When something becomes made clear, usually something bad. Signifys specifically figuring something out by reading between the lines of the situation. A realization that - once made - would be foolish to ignore.
After that last financial meeting I can twll that the writingson the wall that they were going bankrupt. So I chose to find a new job as soon as I could.
The r/writing subreddit Principle states that if your question starts with the words "Is it ok" or something similar to that then the answer is invariably yes.
"Hello, r/writing. Can I use a particular gimmick or a plot device that has been used before but because I don't actually read books or do any research I just assume it to be a highly original idea?"