NaraMoore ⛩️👻八尺様👻⛩️ at Fedi

#WritersCoffeeClub March 29. How do you handle foreshadowing? How do you navigate building up to the ‘big reveal’?

Usually through conversation. I know my characters very well and they talk normally. Things are revealed through that. When I spot a trend then it will end up with a reveal. You could say reveals grow out of foreshadowing.

As a serial, though, sometimes foreshadowing is weak. I know generally where things are going, but not specifics, especially with character drama.

Building tension is not my strong suit

#NMCC.

Mar 28, 2025 at 11:52pmWeb
Show threadNaraMoore ⛩️👻八尺様👻⛩️ at FediMar 29, 2025

#WritersCoffeeClub March 29. How do you handle foreshadowing? How do you navigate building up to the ‘big reveal’? Part 2

I have also used the blatant but cryptic announcements of some future event with just enough hints that once it happens, the reads say “oh-yes it was about that.” It might be a little heavy-handed (I am basically saying “Look, this is foreshadowing.”) but it works. But’s better then the device I sometimes see of “Statement about something,” then thrid wall break of “But, I will tell about that later,” of “That’s another story."

The big clue is best used with a long gap and the big reveal is a rabbit out of the hat. And shouldn't over used. It's so obvious that the reader is going to remember.

An example: Ume cryptically says that Tomo needs to talk to Ume’s Kami protector about something. The 2 volume later, wa-la Kami drops the bombshell on Tomo. #NMWCC

Show threadNaraMoore ⛩️👻八尺様👻⛩️ at FediMar 29, 2025

#WritersCoffeeClub March 29. How do you handle foreshadowing? How do you navigate building up to the ‘big reveal’? Part 3

Since much of the more subtle foreshadowing is done by brief comments, the character drops they are sometimes in error. That means when something else happens, I may close off the Maguffin with a character comment like, “Wow, I wasn’t expecting that, so much better than what I thought would happen.” Conversely, “That sucks. I wish...”

This is most likely when I have a problem I am still working out a solution for and the I suddenly find a better solution. Or I wish for the character to be incorrect. I like to establish my characters are not infalable narrators.

I would give an example, but it would be a spoiler.

#NMWCC