Prediction, Foreshadowing, and Climax

In a mystery, the writer mentions a warped back door long before the power fails. When a museum guard needs a way out, that detail may matter. A reader can predict that the door will stick. Which action turns the conflict depends on what the guard does next.

Tell the three ideas apart

A prediction is a conclusion about what will probably happen. Look for a stated plan, a pattern, or a condition. A warped door gives a reason to expect trouble opening it.

Foreshadowing is an early detail that prepares the reader for a later event. The warped door becomes a clue when the guard turns the handle and the door will not open.

The climax is the decisive turning point in the main conflict. When the guard releases a floor latch and lifts the door slightly so it can swing free, that action changes the outcome. Walking out afterward shows the result.

On a first reading, a clue can support several predictions. After the later event, reread the early detail and ask whether it actually prepares the reader for that event.

Watch how a clue prepares the reader

Watch how a conflict reaches its turning point

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