When faced with the various “rules” of writing, writers often want to know when, if, or how they can break the rules. The truth is that if our writing is strong enough, we can get away with just about anything because our readers will trust us.

Obviously, just about any aspect of writing contributes to readers’ sense of whether our writing is “strong.” However, certain elements are more important in contributing to readers’ sense of whether we and/or our story have a plan, whether we’re going to take them on a worthwhile journey.

As I mention in that second link above:

“A strong voice and good storytelling fills the reader with confidence, reassures them that everything has a purpose… Readers are swept along…just following wherever the story leads.”

Okay, so a strong, confident voice gets readers into our corner. What about the storytelling aspect? How can we convince readers that our story has a purposeful destination in mind, and thus that they should stick around even if we break the “rules”?

As we’ve talked about before, we want to include elements that give our story meaning. Let’s talk more about making our story feel purposeful and meaningful—with foreshadowing.