Just some tips on writing your novels or stories. I know how hard it can be to start, to create your characters and to keep track of your characters. I wrote this book with the hope that I can help at least one person. Enjoy it!
Please note that not...
Now that we know what a plot hole is and have looked at home examples, you might be wondering how they can occur in the first place. Here are a few ways a plot hole can creep into your story:
Losing track of details. A lot of times a plot hole is created simply because the author forgets a detail of the story. This mistake is understandable-there can be an overwhelming amount of details you need to keep track of in a novel, and it becomes even more challenging if you're writing a series!
Going back to our earlier examples of inconsistency and contradiction, both of these plot holes could have been avoided if the author had been keeping a close eye on the details.
Not setting clear rules and following them. If you're writing a fantasy story, you need to set rules about how your world works and then follow them. If you don't set rules, you're likely to create contradictions and inconsistencies later in the story.
Not thinking things through.Sometimes plot holes happen because the author fails to look at all the angles and think things through. Usually in this sort of situation, the writer is more focused on making things exciting or interesting instead of paying attention to the logical, natural actions the characters would take in the situation.
In our example of an illogical plot hole above, this could have been avoided if the author had put themselves in the character's shoes and asked what the character would logically do to escape.
Lack of thorough research. Whether you're writing a medical drama, historical romance, or detective thriller, if you don't do careful research you're likely to create plot holes.
Not every reader might catch these mistakes, but some will. If a nurse reads your medical drama and realizes you have no clue about surgical procedures, she will either become frustrated with your book or laugh at you.
Lack of explanation. Sometimes plot holes are created simply because the author neglects to explain something.
Let's go back to our earlier example of our tied-up hero with the fire powers. The reason she has to use that shard of glass to cut through the ropes is because the bad guys have used some sort of special fire-proof ropes so she can't use her powers to escape.
But the author neglected to mention this so the reader is left to wonder, why doesn't she just burn through them?? This leads them to believe there's a plot hole.
Lack of set-up or foreshadowing. Have you ever read a book or watched a movie where something seemed to come out of nowhere? Two characters are suddenly making out and you didn't even realize they were attracted to each other. Or the hero is lucky enough to find that gun under his bed when the serial killer is about to murder him.
Situations like these can feel like an inconsistency or contradiction in characters or plot. Where did that gun come from? Why are these two characters in love all of a sudden?
To prevent these sorts of things from feeling like a plot hole, you need to foreshadow or set them up earlier in the story before they happen. Show the characters flirting. Show how the gun got under the bed. Then your reader won't call into question your consistency or logic.
How do You Find and Fix Plot Holes?
Some plot holes you may discover as you write your first draft, but most you probably won't notice until you get into editing. The more time you spend with your story the more familiar you will become with it, and the easier it will become to spot plot holes.
Get to know your story inside out. Then, learn to look at it with a critical, careful eye. Think through your scenes and story details and look at them from different angles. Are they logical? Are they consistent? Do they make sense?
I also highly recommended getting another set of eyes on your story. Beta readers will come to your novel with a different perspective and will be able to spot plot holes you may have missed.
If you do come across a plot hole, try asking the following questions to begin brainstorming a solution to fix it:
How much of the story did this detail effect?
How much will I need to change? (i.e. the ripple effect)
Can I simply remove this detail completely?
Can I change this detail or replace it with something else that makes sense?
Do I need to add, remove, or change something else in the story for this detail to work?
Do I need to provide more explanation?
Can I explain away this detail to make it work?
What would my characters naturally do in this situation?
Do I need to set up or foreshadow this detail earlier in the story?
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