Fun with
Foreshadowing
Writing activity concepts by Catherine MacPhail
Things to remember
• Hinting at what is to come in a story is called
foreshadowing.
• Foreshadowing keeps the reader hooked,
makes the reader want to read on.
• Foreshadowing is a tactic used to create
suspense in a story.
Class activity 1
Write the opening paragraph of a story and
finish it with your own foreshadowing of what’s
to come – good or bad, scary or thrilling! Here
is an example opening paragraph that uses
foreshadowing:
We all arrived at the lakeside cottage, my friends and I, for a
weekend of fun. The lake sparkled in the sun; we could hear
the birds singing in the trees. Then darkness fell, and for
one of us, this weekend was going to be no fun at all.
Class activity 2
When you’ve finished reading Copycat, rewrite
the first chapter, but this time from Mimi’s
point of view, and in her voice. What is she
thinking? What is she planning? Think about
the foreshadowing clues you picked up all
along the way …