Foreshadowing—How to Leave Breadcrumbs

I'm always working on honing my craft and improving my storytelling, and I believe foreshadowing deserves more attention. So today you learn how to drop hints, build suspense, and keep your readers hooked.

Looking back, I was excited as a reader to notice the clues the author had left. Though I’m still developing my skills as a writer, I’m striving to create plot twists that feel natural and rewarding, not contrived. Along with subtext, I think it’s one of the most effective tools in a writer’s arsenal, and a little bit of a lost art.

What is foreshadowing?

This literary device allows writers to hint at future plot developments. What’s beautiful is the satisfying, delayed realization by the reader. It requires much practice to become proficient in this skill. When done well, it builds suspense and a sense of inevitability, making your plot developments feel earned rather than out of the blue.

But, if done badly, it’s called telegraphing—revealing too much information too early and spoiling the suspense. Readers are good at noticing clues, so don’t underestimate them. Unexpected revelations, lacking any foreshadowing, may leave readers bewildered and disappointed instead of thrilled.

Tips for foreshadowing

Foreshadowing occasionally involves hinting at future events in a seemingly irrelevant way. Ironically, the most effective foreshadowing often goes unnoticed by readers until a reread. Here are some ways to weave it into your storytelling:

1. Subtext-rich dialogue

Even a casual remark, a joke, or awkward pause can foreshadow things. In Romeo and Juliet, when Romeo says, “My life were better ended by their hate, than death prorogued, wanting of thy love,” we don’t immediately think of it as an omen. Looking back, it’s frighteningly accurate. Dialogue allows you to slip in hints without drawing too much attention to them — until later, when you look back and realize the warning was right in front of you.

2. Game-Revealing Titles

A well-chosen title can foreshadow the story’s events. In Edgar Allan Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher, the crumbling mansion symbolizes more than just a decaying building. It foretells the literal and metaphorical collapse of the Usher family. Titles can work as a subtle sneak peek for the reader, hinting at what’s coming while leaving room for interpretation.

3. Atmosphere sets more than mood

In Great Expectations, Charles Dickens describes a stormy night with howling winds and uprooted trees just before Pip’s life takes a dark turn. The weather isn’t just dramatic, but an omen that trouble is brewing.

4. Symbolism & metaphors

The most subtle foreshadowing often uses figurative language. In David Copperfield, Dickens foreshadows betrayal with a simple simile: “I sat looking at Peggotty…whether, if she were employed to lose me like the boy in the fairy tale, I should be able to track my way home again by the buttons she would shed.” A seemingly innocent fairy tale reference? Maybe. A warning of abandonment? Absolutely.

5. Character details

Small details in a character’s behavior can foreshadow significant changes later in the story. Of Mice and Men gives us a classic example: Lennie’s gentle but destructive nature is first shown in how he accidentally kills small animals. Later, this same trait leads to tragedy. It may go unnoticed, but the effect creates a sense of inevitability.

Foreshadowing in modern fiction

Foreshadowing isn’t just for the literary greats — it’s a powerful tool in contemporary storytelling, too. In Fourth Wing, Rebecca Yarros plants clues about the deeper significance of dragon bonds and hidden political schemes. Small details, like a character’s signet power later unfold into game-changing revelations. Good foreshadowing encourages readers to look back and think, “Oh, it was there all along!”

The second draft is where the magic happens

If you find dropping hints in your first draft overwhelming, it’s because the plot isn’t fully developed yet. Don’t worry about it at this point. Just finish the story.

The truth is, most foreshadowing happens in revision. You might not realize where to do it in your first draft, but once the major events are in place, you can go back and plant breadcrumbs that make everything feel more cohesive. That’s the difference between a twist that feels random and one that feels well executed.

Finding the right balance

Too much foreshadowing? Your readers will see the ending coming from a mile away. Too little? They’ll feel blindsided. The key is to subtly weave in the clues without giving away the surprise.

A great example? A Song of Ice and Fire. When a character glimpses their reflection as a “drowned woman” in green armor, it’s just a fleeting image. But later, when the prophecy comes true, readers can trace it back to that moment. Subtle foreshadowing makes a story feel rich and rewarding on a second read.

Final thoughts

Foreshadowing is one of those techniques that only works when you know everything about the story. That’s why I recommend waiting until the second draft to drop your breadcrumbs.

For instance, it’s been revealed that J. K. Rowling plotted Harry Potter in meticulous detail before writing it, which allowed her to weave in subtle clues that paid off books later. If you want to master foreshadowing, planning is your best friend.

So, go forth and drop hints throughout your story. Your future readers will thank you when they reach the end of your book and realize just how cleverly you set it all up.