadowing if plot changes in revision.
And before we go on to the last tip, Ken, could you explain what a beta reader is?
Sure, a beta reader is whoever you want, but basically a beta reader is someone that is
(09:04):
either paid or unpaid who reads your book for the main reason of critiquing it so you
can improve.
Often publishers and editors will have a group of beta readers they run your book through
to get generalized ideas for what needs to be improved.
Beta readers work best when they are in the age group you're writing for, but beta readers
can even be your friends and family.
With my next book, I've actually been having beta readers from both the ones that my publisher
(09:27):
is providing and some of my friends and family.
And Ken is actually on the beta reader stage in his upcoming book right now, which is exciting.
That book should be coming out in June, so watch out, world.
But moving on to tip A, get feedback.
Get feedback on your foreshadowing from beta readers.
And I feel like that's why I wanted to explain what a beta reader was.
(09:51):
Now, after all of this, do we think foreshadowing is important?
Foreshadowing is a literary device.
Well done foreshadowing.
It builds tension, engages, and leads to questions.
It should never be point blank, and I think it is something totally awesome to have.
If you are not fully convinced, I would recommend researching foreshadowing even further because
(10:15):
it is an awesome literary device.
Ken, do you think foreshadowing is important?
I definitely do, and I'm not just saying that because I use it.
I think it is important because it can help to engage the reader and make them eager to
see what all this foreshadowing is leading up to.
It helps to draw them in and keep them reading, which is precisely what you want as a writer.
(10:38):
Not to mention that it can be very effective when done right.
So to sum up, yes, foreshadowing is definitely important.
And we hope today's episode was helpful.
If you like our podcast, please share it with your friends and family.
For sources in the transcript, visit writersworldpodcast.weebly.com.
And our Instagram is at writersworldpodcastofficial.
(10:59):
Our Patreon is patreon.com slash writersworldpodcast.
And if you want your questions answered, our email is writersworldpodcastatgmail.com.
Until next time, I've been Ken Mears.
And I've been Melissa Fales with Writers World.
And keep on writing.
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