How to Catch All the Plot Holes in Your Book

As a writer, ensuring that your story is coherent and free from plot holes is crucial. A plot hole is an inconsistency or inconsistency in the story that makes a scene or the narrative in general feel nonsensical. These can range from characters becoming strong enough to defeat powerful foes without explanation to events that don't logically follow from the established rules of your world. Identifying and fixing these issues can be challenging, but with a systematic approach, you can ensure that your story is both engaging and believable.

Understanding Plot Holes

A plot hole is generally introduced either accidentally, due to rushed writing, or intentionally, to align with a writer's vision. Accidental plot holes might arise from a writer’s excitement to add a scene that breaks the narrative flow. For example, a character might suddenly become superhuman without a preceding explanation, or a fantastical creature might possess abilities that are not consistent throughout the story. These inconsistencies can detract from the reader's immersion and enjoyment of the plot.

Identifying Plot Holes

One effective way to catch and rectify plot holes is to actively look for instances where the story doesn't make sense. Start by rereading your work, paying particular attention to the following areas:

Character abilities and development: Ensure that characters' strengths and weaknesses are consistent over time. World-building: Verify that the rules of your universe, such as the source of magic or the guidelines for physics, are applied consistently across the story. Event causality: Check that actions and events logically follow the established rules and precedents of your story. Dialogue: Confirm that conversations between characters are natural and align with the characters' knowledge and experiences.

Solving Plot Holes: A Case Study from "Tales of Vesperia"

To illustrate how to effectively address plot holes, let's take a closer look at a game story: Tales of Vesperia.

The game centers around a group called the Brave Vesperia, whose mission is to save their world by using magic and weapons to defeat strong monsters. However, several plot holes arose:

Where does magic come from? How is a human strong enough to defeat monsters that no one else can? How do characters survive being hit multiple times? How do characters level up? Why is one sword significantly stronger than another?

To resolve these plot holes, the writers introduced a gameplay element called Aer. Aer was described as a substance produced by springs called Aer Krene, whose levels on the planet are managed by the Entelexeia. Under normal circumstances, Aer is too weak to be seen or felt. By establishing Aer as the primary source of strength in the world, the writers were able to explain how characters could defeat monsters and why certain weapons were stronger than others.

Editing Dialogues to Remove Plot Holes

Plot holes can also manifest in dialogues. Examine your dialogues closely to ensure that they are consistent and logical. For example, consider the following dialogue involving characters X, Y, and Z:

"You rarely look like my sister. You're more like your father."

This dialogue may create confusion if the reader wonders why the aunt of Z has never seen her sister Y in 20 years and now recognizes a 17-year-old child, Z, as resembling the father, X. To avoid this, the dialogue should be rephrased as:

"You're hardly like my sister. You probably took after your father."

This change indicates that the aunt is merely guessing and has no actual memory of Y.

Conclusion

By actively looking for and addressing plot holes, you can significantly enhance the quality and coherence of your story. Whether through world-building, character development, or dialogue editing, resolving these inconsistencies is vital for maintaining reader immersion. With careful attention to detail, you can create a story that is both engaging and devoid of plot holes.

Remember, the key is to balance creative vision with logical consistency, ensuring that every moment in your story resonates with the reader's experience.