A note from Daniel

Foreshadowing is when events early in a narrative give clues as to what is going to happen later. What happens early on in a story essentially makes a promise to the audience about what might happen later, so it's important for a writer to fulfill that promise. However, sometimes an author may deliberately mislead the audience with what seems like a future plot device but in fact goes nowhere. Known as a "red herring," when this technique is used deliberately, it can be an effective means of keeping an audience on their toes and of challenging their expectations. To surprise readers in an even stronger way, a writer may incorporate a plot twist. This occurs when a plot changes direction, breaking the previous chain of causality.

Daniel The Great Mental Models, Volume 4, page 319 · January 9, 2025 Save to shelf
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