Filling in the Plot Holes

So your editor emails you and points out that the scene you thought was really cool has a number of problems: The weapon in use just doesn't do that. The character you used to shoot the villain has been established to have nothing to shoot him with. And it's in a country that makes no sense for the heroes to have traveled that quickly. And why did the princess that you've taken pains to establish as a pacifist charge into battle with a Viking battle ax, a culture you established doesn't exist?

A little exaggerated, but we've all had to deal with plot holes. Most plot holes come into play because we were tired and just needed something to fill the gap. Or it was a placeholder scene that we forget to edit out or change. Or even the dreaded "a change was made and not allowed for". Regardless, somehow or another a minor little issue gets introduced and makes no sense in the greater scheme of things, and can sometimes snowball into a much bigger problem.

Don't feel bad; every writer since the beginning of time has had to deal with them, but only recently have they become actual issues. Ironically, this is because the audience has become a little savvier, so this means that we as writers need to up our game as well. That is, with everyone looking for content, analysis of written works is becoming more and more detailed, and all of those content creators are looking for something to pick apart. While ancient authors could blame plot holes on the appearance of this or that deity, or just throw something in because it felt good, some Youtube wouldn't have let them get away with that today.

And this is not necessarily a bad thing. It just means that we need to get better and plug those holes before they get too big. Some plot holes can be obnoxious, sure, but we need to deal with them. In some cases, just editing it out works, but in some cases using it as proof someone is lying works. There are even situations where the plot hole can inspire you to try something else; the plot hole just becomes something worth exploring on its own. However, how you fix plot holes is up to you; each case is unique and needs to be dealt with on its own terms.

However, there are some ways to eliminate plot holes before they even happen. It may take a little more organization, and not everyone will employ all of these methods, but they can be worth trying just to see what works for you. As such, hopefully, you find something that works for you and can figure out how to properly exploit it.

Having A Bible

Most television shows and a lot of comics have their very own bibles. These books have every last detail about the show or comic, and the best have a morgue attached. While you do not need to have such a detailed encyclopedia available, it can nonetheless help to have a general listing of characters, which chapters they show up in, and a general biography. You should also have a summary of each chapter (no more than 100=200 words) about the major developments and general progress of the group. Additional details can follow or be attached to the biographies of the relevant characters. There is even software to do this if you don't feel like using a regular notebook or regular computer document.

This gives you something to go back to when you find a problem and figure out why it happened as well as have a good idea of how to fix it. As the bible should be easy to search, or at least easier to search than the manuscript itself, plot holes are easier to detect and fix. Better yet, if part of your process is updating your bible, this gives you a chance to better remember where you were. As a side benefit, if you are writing a series, the bible can be expanded to allow for each book.

For those worried about inspiration, keep in mind that you can always attach notes and pictures to your character entries; these notes can act as inspiration later on. For example, imagine how much fun you can have a note like, "Did Lady Aspeth really go to school with Duke Ellington?" or "What if those two had a secret child?" or even "What did Alistair see when he went down into the Dungeon of Diablerie?" A bible can be time-consuming but also well worth it.

Outlining

The reason a lot of people hate outlines is that they think that once something is written down, it may as well be written in stone. That's an assumption that you need to get over. The outline can and will change whenever you want it to; you should see the outline as a tool that you use, not something that constricts and binds you to a story that isn't working. If you want to change something, DO IT. Just remember to look at how it may change other aspects of the outline when you do so; if your outline changes where characters will be then either you need to change locations or allow for their absence.

The outline allows you to see what effects changes will have, giving you a chance to deal with them in the most appropriate manner.

Beta Readers

You need to listen to your beta readers. Sure, you can approach it like you know best, but the entire point of having extra eyes on something is that allows you to see mistakes that you may not, such as missing words that you have been mentally filling in or issues that you were allowing for. In some cases, your assumptions about something may not be the best. In short, your beta readers are as interested in making the story as good as it can be as you are, and listening to them can help you make the story better.

Debate Pantsing

Regardless of whether you call it "discovery writing", "riding a stream of consciousness", or something else, pantsing can make life interesting when you start editing. Because you approached it without any organization, the odds of you finding plot holes during editing are pretty high. If you don't mind basically hitting your story with a crowbar over and over until it's straightened out, this can work for you. Just be aware that the organization should not be seen as the enemy and can actually help you. At the very least, it can make editing a lot easier.

