Incidents, not Coincidence
Everybody knows that James Bond is loaded with gadgets like a watch that houses a pull-out wire in case he wants to strangle somebody on the job, or the dart-shooting cigarettes in case he needs to ask for his last cigarette before being executed. That works fine for Bond movies, but in your carefully crafted story, you need to employ more convincing plot devices to get your main characters out of their dilemmas.
Coincidence in real like can turn a dull day into something special - it really does feel like the hand of God is involved. But in fiction, coincidence will turn a ripping yarn into a ripped up manuscript. Remember, fiction that sells tends to focus on a central character’s need, and the measures they take to fulfill them. It is full of purpose: so much so that the action feeds back into the character to produce changeor resistance to change. The last thing the reader, who should be caught up in the drama of your main character’s ordeals, wants is to witness a powerful external force swing into the picture and tidy everything up.
It can sometimes be hard to avoid Deus Ex Machina in your plotting, but it is always worth avoiding. To find out how read the next installment of ‘All-time Top 7 Plotting Mistakes and How to Avoid them at al Cost‘ which is now live at Scribble Resources. You are more than welcome to leave your comments.
