My writing friend and I both lead writing groups. The two of us also enjoy discussing, even debating, the merits and shortcomings regarding various novels and movies. We usually agree, but not always.
Recently he and I disagreed about just how serious plot holes are to the success of a movie. For instance, I’m a fan of everything from the Star Trek franchise, from the original TV series and early movies up to the latest batch of movies. My friend insists he’s also a Trekki, but he then goes on to lambast the newer movies because the writers and directors allowed glaring plot holes to go unchecked. Those plot holes vex him so much he has nothing good to thing to say about the films. Of course, I have to disagree with him because he’s taking those minor problems too seriously.
I love most science fiction movies, including the newer Star Trek films. I find these movies fun, interesting, and satisfying, I like both the actors and the action, and will certainly watch them again. As a result, I don’t care about the plot holes that have turned him off.
Days later this debate of ours led me to wonder about plot holes in general and just how serious they can be for the story’s success. Granted, a plot hole indicates an inconsistency in the storyline. These gaps that deviate from the flow of logic already established in the story may seem trivial, but they may also indicate a colossal blunder.
Some readers and viewers shrug these off, but for others, the inconsistencies distract their attention from the story, even if the tale includes a lot of nail-biting action. Often, these distractions make the story feel less believable, which is not a positive reflection on the author. Being unable to “get into” the story because parts of it don’t make sense may lead to bad reviews and customers who don’t return.
For instance, I dearly love the movie Gravity with Clooney and Bullock because it occurs in space and it’s exciting and fun. However, some unhappy viewers point out the big physics mistake near the beginning where Clooney insists that Bullock has to cut him loose to save herself. And yet, since they are in space, there should be no gravity pulling on that tether between them. She would only need to tug once on the tether to cause Clooney to float towards her. But then, that maneuver would have greatly changed the movie because Clooney would have been Bullock’s partner for the rest of a show where she was destined to be alone. Regardless of the physics gaffe, most movie goers enjoyed that film a lot.
As with movies, plot holes can be disastrous for a novel. The reader wants to believe the author knows what he or she is doing as they are writing the story. Yet, if a character dies in chapter 10 and suddenly appears safe and sound in chapter 22, the reader will lose faith in the author. Years ago, I edited a manuscript where that happened. The returning woman wasn’t a ghost or a zombie: the author just forgot that he had killed off that character twelve chapters before. Granted, that character wasn’t a major one in the book, but still…most readers would have caught it, and unfortunately, they would have wondered why the author didn’t catch it either.
A good way to reduce character and continuity plot holes is to keep a ‘Novel Journal’. A novel journal doesn’t have to be large or complicated. It simply consists of a few columns for noting the details of each chapter, like time, season, characters, and setting. Then, when the author starts writing chapter 22, he or she only has to scan these notes to get an overview of the appropriate setting and characters for chapter 22.
For a brief explanation about the seven major types of plot holes and how to fix them, check out this YouTube video by Brandon McNulty: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipdaoMiLjJc&t=66s
Write on!
Ann
Thank you for this enjoyable and helpful article.