Writer's Fallout Shelter

Good food for thought, Joe. I think there's a couple of elements worthy of note, here.
There are only so many catalysts for action.

1. Coincidence that introduces two inert components that, when combined, form a binary component resulting in action. Example: You're minding your own business, going to the story when you just happen to see this old flame from high school. A chance encounter with someone from your distant past. She's in trouble. Old emotions well up and you go into action to help her, an act entirely out of character for you.

2. Destiny- No coincidences here. These events are by God going to occur despite and inspite of every force of man and nature allied against it.

3. Intentional intervention- The protagonist sets out to right a wrong, take vengence, etc..and deliberately serves as the catalyst for the story. Or the protag is reacting to a chain or very ordinary events, that when combined, create an extraordinary circumstance.

There are probably other broadbrush scenarios but those three will serve for now.

The common denominator that ties the three together, is "convenience." Yes, real life coincidences and chance encounters occur every hour of every day. However, they don't usually occur in such a way that they directly effect a crisis-in-progress. (Sometimes, but not all that often.) Most are simply mundane encounters.

With fiction, writers are the masters of their domain. They can use chance encounters and coincidences to further the story, at will. In most stories, chance encounters or coincidences occur at precisely the time needed to further the plot. (If something isn't serving the plot, why use it at all, right?) The tendency among some writers is to use the "chance device" to drive the entire story, rather than allow the tale to unfold in a more naturally occuring, deliberate chain of events. Connecting the dots, if you will.

Chance is a great tool, but as with all great tools, it can, and has been abused because it's easy. Very, very easy. When used in small doses, the reader says, "Ohhhh, isn't that something!?" When used to excess, the reader says, "Oh, wasnt THAT convenient? When only a hammer will save our hero, a hammer falls from an airplane, falls 30,000 feer and lands at our hero's feet." Readers see this as lazy writing.

I think most of us understand that coincidence is a part of daily life. However, not all of those coincidences are of major importance. In fact, most aren't. The key is to never allow the notion that a coincidence is too convenience...unless it serves the story in a major way.

Just my two cents. Individual mileage may vary.









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"Have you ever been caught hiding bodies in your closet? No? Good place to hide them, uh?"

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