I felt a little out of touch with my North Carolina life while I was in DC at Malice Domestic.
My cell phone decided that it wouldn’t charge with either of my two chargers. I emailed my husband and told him what was up—and to call me only if there was something important. If he wanted to just shoot the breeze, then email me.
So I was one of the first people at the cell phone store when it opened Monday morning.
A young guy in his early twenties helped me out. “I think,” I said, “that it’s the port on the phone and not the charger.”
He looked unhappy because this meant I would have to get a new phone from them with no charge. They’d already told me that they couldn’t fix broken phone ports, at least on that model.
He took my phone off into the back of the shop.
“It’s your charger,” he said breezily when he came back in. “It started charging just fine when I plugged it into our charger in the back.
I opened my pocketbook and took out both of my chargers. “So,” I said slowly, “you’re saying that both my chargers went bad? Simultaneously?”
He swallowed. I raised my eyebrows at him.
“Yes ma’am. That’s what I’m saying.”
“It’s sort of coincidental, wouldn’t you say?” I asked him.
He nodded.
“Do you mind checking it again?” I asked. “Just to make sure?”
Because coincidences do happen. But not all that often.
As a reader, coincidences can be frustrating to read. They can make the story seem really contrived…and make the writer look lazy.
But sometimes—life does work that way. Despite my doubts, the cell phone rep found that my phone chargers were both defective. Suddenly. At the same time. And there haven’t been any lightning storms or anything.
I’ve found that, when I’m reading, I’m more accepting of coincidences in some circumstances.
I think I don’t find it too unbelievable when two people meet as the result of a coincidence. I think I’m more inclined to toss that up as fate.
I also don’t mind small coincidences at the start of a book. Later on, if a coincidence is used to wrap up a book in a tidy way, that annoys the stew out of me. It just reeks of deus ex machina.
What about you? Do you ever use little coincidences or twists of fate as a writer? Do they bother you as a reader or are you able to overlook them?
This is a great point to bring up. I get terribly annoyed when strange coincidences seem completely contrived in books. I prefer it to feel like it was something that was meant to be–fate, I guess.
Coincidences happen in reality, but for some reason they’re harder to swallow in fiction. It feels too contrived.
I have all three of my main characters meet in the first scene of my latest wip, but there’s a bit of Fate (with a capital “F”) involved, and I try to keep her from interfering too much later on.
I think sometimes a big coincidence can get by better than some little ones. (It depends on how convenient it feels.)
For instance, sometimes it makes a nice twist for a clue that everyone follows as being Highly Significant turns out to be nothing. It has to be handled carefully, with psychological reasons for the misjudgement of the characters in thinking it was important.
But a lot of good mysteries hinged on the killers plans going awry by accident – and the detectives assuming that what happened was actually planned.
I don’t like coincidences at the end of novels either, when things wrap up way too smoothly. That’s not how real life works (unfortunately, haha).
Fate is okay, though sometimes even that can be silly. Coincidences are probably difficult to write, because of the whole “suspension of disbelief” thing. I haven’t tackled any coincidences in my writing yet.
Elizabeth – I have to say I’ve got a pet peeve about coincidences. I don’t like too many of them. Agatha Christie’s Poirot says, “I am always prepared to admit one coincidence.” I agree with him on that one.
In my own writing, the only coincidences I use are so that two characters can meet (e.g. one works at a store, and another shops there). I did use one small coincidence in my first novels so that my protag could find a particular clue. But otherwise, I try to avoid them. They are too contrived!
I guess it depends on what the coincidences are. If it’s something that I could stop and say, yeah that could happen, then I’m fine with it. But, if it’s one of those you’d say ‘never in a million years’ then I feel cheated as a reader.
As for the chargers, your luck sounds like mine. Glad you made both your flights safely. :)
Mason
Thoughts in Progress
I’m like you. Early is OK. Later on makes me angry.
I’m with you on this one. If a coincidence is used to wrap up a plot line, it annoys me. But I don’t mind little coincidences sprinkled here and there, because they do happen in real life and are beleivable.
karen
Most feel contrived. It’s more apparent in movies than in books, too. I hope I avoided coincidences in my book by letting nothing fall into place so easily.
Both chargers? Really?
“Just because it’s right doesn’t make it good” is what my crit group used to throw at me. In fiction, you have to set up a lot of these coincidences, or give explanations (quickly) so the reader doesn’t go, “well, isn’t THAT convenient.” I’m dealing with one in my current draft and have to decide when to let the reader know that it only looked like a coincidence.
