What is Foreshadowing? Definition, Tips, and Examples

Foreshadowing is a literary device where authors plant hints about future events, creating anticipation and preparing readers for what's to come. It's the art of saying "something important is about to happen" without revealing exactly what or when.

A seemingly innocent mention of a gun in chapter one, a character's offhand comment about feeling uneasy, or storm clouds gathering on the horizon — these details aren't accidents. They're breadcrumbs leading to bigger revelations. 

Think of it as the author's promise to readers: pay attention, because everything matters. 

Let's explore why this literary device is such a powerful tool in an author's arsenal, and how you can master it in your own writing.

The role and types of foreshadowing in narrative

Foreshadowing is all about quietly priming the reader's expectations: every hint invites the mind to imagine possibilities, building tension and keeping readers engaged. It knits a narrative together, making later twists feel earned rather than arbitrary. When done well, the payoff lands with a satisfying "aha!" instead of a confused "huh?!"

Good foreshadowing also deepens theme and character — a storm cloud can mirror a hero's inner turmoil, while a cracked photograph whispers of hidden family fractures, layering meaning while steering the plot forward.

There are two main approaches authors use:

• Direct foreshadowing gives readers explicit hints about future events — prophecies, narrator statements, or obvious clues that make you want to know more.
• Indirect foreshadowing uses subtle clues through symbolism, weather, or seemingly innocent details that only become significant in hindsight.

Authors also employ red herrings — deliberate false clues that mislead readers, especially in mystery and detective stories. These keep readers guessing until the final reveal.

Let's see these techniques in action.

Direct foreshadowing 

1. The Narrator

The person telling the story provides key information while withholding crucial context.

Take this opening line from Lauren Oliver’s Before I Fall:

“They say that just before you die your whole life flashes before your eyes, but that’s not how it happened for me.”

What we know: The narrator is dead.

What we want to know: How did they die? 

Include information that's crucial to the story, but leave out how it's crucial. Think of it as a personal invitation from narrator to reader.

2. The Pre-Scene

These scenes show a toned-down version of what will become a major event later.

For example, in the first half of Of Mice and Men, Carlson is convinced that an old dog should be put down so that it can have a quick death and end its suffering. He complies, ensuring the process is as painless as possible, prompting Candy to confide in George:

“I oughtta of shot that dog myself, George. I shouldn't oughtta of let no stranger shoot my dog.”

What we know: The dog’s death is important.

What we want to know: Why is this significant, and when will we find out?

At the end of the novel, when a murderous lynch mob is on the hunt for Lennie, George begins talking to Lennie about the farm they will one day own, painting a peaceful picture. Then, in a scene that echoes Carlson’s putting an end to the dog’s suffering, George kills Lennie — believing it’s much more merciful to go at the hands of a friend.

3. The Name Drop

Casually mentioning a place, thing, or person signals its importance to readers.

See this example in action in the first installment of The Hunger Games:

“When I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold. My fingers stretch out, seeking Prim’s warmth but finding only the rough canvas cover of the mattress. She must have had bad dreams and climbed in with our mother. Of course, she did. This is the day of the reaping.”

What we know: Something called the reaping is about to happen, and it’s nightmare-inducing.

What we want to know: Well, what is the reaping?

The name drop can even be used right in the title: consider The Great Gatsby. The title introduces us to the name, the first few pages give us snippets of information about the man, but it’s not until the second chapter that we meet Gatsby.

4. The Prophecy

Revealing a future event creates tension through dramatic irony.

In Orson Welles' A Touch of Evil, we watch a bomb being placed in a car trunk, then see a couple unknowingly drive that same car for three tense minutes before it explodes off-screen.

What we know: The car will explode. What we want to know: When will it happen? Will anyone get hurt?

Macbeth opens with witches prophesying: "All hail, Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter!"

What we know: Macbeth will become king. What we want to know: Will this happen? How?

Both examples show how prophecy creates suspense — readers know what will happen but remain on edge about how and when. This drives engagement while leaving room for surprise in the execution.

For more Macbeth-worthy suspense, check out our list of the best suspense books of all time.

5. The Prologue

Nothing kicks off a novel with an almost audible “dun dun DUNNN!” quite like a prologue.

Prologues are used for many reasons: to flashback or forward, show a point-of-view different than the narrative’s primary one, or set an otherworldly setting, to name a few.

One of its handiest purposes is to foreshadow. Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park begins with two prologues. The first one ends with the following lines:

"Parties to that settlement, including the distinguished scientific board of advisers, signed a nondisclosure agreement, and none will speak about what happened—but many of the principal figures in the 'InGen incident' are not signatories, and were willing to discuss the remarkable events leading up to those final two days in August 1989 on a remote island off the west coast of Costa Rica."

What we know: That a company called InGen created a genetic crisis.

What we want to know: What is this crisis? What effects did it have?

