What to do when that damned plot device gets jammed

So amidst the carnage and terror of your story you realize that you’re stuck. That plot device that seemed absolutely stellar when it first came onto the page now seems daunting, and you sit dejectedly staring at the flickering light of your computer screen uncertain of your next move. I’ve had this happen all too many times, and I’m certain it will happen again, so I write this nearly as much for myself as anyone else.

First, breathe. And, by God, I loathe starting any paragraph with ‘First’ – a hatred beaten into me all the way back in my freshman year of high school. Regardless, the first thing to look at is context. Why did this plot device seem so damn integral? Is it an explicitly stated set of rules that the violation of pushes towards conflict? Was it an item that seems like a perfect push towards the answers to your unwinding mystery? Think on that. Context is key, and by revisiting it you can often just edit the context to make the plot device flow freely once again.

Not an issue that context can solve? Easy enough. Do you really, really need that plot device then? Some ideas seem great at the time, but end up being too cumbersome or disruptive to properly integrate into the story once you’ve lost sight of them. You don’t need to make a rash decision, but sitting on it will soon become a defense mechanism and then you’ll be winding yourself tighter by blocking your writing from interacting with that plot device. To counter this, just limit any thinking you need about it to a full day and by then commit to making your choice.

The key takeaway is to make a bold choice. If a plot device isn’t integral and logical in its use, or at least legitimately revelatory, then discard it. There are exceptions, such as if it causes a massive amount of time to rewrite parts of your story, but in general you can boil down the issue to thinking about the context and deciding if the plot device is worthy of staying. If not, just excise it. It’s easy to add detail, but it’s rarely easy to cut it. Still, sometimes there’s nothing better for your story than honing the focus.