I expect coincidences in fiction to be acknowledged. If the characters notice the coincidence and address it (with a comment or feeling), then it becomes more life-like (like your phone chargers, weird but true). If the coincidences aren’t acknowledged, then they seem like deus ex machina, especially, as you noted, at the end of a novel. Too tidy is not interesting.
Ah, coincidence. It’s easier to accept in real life than it is in fiction. In real life we call it serendipity or something like that. In fiction we call it contrived.
Elizabeth, old blogger buddy, I have an award for you at my blog today. Please stop by when you have time and pick up the cute little logo.
I accept coincidences happen, but I don’t accept coincidences happening at just the right time! The sleuth meeting the vital witness who just happens to be in possession of the indispensable piece of evidence just as all looks lost drives me nuts. Someone taking a wrong turn and discovering something? Absolutely fine. But coincidence piled atop of coincidence makes me roll my eyes. Too many eye rolls leads to me putting down the book.
I find coincidences extremely irritating. In my first mystery, the books ends where the two main protagonists don’t need to meet again. So how in my next book would they work together. I didn’t want it to be coincidence so I designed a better scheme but sometimes that’s what it takes – the author being creative.
CD (formerly ann elle altman)
I agree with Professor Stacy, small coincidences the characters address as such seem more plausible than large ones which seem to advance the plot. Of course, your post on foreshadowing the other day contains a perfect example of how reality is stranger or more contrived than fiction. Your husband had a “bad feeling” about your flight and you did experience a bit 0f trouble. You, of course, said you would never write a scene like this because it is unbelievable, despite the fact it actually happened.
A similar circumstance is when two (or more) characters are in the same location and yet manage to completely miss one another. This is used more in film/TV because of the visual gag, but could also be used in fiction effectively. And this does actiually happen. Ten to twelve years ago, my best friend, his son-to-be wife and I travelled to Washington, DC from Philly to see the Star Wars Props and Costume Exhibit at the Smithsonian. This was major fan event since it was prior to the new movies and Star Wars’s resaturation of popular culture. Unknown to us, our other good friend travelled from Morgantown, WV to see the same event on the very same day, but we never saw him. Only weeks later did we find out about our near miss.
I don’t think we we can completely rule out coincidences/near misses/synchroncity, but we must be judicious in using them.
If a coincidence is inconvenient to the characters allowing you to feel their discomfort that’s one thing. But I really don’t like coincidence as a way to end the work. It makes me think the author didn’t know how to end things. Or worse that the author became bored with his/her own book! That sort of thing influences whether I read another work by that author.
Mary
Giggles and Guns
11 comments:
Carolina–It’s just frustrating as a reader, isn’t it? I feel like I’ve invested a bunch of time in something that didn’t satisfy.
Laura–Wouldn’t it be nice if real life DID wrap up that smoothly? :)
Lorel–It’s just one of those “truth is stranger than fiction” things, isn’t it?
The Daring Novelist–The red herrings, yes, you’re right about that. We have to justify why the sleuth was fooled. But it’s important to show the reader they’re not alone in having the wool pulled over their eyes, I think.
You’re right about coincidences in mysteries. The killer plans for one thing to happen and another thing happens. It’s contrived…so why do we accept it? Because that’s the way it’s always been? It’s an interesting subject…
Alex–Can you believe it? I still halfway think they were telling me a story. But I’m on my way out to get replacements. If the NEW ones have a problem then I’m going to have to have a little talk with my friend at the store. :)
Margot–Poirot had the right idea. A series of coincidences is just too unbelievable.
Mason–Absolutely! And who wants to put down money for a book and feel cheated at the end?
Yes, I’m on my way out the door for a new set of chargers. Sigh. They didn’t have them at the store, so I’m driving to another location.
Professor Stacy–Good point! We should definitely acknowledge that we know it sounds far-fetched, but in one of life’s odd twists…it happened. By drawing attention to it ourselves, I think we make it a little more plausible.
Clarissa–Sounds like you thought it through really well and did some editing to fix the problem. And…it’s great to “see” you here again!
Ike–I think small is better, too, as far as coincidences go. And the smaller the better! It helps to just think about how plausible the event is. If it’s not at all plausible, is there another way to approach it? Is there another way to propel the plot?
I think sometimes the coincidence or the foreshadowing is just way too blatant…like my husband’s comment about the plane ride. Sort of a B-movie kind of device. But I think it *could* be foreshadowed or covered, but in a much more delicate way. But you’re absolutely right–I shy away from it. I have a *little* more stomach for coincidence as a reader than I do as a writer, but only really in the circumstances I mentioned. I feel like we’re all working very hard as writers and when a writer is just LAZY, it’s very annoying.