The examples above showcase the more obvious end of the foreshadowing spectrum. But foreshadowing exists on a continuum from heavy-handed to nearly imperceptible. The key to implementation lies in layering — combining obvious hints for casual readers with deeper clues for attentive ones.

Indirect foreshadowing 

For foretelling tools that are a little more subtle, look no further than these indirect foreshadowing examples.

6. The Innocuous Statement

While the previous examples of foreshadowing could be said to be “hiding in plain sight,” sometimes it becomes a rhetorical device, used in a much subtler way — allowing the reader to go back and find the clues that are now only clear after the fact.

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?”

At the time of their utterance, these lines don’t seem like anything more than the lament of a tired mentor. Later in the series, these words perhaps ring in our ears when Anakin-turned-Darth-Vader does indeed kill Obi-Wan.

While this example of foreshadowing doesn’t propel readers to seek out more information right when it happens, it does have us wondering what other clues might have been dropped when we were none the wiser.

7. The Pathetic Fallacy

Pathetic fallacy occurs when human emotions are projected by non-human things, such as nature. It can be a very effective tool.

Just think: would Wuthering Heights have been quite the same if most of the story took place on idyllic, sunny days? Probably not.

A chilling gust of wind or the sun breaking through heavy clouds can say a lot: the former can evoke a sense of foreboding while the latter can predict a positive changing of tides. In other words — let’s say it together — it can foreshadow.

In Great Expectations, noted wordsmith Charles Dickens uses the weather to demonstrate Pip’s growing angst:

"So furious had been the gusts, that high buildings in town had had the lead stripped off their roofs; and in the country, trees had been torn up, and sails of windmills carried away; and gloomy accounts had come in from the coast, of shipwreck and death."

8. The Symbol

A scene opening on a character coming across a raven will project a very different message than a scene opening on a character spotting a dove: one is typically an ominous symbol while the other generally references peace.

Because symbols take the form of recognizable visuals that represent a more abstract idea, they’re a great way to foreshadow by hinting at something without stating it outright.

Consider this excerpt from the opening of Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms:

"The leaves fell early that year."

The visual transition from fall to winter, and specifically the falling of leaves, is not an uncommon symbol of death. In this case, these six simple words symbolize the primary event of the novel: the early death of nurse Catherine Barkey. Its effectiveness lies in the fact that the symbol is instantly recognizable, but the significance it holds within the story unravels throughout.

9. Through metaphor and simile

Without veering into the distracting arena of overly ornate writing, how authors describe things can foretell hidden details.

Metaphors and similes are both figures of speech used to describe something by comparing it to another. The difference between the two is that while metaphors say “Thing A is Thing B,” similes say “Thing A is like Thing B.”

Both can be used as foreshadowing tools. In White Oleander by Janet Finch, Astrid continuously uses similes to compare her mother’s beauty to elements of danger:

"I climbed to the roof and easily spotted her blond hair like a white flame in the light of the three-quarter moon."

"Her beauty was like the edge of a very sharp knife."

As the story progresses, both danger and beauty become the two main aspects Astrid associates with her mother.

10. The Object

“If in Act One you have a pistol hanging on the wall, then it must fire in the last act.” So goes Anton Chekhov’s rule of storytelling: if you draw a reader’s attention to something, you must eventually explain why it was worth noticing. Otherwise, it should be removed.

You can also reverse-engineer this rule as a means of foreshadowing: if a major event will happen at some point in the story, you could allude to it earlier on in the story. One great way of doing this (as in Chekhov’s example) is by emphasizing an object.

The third book of the A Series of Unfortunate Events series begins with Mr. Poe giving the Baudelaire siblings some peppermints, forgetting they are allergic. These peppermints end up playing an important role later in the story, when the orphans use them to elicit an allergic reaction, thereby getting themselves out of a sticky situation.

“If you are allergic to a thing, it is best not to put that thing in your mouth, particularly if the thing is cats.” — Lemony Snicket

In Disney’s telling of Peter Pan, the catalyst for the whole story occurs when Peter literally chases his shadow into the Darling household. Similarly, foreshadowing can have your readers chasing the plot of your story.

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While foreshadowing enhances storytelling, overuse or misuse can damage narrative effectiveness. Here are some common pitfalls to avoid:

• Telegraphing plot twists too obviously, removing all surprise
• Creating false expectations that frustrate readers when unfulfilled
• Retroactively trying to make random details seem like foreshadowing
• Being too subtle, leaving readers confused about connections

The balance lies in making revelations feel both surprising and inevitable — readers should think 'I didn't see that coming, but now it all makes sense.

Mastering the art of the foreshadow can benefit your writing by creating layers. It’s almost like you’re telling the story to readers in waves, eventually revealing the whole island they’ve been searching for. This creates an engaging and interactive narrative, allowing speculation while the story unfolds and further reflection on all the clues upon completion.