This should not be seen as a condemnation of pantsing; not everyone works well with an outline and bible. That's fine; to each their own. Just consider trying something like a bible to keep things organized as you go.

Have A Good Idea of What You Are Writing About

This is not necessarily an outline. All that's being said here is that you should have a good idea of who the characters are and a good idea of what the story is about, especially if you have a theme. This applies especially to pantsers; the best improv is based on a wealth of knowledge not a dearth of it. That is, the more you know about the world and what's in it, as well as why you are writing it, the more likely you will be able to finish it and the less likely plot holes will show up. Just remember to figure out how something works in your universe and the better the writing will be.

Know How Your Systems Work

This will always be a fun one. The problem is that some people will decide that a particular magic system will work great for them but don't consider the ramifications of that system or they want to try something cool and it creates a plot hole because the system doesn't work that way. This applies just as much to science fiction, especially when you start playing with some of the more abstract areas; eventually, you're going to hit an area where you will have no idea what to do and it will always create a problem.

However, by having the general rules written down and the ramifications thought about you solve a lot of problems right off the bat. This is also why you see a lot of magic systems resembling that of D&D; the system can be easily modified to just about any situation and provides a set of rules that work. Obviously, feel free to create your own system of spells, psionics, or even physics, just have some sort of rules that govern it so that you have an idea of how to handle it when you find yourself facing a problem.

Limit Plot Armor

It's hard to not use plot armor on some level. We all want our main characters (and some of the secondary characters) to survive no matter what, and so we're willing to bend the rules a little to ensure that survival. So obviously it cannot be forbidden entirely. However, it can create some interesting plot holes, especially if the device was meant to destroy everything and your weakest character comes walking out of the affected area. As such, try to limit plot armor as much as possible, and only allow it if there is a reasonable explanation given the world's physics for the character to have survived.

Note that does mean that you should tell the readers when it happens, but that you should know why and disclose it at some point, or it becomes a nagging plot hole.

Lucky Characters

Along those lines, you need to limit the effects of luck or keep it in control. Keep in mind that the luckiest person in the world may not feel like the luckiest, especially when that luck is allowing for variables that the person may not know about; dropping down a hole may not seem lucky, but it is if that prevents him from being hit by a sniper's bullet. The problem is that too much luck, good or bad, can create its own plot holes and so you need to make sure that you know what is going on and that you disclose it as soon as possible.

Yes, playing with luck can be fun, but be aware of the problems it can create when used, especially when two very lucky people have to deal with each other. Writing about lucky characters can be fun, especially in comedy; just make sure it follows its own rules, for good or ill.

Coincidences Suck

One of the things that you see in a lot of pulp fiction is when the protagonist would be looking for someone and that someone would pass right by them. Or when a bus or train would show up at just the right moment. This can get really annoying when cliffhangers are resolved by someone who wasn't in the scene previously. And a flask/medal/anything hard deflecting a bullet can get tiresome, even if you only did it the one time yourself.

Coincidences are a form of plot hole, and as such need to be used as infrequently as possible. Figure that your readers will allow you one coincidence per story, usually to incite the story or help end it; any more than that, unless you're writing a comedy, and you risk the ire of the audience, some of whom will throw the book away if you use too many.

Avoid Undeserved Twists

These are probably some of the worst plot holes. Too many people think that throwing a random plot twist at their story to resolve it is a good idea; these people need to be shot. An undeserved plot twist will usually do little more than anger readers, causing them to give you a negative review. The better way is to build up to your plot twist, and the throwing in some callbacks to those events just before unleashing the plot twist. Just avoid them, even in comedies.

Please.

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As you can, eliminating plot holes can make an author's life all sorts of interesting. All it means is that you need to take your story pretty seriously and go in with an idea of what you are trying to do. There are a lot of really great ways to slow down the creation of plot holes and make things easier for your betas and editors, but in general, you need to realize that you need to slow down a little. Sure, you can't fill every last plot hole, but that does not mean that you shouldn't have fun trying.