Plot Devices: When, How, and Whether to Use Them

by Elizabeth S. Craig

Robin Higgins from Pixabay

Most readers can spot a plot device from a mile away. You know the kind of stuff I mean—those narrative techniques that move the story forward but sometimes feel a little too convenient. The overheard conversation, the suddenly discovered letter, or the long-lost relative who appears just in the nick of time to solve a problem. I read a book in June where the whole book hinged on two characters not telling each other one important fact from the beginning of the story to the end. It was a sort of miscommunication trope. A frustrating one.

Plot devices aren’t always a bad thing, though. They’ve been used in stories for centuries. But how they’re implemented can make the difference between a reader rolling their eyes or quickly turning pages.

Common Plot Devices and Reader Reactions

These plot devices appear frequently in fiction, with varying reader responses:
• The coincidental meeting - Characters “happen” to cross paths at just the right moment
• The eavesdropped conversation - A character overhears exactly the information they need
• The hidden document - A letter, will, or diary conveniently reveals crucial information
• The sudden skill - A character possesses exactly the ability needed in a crisis
• The timely arrival - Help arrives precisely when all seems lost

Readers tend to accept these devices more readily in certain genres. It might be a harder sell in literary fiction than commercial fiction.

Making Plot Devices Work

The key to using plot devices effectively is making them feel organic instead of contrived. Here are some ideas:

Set them up beforehand: If a character needs lockpicking skills in chapter ten, mention their misspent youth in chapter two.
• Create logical circumstances: If characters need to meet, put them in situations where such meetings make sense—community events, shared connections, or common interests.
• Add complications: Instead of having the hidden letter solve everything, let it create new problems or only provide partial answers.
• Acknowledge the convenience: Sometimes a character saying, “I can’t believe our luck” acknowledges what readers are thinking and defuses potential eye-rolling.
• Focus on character reactions: How someone responds to convenient information might matter more than how they obtained it.

When to Avoid Plot Devices

Some situations call for steering clear of obvious devices:
• When they solve problems too easily without any emotional cost
• If you’ve already used other devices in the same story
• When they undermine the established rules of your story world
• If they make your protagonist passive rather than active

Finding the Balance

Moderation and careful implementation is important.
Does this device move the story forward?
Is there a more organic alternative that would work?
Have I prepared readers so this doesn’t feel like it came out of nowhere?
Does this preserve the challenges my character needs to face?
Readers will forgive plot devices that lead to satisfying emotional payoffs. If the overheard conversation leads to a character confronting their deepest fears, readers are more likely to accept the convenience.
What are your thoughts on plot devices? Do you have favorites you enjoy as a reader, or ones that always make you groan?

Bestselling author Elizabeth Spann Craig weaves Southern charm into her cozy mystery series, featuring everything from quilting guilds to library cats. A lifelong mystery lover who grew up on Nancy Drew and Agatha Christie, Elizabeth has published over sixty books across five series. She shares writing tips on her blog and lives in Western North Carolina with her family and their corgi. Follow Elizabeth at elizabethspanncraig.com