Foreshadowing: Creating Suspense Using This Creative Technique

There is something to be said for the art of surprise. When we read a novel or watch a movie, it’s the shocking denouement that sticks in our minds and urges to come back for a second helping. In the world of entertainment, we don’t mind being fooled, as long as we aren’t disapointed in the ending. But are there ways to make the craft of surprise even more satisfying?

Remember the movie The Sixth Sense? The little boy could see dead people, and he was able to communicate with ghosts, but we didn’t find out the real kicker until the very end. At that point, the directors took you through various scenes from the throughout the moment, showing you the hints that would have led up to the conclusion. You didn’t figure it out until the last possible moment, and you had no idea what the clincher was, but the clues had been laid out for you all through the movie.

That is the bread and butter of foreshadowing. It can be used in prose just as effectively as in the movies, and sometimes it is even more thrilling when read than when seen. Foreshadowing means hinting to the reader about what is to come without purposefully spoiling the conclusion.

There are four different types of foreshadowing,, all of which have separate purposes. Using them effectively can mean the difference between a harrowing, exciting tale, and a flat, boring story.

I have explained each type of foreshadowing using my own CAPE model:

Concrete
Abstract
Prominent
Evocative


Concrete Foreshadowing

Sometimes foreshadowing is employed by taking concrete objects and things and using them to signal various ideas to the reader. Examples of concrete foreshadowing can include objects, people, colors, places, or events, or any combination thereof. Concrete foreshadowing means using something that characters can physically see, though the meaning behind the object may not be blatantly obvious.