Monday, June 22, 2015

What is 'predicting' and 'foreshadowing' and what is the difference between them?How can I define "flashback'?Thanks for helping!

To my mind, predicting is done primarily by the reader, whereas foreshadowing is done primarily by the author.


Readers make predictions all the time, even where the author has not really dropped any hints regarding the outcome of the story's plot.  For example, as soon as you pick up a book about a mountain-climbing expedition, you probably begin making predictions about whether the climbers will reach the top of the mountain safely.  You tend to make these predictions  even if the author is doing nothing more than telling the story in a simple, chronological order.


By contrast, foreshadowing is an element that is purposefully and skillfully inserted into a story by its author.  For example, our mountain-climbing author might begin his story by mentioning that the region in which the climb is taking place is often plagued by hurricanes.  When you first read this, you might think that this is just a bit of background information about the setting.  Really, the author is hinting to you that the expedition is going to be troubled by rain and high winds.


Of course, when the author foreshadows, the savvy reader predicts.  But savvy readers predict even when the author has not foreshadowed.

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