Tim Thraeryn asked Peng Shepherd:

As you write, what thoughts do you have about foreshadowing? What sort of balance do you aim for?

Peng Shepherd I think about foreshadowing a lot when writing, as it can really build anticipation and tension (which is always fun to read), but the process itself is still a little bit mysterious for me.

Sometimes, I know right from the start what big reveal I’m building toward, and writing those instances of foreshadowing is very planned and strategic. It’s a game of trying to hint at just enough but not give away too much. But occasionally—usually in the first draft, when I’m still developing the plot and don’t know everything that will happen or all the little connections yet—I’ll write a line or scene that I suddenly realize is foreshadowing for something I didn’t even know was going to occur! That’s always a really exciting moment because even though I’m the one creating it, I get to feel that same sense of discovery in my story as the reader.

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