Foreshadowing: Clues About What's Coming

Spot hints an author plants early in a story and explain how they build expectation.

Foreshadowing is a hint about something that will happen later. It builds suspense and makes the ending feel earned rather than random. Foreshadowing can be an object, a line of dialogue, a description of weather, or a character's uneasy feeling. In an original story, the first page says: 'The ice on the pond looked solid, but Dad tapped it with his boot and frowned. ' Later, when a character falls through the ice, the reader remembers that frown. The clue was there all along.

Some foreshadowing is obvious; some becomes clear only on a second reading. To find it, look for details that seem oddly specific or that the narrator lingers on: a loose step, a warning ignored, a strange sound. Then ask, 'Why would the author mention this? ' When you discuss foreshadowing, quote the early clue and explain what it predicts and how it affects the mood, such as adding tension or a sense of dread.

• 1Foreshadowing hints at later events
• 2Look for oddly specific details and ignored warnings
• 3It builds suspense and makes endings feel earned