Writers live in fear of a leaky story, but I’m okay with plot holes. And here’s why…
TRANSCRIPT:
Hello folks, Mark Stay here. I’m going to tell you why I’m completely okay with Plot Holes…
What is a plot hole exactly?
Well, in a story, it’s one of those little bits that doesn’t quite make logical sense, doesn’t really stand up to any scrutiny.
For example, in The Godfather, just how does Tom Hagen cut that horse’s head off without anyone noticing? So in the Ewok village, Princess Leia’s dress… Where did that come from? Just how did Andy’s poster stay on the wall in his prison cell after he broke out? Just what did Bruce Willis do when he wasn’t talking to the scary ghost kid? Who exactly heard Charles Foster Kane say “Rosebud?” The entire final act of this, and every James Bond film ever made.
All of these films are bona fide classics, films that most of us love and adore.
And they get a pass.
We gloss over their plot holes.
And why is that?
Because we respond to stories on an emotional level.
As a writer, this doesn’t mean you now have license to write a story that’s full of plot holes and we all vary in our tolerance of plot holes. And you have to work hard to make sure that your story makes sense and not just, you know, paper over the cracks and hope we don’t notice.
Always write on the assumption that your readers are smarter than you are, you know, work as hard as you can to iron out all those little holes.
But the thing is, when you’re dealing with stuff that doesn’t exist, you know, fantastical stuff like time travel, magic, warp speed, that sort of thing, you’re not going to be able to… One or two will inevitably slip through.
However, ask yourself this: What’s more important to you? A watertight logic puzzle-style story, or something that’s going to have some emotional oomph? I know which end of the spectrum I veer towards, although none of my books have plot holes, none of them, if you doubt that you should buy them all, and read them from cover to cover and make copious notes and then drop me a line if you spot any. Anyway, hope that’s helpful. A little note on plot holes, and sleep tight in the knowledgethat when Dorothy wakes up from a trip to Oz, Toto will still be put down by Mrs. Gulch
Mark Stay Writes 