The Art of Placing Breadcrumbs in Your Story

Some of the most satisfying moments in fiction happen when readers suddenly realise the clues were there all along. I always talk about this in workshops so some of you may have heard it before from me, but a perfect example of this is in the movie The Sixth Sense with Bruce Willis (the film is 27 years old now, so you would have seen it already if you wanted to, and this contains SPOILERS!). 

In the film it turns out the character you had been with all through the film was a ghost, and I thought, no, that can’t be true, because he spoke to people, he had dinner with his wife and talked to her! I immediately rewound the film and saw that NONE of those things had happened. He never interacted with anyone apart from the one boy who could see him. The anniversary dinner with his wife, where we thought he had arrived late and she was pissed off with him, and said “Happy anniversary” before leaving, was just her, by herself, thinking of him and saying “Happy Anniversary” to his memory, while his helpless ghost sat by. Other scenes also reveal the real truth, but they fit into the narrative so perfectly and so smoothly that the ending could not be faulted. We could not claim “cheat” or shout “how ridiculous”. It is a perfect example of breadcrumb laying.

Breadcrumbs are the small details, hints, echoes, and moments of foreshadowing that quietly prepare the reader for what’s to come. Done well, they don’t draw attention to themselves at the time. They simply settle into the fabric of the story.

A breadcrumb can be almost anything: a repeated phrase, an unusual object, a passing comment, a moment of hesitation, or a seemingly insignificant decision. Later, when its meaning becomes clear, the story gains a sense of cohesion and inevitability.

The key is subtlety. If a clue feels too heavily signposted, readers may predict the twist too early. But if there are no breadcrumbs at all, major revelations can feel unearned or disconnected.

Breadcrumbs also create emotional resonance. Returning to an earlier image or detail near the ending can give the reader a powerful sense of completion, even in a quiet story.

One useful exercise is to reread your ending and ask yourself: What could I quietly plant earlier to make this land more deeply? Try it and see what happens.

Do you enjoy spotting clues and foreshadowing while reading, or do you prefer surprises to catch you completely off guard? Let me know in the comments at the end of the page.

And before you get to the bottom - just a reminder that I have two events happening soon:

One is Writers Reading Zoom on Thursday 18th June at 7pm UK. The featured reader is Juanita Ozamiz. There are still some reading slots available so please book your free ticket first and then let me know if you would like a slot.

The second is the Zoom launch of Ancestral Virgins, the novel in three volumes by Fiona J Mackintosh. This is on Saturday 30th June at 8pm UK.

More details of both of these can be found by clicking on "Courses and Events" on the menu at the top of this page, where you will be able to get your free tickets.

Until next time, happy writing!