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Sometimes we find it a struggle to finish a piece of work because we are not sure how to add interest to our story and keep our readers hooked. There is no better way to do that than to add foreshadowing to your piece. Foreshadowing keeps your readers engaged and will vastly improve your story. Here’s why.
Adds Suspense and Mystery
First of all, foreshadowing adds suspense and mystery. This one is a given since the more you add small hints, the more your audience will feel the mystery and begin to wonder how the story will end or what major events might occur.
Foreshadowing can also add suspense in many different genres, giving a feeling of uncertainty or doubt. Your audience will enjoy this feeling and want to know what is going to happen next.
Everyone enjoys suspense, even though many associate it with thrillers or horror. You can still replicate the feeling of suspense in other genres as you lead up to a big plot twist or a change in events, either positive or negative.
Keeps Readers Interested
There are two main types of foreshadowing: indirect and direct foreshadowing.
With direct foreshadowing, you are more directly stating a problem that will later occur in the story. This allows your readers to be more prepared for what will happen later and can allow them to consider how events will lead up to that turning point.
With indirect foreshadowing, you give hints to suggest what might happen, but you do not explicitly state the problem or situation. This will keep your readers engaged as they try to figure out for themselves what these hints might mean. It gives them more of a chance to really be a part of your story and immerse themselves in the plot.
Allows Readers to Engage in Your Work
This leads me to my next point of how important foreshadowing is for allowing your readers to engage more with your work. A great example of foreshadowing in film is the classic Star Wars reveal of Darth Vader being Luke’s father (this definitely isn’t a spoiler anymore at this point).
We see a few small hints throughout The Empire Strikes Back, including the scene where Luke imagines his own face underneath Darth Vader’s helmet. These kinds of moments allow for the readers to have fun with your story and begin to put clues together.
Readers will enjoy having that “aha!” moment. It will be almost as if they are solving a mystery and the ending will leave your reader satisfied. Your story will leave a strong impression on them as they recall the moments when they stayed up all night just to read one more chapter. They’ll be excited to talk about it with their friends, which in turn, will encourage others to read your story as well.
Foreshadowing is perfect for any genre and will certainly add flavor to your story to keep your readers hooked. Who doesn’t love a bit of mystery in their life?
About the Author: My name is Chrissy Roffe and I am an intern here at The Writer’s Workout. I am an avid writer and love sitting down and enjoying a good book or TV show in the comfort of my home. In my spare time, I enjoy playing video games and looking for new choreographies to learn and dance to.