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.

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 … Class activity 2