RpNation

Foreshadowing

Flash-Forward?

I considered foreshadowing, but that's not exactly what I'm looking for.

Flash-forward, but since I have to discuss this with my English teacher I would prefer if it were more formal. It definitely is an option, though.

An example would be the murder occurs in the first paragraph of a crime story, and then is brought up again when the characters actually experience it.

Now that I think about it, is that actually something writers use?

It's called a "hook" to draw readers in. And yes, lots of writers like to use this trick to immediately catch a reader's interest and keep the pages turning.