Recently, I learned a new writing term — telegraphing. Telegraphing is when you try to foreshadow but you simply aren’t subtle enough. Instead of gently hinting at something, instead of building suspense, you give it all away.
One of the best ways to foreshadow is to have something happen in a subplot that foreshadows an event in the main plot. This happens a lot in television and movies. The main character is struggling to meet her goal but has to break off to rescue her kid sister whose been betrayed by best friend or boy friend. Later on, the main character discovers that someone, maybe even kid sister, has been acting not for her but against her.
You can also use the setting to foreshadow the plot. An ominous bank of clouds. A snake slithering away through the brush. A raptor capturing prey. Little seemingly insignificant details can mean a lot.
Foreshadowing isn’t something that I’ve used much in my work, but I can already see that my next novel (my first young adult) would benefit greatly if I can learn to use this trick ahead of time. Obviously, I want to manage to foreshadow and not telegraph.
Anyone have any great tips for me? They’d be much appreciated.
–SueBE
One Writer's Journey 