How To: Write Mystery/Thriller

foreshadowing

Foreshadowing (verb) - warns or gives indication of a future event.

Have we already talked about giving hints to the reader about what is going to happen? I don't think we have.

Foreshadowing is such an amazing thing to do in thriller books because in the back of your reader's head (whether they realise it or not) they begin to come up with theories.

Example of foreshadowing:

'When I woke up that morning, I felt dead...'

This is a metaphor but depending on the story this could be foreshadowing. Let's say this phrase comes from a book where the character gets killed in their bed, this line immediately hints at that without the reader realising it.

Readers will assume that the writer is just talking about the character being tired but when they come to know about what really happens they may look back and realise that there were hints all the way throughout the book.

It's just a really fun thing to throw into your writing.