by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
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| Morgue File–o0o0xmods0o0o |
Sometimes when we’re drafting a book or
writing an outline, we’ll run into something that needs
to happen in the plot, but is clumsy, or seems convenient or contrived.
writing an outline, we’ll run into something that needs
to happen in the plot, but is clumsy, or seems convenient or contrived.
I’m working on something now and ran into
this problem. As a matter of fact, I’ve
run into this same exact problem in a different manuscript. I need to have my sleuth’s home broken into.
How can I get away with that? She has
nosy neighbors. She’s alert. She’s, as a matter of fact, an insomniac. The villains in my stories are gifted
amateurs, not career criminals with a knack for picking locks.
this problem. As a matter of fact, I’ve
run into this same exact problem in a different manuscript. I need to have my sleuth’s home broken into.
How can I get away with that? She has
nosy neighbors. She’s alert. She’s, as a matter of fact, an insomniac. The villains in my stories are gifted
amateurs, not career criminals with a knack for picking locks.
It’s difficult to make this break-in
happen without making my sleuth appear dumb, forgetful, careless, or generally
unfit for sleuthing.
happen without making my sleuth appear dumb, forgetful, careless, or generally
unfit for sleuthing.
Why would she leave a door unlocked when
there is a killer afoot? How could my
newbie killer easily and stealthily break into her house, if she hasn’t left
the door unlocked?
there is a killer afoot? How could my
newbie killer easily and stealthily break into her house, if she hasn’t left
the door unlocked?
How will she get away from this intruder
once he gets in? He intends to murder
her since she’s such a pest and since she’s also discovered important
information…that she doesn’t yet even realize is important.
once he gets in? He intends to murder
her since she’s such a pest and since she’s also discovered important
information…that she doesn’t yet even realize is important.
It’s important that whatever reason I
happen on is mentioned previously in the story.
In other words, I don’t suddenly need to have the intruder inside the
house and have Myrtle think, “Oh no—I forgot to lock the door.” Better to let the reader in on the forgetting
when it happens, if that’s the approach I want to take with the contrivance.
happen on is mentioned previously in the story.
In other words, I don’t suddenly need to have the intruder inside the
house and have Myrtle think, “Oh no—I forgot to lock the door.” Better to let the reader in on the forgetting
when it happens, if that’s the approach I want to take with the contrivance.
So…I make my lists. In the hopes of helping anyone else with
their own plot holes and struggles with conveniences, I’ll share some of what
would go onto mine:
their own plot holes and struggles with conveniences, I’ll share some of what
would go onto mine:
She leaves the door unlocked because
she’s lugging something heavy into the house and forgets to go back to lock it.
she’s lugging something heavy into the house and forgets to go back to lock it.
She absentmindedly leaves the door
unlocked when she walks in and hears a ringing phone and then ends up on a
disturbing phone call.
unlocked when she walks in and hears a ringing phone and then ends up on a
disturbing phone call.
She locks the door but leaves a window
cracked to let the cat in and out.
cracked to let the cat in and out.
Someone she trusts comes in behind her
and Myrtle thinks the trusted friend has locked the door behind her (and leaves
later from a different door), but the trusted friend doesn’t lock it—for
whatever reason. Complex and rather messy.
and Myrtle thinks the trusted friend has locked the door behind her (and leaves
later from a different door), but the trusted friend doesn’t lock it—for
whatever reason. Complex and rather messy.
The killer breaks a window quietly by
taping it with duct tape and then holding a dishtowel up to the window and
striking it with a hammer.
taping it with duct tape and then holding a dishtowel up to the window and
striking it with a hammer.
The intruder gets hold of a spare key or
somehow copies her key…this will require a good deal more set-up.
somehow copies her key…this will require a good deal more set-up.
The sleuth left it unlocked on purpose
and lured the killer there as a trap.
(And she has some sort of back-up—since we don’t need the additional
problem of a main character doing something stupid or conveniently reckless.)
and lured the killer there as a trap.
(And she has some sort of back-up—since we don’t need the additional
problem of a main character doing something stupid or conveniently reckless.)
In the for-what-it’s-worth department, my
editors’ views on conveniences tends to be that—as long as I’ve put some effort
into setting it up—the readers will suspend their disbelief. In other words, they absolutely don’t want a
moment where the sleuth realizes she forgot to lock the door and that’s the
first the readers hear about it—when the intruder has entered her house. They
want the readers to see her forgetting
to lock the door.
editors’ views on conveniences tends to be that—as long as I’ve put some effort
into setting it up—the readers will suspend their disbelief. In other words, they absolutely don’t want a
moment where the sleuth realizes she forgot to lock the door and that’s the
first the readers hear about it—when the intruder has entered her house. They
want the readers to see her forgetting
to lock the door.
Is it too much of a coincidence that
she’d forget to lock the door on the very night the intruder wants to break
in? Well, it’s definitely a coincidence.
Although I’d point out that my husband—incredibly scrupulous about locking
doors—left his car unlocked once many years ago while he carried in Christmas
presents from a shopping trip. He forgot
to lock it later. And that was the one time in 20 years of marriage that we had
something stolen from a car. Coincidences do
happen. I think, though, that it’s a
good idea to only have one big
coincidence in a story.
she’d forget to lock the door on the very night the intruder wants to break
in? Well, it’s definitely a coincidence.
Although I’d point out that my husband—incredibly scrupulous about locking
doors—left his car unlocked once many years ago while he carried in Christmas
presents from a shopping trip. He forgot
to lock it later. And that was the one time in 20 years of marriage that we had
something stolen from a car. Coincidences do
happen. I think, though, that it’s a
good idea to only have one big
coincidence in a story.
More posts
on convenience, contrivances, and more:
on convenience, contrivances, and more:
The Editor’s Blog–Coincidence
Destroys the Suspension of Disbelief –by Beth Hill.
