I am genuinely curious because I am always doing it in some way or form.
I love doing that and I am sorta vague about the moments I foreshadow in my stories.
Yet, doing too much isn’t a bad thing, right? Also, I can see alot of foreshadowing in mystery and horror novels being a thing too, yes?
What about other genres? I am writing a science fantasy novel with a twist on a succession crisis trope, vague moments are a plenty.
What are your thoughts and feelings?
NOTE: WE CAN TALK ABOUT OUR FORESHADOWING IN OUR NOVELS THAT LEAD TO SOME GOOD TWISTS AND REVEALS AND/OR PUBLISHED WORKS AS WELL!
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That’s a tough one…
I guess it all depends on how many reveals you have planned, and the respectful backstory to each event your leading towards. Yet trying not to give all away, and doing a “Tell and Show” not a “Show and Tell” often reveals too much unless you’re cunning…
SD
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True, very true.
My story has PLENTY of things that need foreshadowing/I have so many things to foreshadow.
I would suspect mystery novel series need a large amount of it, don’t want to give things away too much so early to make for a great reveal with a touch of suspense, right?
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Foreshadowing is good if it is symbolic, metaphorical, or otherwise abstract in some way. What kills foreshadowing is when you are too obvious with it.
I tend to wait until I am finished with a draft before going back to add foreshadowing, both because things are subject to change and I don’t want to foreshadow something that won’t happen, and because it’s easier for me to take an objective look at how to foreshadow effectively when I have all the other story elements in place.
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Foreshadowing works when it’s done properly. Basically, you want it to be obvious but not too obvious. Unless you want it to be obvious, of course. But I do prefer subtle personally because of the “OHHHHH” moment when you realise what they do 
I use it quite a lot in my books to reference future works which will hopefully make my readers go “OHHHHH”.
But yeah, overall it depends on how much the author wants the reader to know about potential future plot points or works
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if its done right and is super subtle it’s amazing. It makes me want to do a second read because I loveeee watching things all come together. I’ve seen a lot of it and it be great. I’ve also seen a lot of it be really bad. It’s about not giving anything away to the reader (unless you mean to). If I figure it out and then have another several chapters that i’m just like brooooo I already knowww get to the point. Then it’s not working. But if you know, but the character doesn’t know and it’s becoming this building tension because the character doesn’t know it can keep me hooked. Albeit i probably wouldn’t read that book again because i know it turned out fine and don’t want to power through her whining about this guy and just be ah he’s my mate again and there not be the plot twist to shake you up anymore. If any of this makes sense? It’s not a limit on quantity rather a matter of execution.
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@Xelyn_Craft @EmiliaFrost @alenatenjo
What about very vague foreshadowing where the characters and readers remain so ignorant that when the reveal comes it shocks the hell of them and possibly enrages in a way that makes them feel so stupid for not catching on quick enough? Like a very “good” way of making the characters and readers stay left in the darkest void.
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@TheTigerWriter
Come and give this a try! If you want to!
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Good foreshadowing usually is something you only catch onto in hindsight, so yes. Though, I’d argue that it’s more important for foreshadowing to be effective to readers than characters in the book. You control what the character’s catch onto. You have less control over what your readers catch onto. It might be more obvious to them than you intend it to be. Just because you’re characters don’t see it coming doesn’t mean your readers won’t.
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There were probably one or two moments in an entire book that I thought “okay, this is definitely foreshadowing” and I think I probably missed a whole bunch because they were written in so well. There was a time in Inferno by Dan Brown that I thought was foreshadowing because it ended up becoming a big part of a huge plot twist…or so he made me think. The plot twist had a plot twist which then had another plot twist. That book tricked me so much XD
So, idk if there’s such a thing as too much foreshadowing
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I’d say that’s good foreshadowing
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This is generally my favorite type.
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I try to avoid foreshadowing in my stories, but some foreshadowing might be required in my current work. So I’m experimenting with almost right foreshadowing or better than predicted foreshadowing. The characters make educated or hopeful predictions about how events (or their goals) will play-out, and no one is correct but no one complains.
Don’t be surprised if the desert has other plans for you ~ Polanski.
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