I’ve seen the device you’ve mentioned for ages, but never really thought about it. I wonder if it works better on film than in books? And why that is…
I’d LIKE to rule out coincidences, but you’re right…sometimes they happen. Maybe, also, if we point them out to the reader–in almost a “You know, this really seems like a huge coincidence, but…”
Maribeth–Isn’t that annoying? It makes me feel like the writer came up on deadline really quickly and coincidence was the quickest way out of the novel. It just gives a book a really flat ending.
If well written, I think coincidences and fate are okay in some circumstances and can help move the plot along. However, I find it very annoying if they are blatant or unreasonable incidents and happen throughout the book, especially at the end.
I try to avoid coincidences. I think they sometimes occur when one has already planned the ending or the next scene and then has to force the elements to fall into place to make it happen.
I like coincidences when they’re subtle and meaningful and make me sit back and say, “Wow. That’s fate” as opposed to “Hmm, that’s kind of a coincidence, don’t you think?” Nancy Drew is a BIG, BIG example of the coincidence factor – how she happens to be on the same plane as the bad guy – and so are Agatha Christie’s books, since Poirot (who is my absolute hero and I love him) always happens to be in the right place at the right time. But you could argue that coincidence is necessary in mystery, because if the detective isn’t there at the right time, there wouldn’t be a story! So I think it depends on the genre as well.
I have a few small coincidences but they are very small. Actually, I have the bad guys doing their due dilligence and a little bit og luck helps them. But yea, small time stuff. I like a good reason to bring about a twist in the plot or an action event.
Stephen Tremp
It depends on how well it’s handled. Rarely do I like seeing a coincidence in a novel, especially in the ending. I know it’s harder work for the writer, but I love seeing the characters solve clues through their wit.
Yeah, most coincidences feel contrived in a book. And, yet, in real life we do encounter coincidences. Authors can set up coincidences, though, so they don’t feel so out of the blue.
Helen
Straight From Hel
I’m with you. At the BEGINNING, I can buy that the coincidence is why the tale is being told… there would be no story without it, and they DO happen. Later though, when I’m invested, I want it to all be more logical.
THOUGH… something life doesn’t necessarily offer up… but I LIKE foreshadowing in books, and in a WAY that looks coincidental–might be a fine line, but ‘out of the blue’ solutions bug me even more than coincidence.
Carol–I guess we’re just not as emotionally invested at the beginning of the book.
Jane–If it keeps happening? For sure!
Karen–Oh definitely. A few that are sprinkled in and out are really fine…it’s just the major ones at the end of the book that especially bug me.
Diane–You could be right…when we’re writing backward? I never thought of it that way, but I bet that can really increase the times it happens.
Terry–Quick explanations should work out really well, I’d think. Good way to sidestep it.
Patricia–Very true. :) I love serendipity. Contrivances…eh, not so much.
Thanks for the award, Patricia!!
Elspeth– Ohhh, yeah. And we’ve not been introduced to this character until the book is almost done. Grr. I remember one book like that…and I want to say it’s by one of my favorite authors. But they pulled that trick and it really made me mad. I still read their next book, but I wasn’t in the store the day it came out or anything.
Stephen–I think most readers don’t even notice very small coincidences.
Teresa–It’s harder work, definitely, but you’re right–it pays off. The readers respect the story more.
Helen–I think you’re right. It’s the really blatant stuff that drives me nuts.
Hart–Yes, because life’s not like that. Things don’t just out of the blue tie up neatly. We have to suffer and we want the protagonist to go through the same problem-solving that we have to!
Julie–Very true. And tiny Cabot Cove in “Murder, She Wrote” had a murder every week! So maybe there are certain coincidences that mystery readers are more willing to put up with…depending on what the coincidence is.
What about you? Do you ever use little coincidences or twists of fate as a writer? Do they bother you as a reader or are you able to overlook them?
I often use the little coincidences in the beginning of my writing, only because it gets a little awkward and hard to explain towards the middle or end. However, as far as twists, I love a good twist at the end of a novel or literary work. I suppose it’s that feeling of “got you” or unexpectedness that I enjoy.
You’re right, in certain circumstances they work. But, it’s better if it’s a set-up, a time when they would naturally meet, like they both like baseball so of course they’d be at the same game, and need to pee at the same time. It could happen. That’s why NF is great, it really DID happen that way and was a convenient coincidence, even though we would’t accept it for a fiction story.
Chary–I’m with you…I do like twists. To me, though, those usually aren’t all coincidence-based. I love short stories with twisted endings. :)
Mary–I think you’re right…if we make the coincidence at least a *little* probable, then readers might accept it better.