Destroys the Suspension of Disbelief –by Beth Hill.
The Other Side of the Story–What
a Coincidence! Creating Plots That Don’t Feel Like Accidents—by Janice
Hardy
a Coincidence! Creating Plots That Don’t Feel Like Accidents—by Janice
Hardy
Beyond the Margins—Managing
Coincidence—by Leslie Greffenius
Coincidence—by Leslie Greffenius
Writers in the Storm–9 Plots That Rely On Coincidence and Contrivance—by
Kara Lennox
Kara Lennox
How do you handle convenience in a plot?
How much, as a reader, can you overlook in a story?
How much, as a reader, can you overlook in a story?
Maybe the lock is broken/malfunctioning. It bothers her when she first notices it, but is so busy with solving a murder that she doesn’t have time to get a new lock made. (I had an apartment with that problem. You’d turn the lock, but the deadbolt wouldn’t slide in all the way, so it only stayed locked about half the time)
Or maybe she’s waiting up for somebody to come over, and that person’s taking forever so she leaves the door open for them while she goes to take a shower or heads to bed.
And you’re quite right — I think we writers over-think these plot holes way more than the readers do sometimes. I’ve caught what I thought were glaring plot holes that nobody else ever seems to notice. Always good to be thorough, though :D
Elizabeth – Thanks for sharing what it’s like when you face that issue of ‘How do I set up this scene?’ I think a lot of us writers run into that challenge. I like your idea of brainstorming a list of possibilities. That can help to jog one’s creativity. I was thinking, for what it’s worth, that the door could have been left unlocked when a solicitous but forgetful neighbour comes over to check up on your sleuth, but because that person’s mind is elsewhere, forgets to lock the door after the visit. Your sleuth might have a headache or a temperature or some little thing and not think about the door – until it’s too late. Just my $.02.
Sometimes contrivance bothers me and somethings it doesn'[t. Most who-done-it mysteries have contrivance in them. The trick is for the author to hide it and not make it seem contrived.
An example (thought of after I posted my last post): The book where the narrator is the villain and it doesn’t it occur to you until the end of the book that the author’s explanation for not having the usual narrator was really just a contrivance to set up the plot.
I guess I’m not such a picky reader – they don’t bother me all that much, but I love learning how you think through issues like this. It is so very helpful to me.
Stealing her key and making a duplicate seems plausible. Maybe someone she works with could do that?
T.L. –Love these ideas! I’d never thought about a broken deadbolt or purposefully leaving the door unlocked. :)
As long as the readers don’t notice these things, we’re good!
Diane–Y’all are better at coming up with ideas than I am. :)
Margot –Brilliant idea! And certainly would make sense, since my story is populated with solicitous neighbors who get on my sleuth’s nerves.
Joe–You’re right…most whodunits definitely have contrivance. I guess it’s bad only when the *readers* notice it and it jumps out at them. That would pull them right out of the story.
Good example! No fun feeling tricked. If I’m tricked, I want the trick to at least be *fair*.
I also did a post on this — about using contrivances to raise the level of your story.
http://daringnovelist.blogspot.com/2012/12/writing-cozy-mystery-twisting-your.html
When we think of the masters of our genre (from Christie to Hitchcock) one of the things they raised to a high art was playing on the contrivances, turning them into wonderful ironies and twists.
Karen–I’m so glad! And thanks for coming by. :)
There are some good possibilities there, and each one could be tweaked to fit.
I got to the end of my first book and had to figure out a logistical way for Byron to get in and out of the enemy ship. I think I outlined that scene five times before I found a plausible answer.
How about someone getting in disguised as a representative of the electric power company?
Cold As Heaven
Alex–That’s a lot of outlining! (And yes, the word ‘outlining’ still makes me shudder.) :)
CA Heaven–That would work out really well, actually….and happens pretty frequently in real life, too (at least, we’re always being warned about that kind of stuff in the newspaper.)
The Daring Novelist–Very nice post!
Oh, I like the way you look at it. Yes, instead of a contrivance, it’s a statement of irony (totally plausible, if it’s done smoothly!)
Great post. I struggle with coincidences in my drafts (dangers of being a pantster I guess). I’ve finally come to the conclusion that I can use coincidences to get the MC into trouble, but not to get her out of trouble. I’m hoping it works!
I love how you let us in on your process. In my first YA book, I wrote too many coincidences. Good thing my critique partner outed me!
My main character has an old-fashioned lock on her back door that she hadn’t gotten around to replacing with a deadbolt. It’s the kind that locks behind you when you close it, and can be jimmied open with something narrow and stiff, like a butter knife. She had always meant to have it replaced, but her deadbeat brother kept putting it off.
Jemi–Now that’s interesting! I think I like that approach.
Julie–Crit partners and beta readers are worth their weight in gold! Yes, I’m thinking 1 big coincidence per book. As a reader, I start feeling like I’m being duped if it’s more than that…
Sandra–Aha! The kind of thing that might be in an older home…such as my protagonist lives in. :)
There’s also the contrivance, if you will, of the narrator simply announcing the preposterosity of the coincidence. I’ve done it, but you don’t have to in this case.
Your complex scenario is perfect.
Someone involved in the case comes over on that very day for a related reason. That trusted friend forgets to lock the door, or doesn’t even know it should be locked, and your protagonist makes an invalid assumption about the friend’s door-locking habits.
That way, it’s not contrived coincidence, it’s a natural result of the plot’s forward momentum. Of COURSE the visitor came that day, that’s the day the IMPORTANT EVENT happened. And of course the visitor forgot to lock the door, or didn’t know: under stress, less habituated people are more forgetful.
That, or just have the bad guys break a window. Desperation solves a lot of problems.