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Writing 101: Foreshadowing Definition, Examples of Foreshadowing, and How to Use Foreshadowing in Your Writing

Written by the MasterClass staff

Last updated: Aug 25, 2021 • 8 min read

Teaches the Art of Storytelling

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Storytelling has one ambition at its core: to capture your reader’s attention and keep them engaged with your story until the end. Foreshadowing is a valuable literary technique a writer can use to create and build suspense that will keep your readers turning the page.

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What Is Foreshadowing?

Why Is Foreshadowing Important?

2 Types of Foreshadowing

5 Foreshadowing Examples and Techniques

5 Tips for Using Foreshadowing in Your Writing

Literary Devices Similar to Foreshadowing

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What Is Foreshadowing?

Foreshadowing is a literary device used to give an indication or hint of what is to come later in the story. Foreshadowing is useful for creating suspense, a feeling of unease, a sense of curiosity, or a mark that things may not be as they seem.

In the definition of foreshadowing, the word “hint” is key. Foreshadowing does not necessarily mean explicitly revealing what will happen later in your story. In fact, when it is used effectively, many readers may not even realize the significance of an author’s foreshadowing until the end of the story.

For example, in a story where the main character keeps seeing ghosts, there can be multiple events that foreshadow, or give hints, that the character is herself a ghost. The reader may not understand those foreshadowing examples until the very end, when this major plot twist is revealed.

While foreshadowing is a common tool in mystery novels, which rely on building suspense, it is not exclusive to that genre. In fact, foreshadowing can be used successfully in any type of book.