Your book has got to be the best story they’ve read in a long time: interesting characters, humorous dialogues, great transition.
It’s just plain awesome.
There’s just one little problem: they’ve fallen into a hole and there seems to be no way of getting out.
Oops, it looks like you’ve got yourself a plot hole.
Suddenly, the world you so carefully weaved is not so believable anymore.
Characters’ actions are illogical. Your manuscript is riddled with inconsistencies.
No, it is not one little problem—you’re in a lot of trouble.
So how do you avoid this scenario altogether?
Easy! Avoid plot holes.
Here’s how:
Research
This is very important.
The setting of the story has to be researched. Characters’ professions or medical conditions have to be researched.
A significant life event has to be researched.
Culture has to be researched. Everything has to be researched.
Let’s take for example you have introduced your antagonist as a psychopath, yet he manifests erratic and impulsive behavior.
This psychopath feels genuine love for the innocent protagonist.
That’s a plot hole right there. It only means one thing: insufficient research.
Psychopaths are cunning. Their moves are calculated. They do not act on impulse as they plan things carefully so as not to get caught.
Psychopaths are unable to form genuine emotional attachment.
So you need to research, research, and research.
Outline
Make an outline of your story from beginning to end.
Sound like a monumental feat? Dealing with plot holes is way worse.
This helps you know where you are going or if your story is going nowhere,
Outlining keeps you on track.
For instance, while outlining you may realize some things are not adding up.
You had previously mentioned it was a good 2-hour drive from her house to her boyfriend’s apartment. You’ve even emphasized the duration of the drive with the change of scenery along the way and the girl falling asleep in the car. But the drive on the way back was just too quick, around 30 minutes.
This is how helpful outlining is. It can save you a lot of time and grief.
Take note of characters
Pay attention to your characters—their traits, skills, personalities, background, and the ending you have planned for them.
Knowing your characters can help prevent inconsistencies from happening.
Let’s say you have underlined specifically that her sister does not know how to swim, yet 3 chapters down, that same character is suddenly swimming in the ocean without a care in the world.
Another example would be introducing her sister’s best friend and incorporating her into the story, but suddenly that same best friend is nowhere to be found in the manuscript.
You cannot just let your characters fall down from the face of the earth.
There needs to be an ending for each character. You could in that case, mention that best friend having to go off to boarding school in another country.
Have someone edit your work
A fresh set of eyes could really do wonders. They could spot flaws in logic or contradictions you may have missed.
Be open to suggestions your editor might make. There may have been a plot hole you overlooked.
If in case you might not agree with the suggestions, try to determine the plot hole and compromise on how to fix it.
You’ve got all the bases covered—every inch, every square mile. There’s no room for plot holes. Now you’re all set to create that masterpiece you’ve forever wanted to write.