Firing Chekhov’s Gun Trivial details and descriptions of minor fictional objects and characters are the best way to bring a fictitious world to life, but the truly enchanting moments occur when an object the reader may have once glazed over is given extraordinary value in a future chapter or sequel. This writing technique is called Chekhov’s gun, after the famed Russian author, Anton Chekhov, who would be aghast at having an object on stage (say, a gun), if it would not be used (fired) by the end of the play. Tight writing only describes what is important and forgoes any superfluities, but a richly described scene will create a vivid picture in the mind of the reader, leaving much room for deceptively vital trinkets. British author J.K. Rowling intersperses a number of these well placed objects throughout her seven part series about the boy wizard, Harry Potter. While they may initially seem like embellishments to an already rich world, they eventually become crucial components of a thickening plot. For example, a throwaway locket that no one could open in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix had significant value only revealed in the final instalment: it housed a part of Lord Voldemort’s soul, which, until destroyed, rendered him immortal. Harry’s invisibility cloak, which he mysteriously receives in the first book and uses mischievously throughout the series, is revealed to be a cloak of legend descended from Ignotus Peverell and one of the three Deathly Hallows which give name to the final book. Employing Chekhov’s gun is not as difficult as it may seem. Plan in advance how you want your series to play out. If each part builds upon another, make graphs, plot charts, keep lists, draw any sort of diagram that will help you keep straight the importance of each individual and each object. Using this technique in hindsight can be just as effective. Keep a list of all the objects and persona you have described or namedropped. Often, spare objects can find their way into the background merely because you may have once, very briefly, thought it a good idea to describe some inconsequentiality in order to flesh out a scene. So now, a few chapters—or books—later, if the narrative allows, bring that item to the foreground. Ascribe to it a new value and use it to find a final resolution to your protagonist’s dilemma. Chekhov’s gun is great way to prevent a narrative from appearing as if a deus ex machina tactic is used (literally, having God resolve all conflict), which happens often when a writer has written themselves into a corner they are unsure how to resolve. If a resolution does not use some form of previously mentioned object, tactic, or lesson learned, the narrative has not gone circular, is quicker to lose merit, and, quite frankly, becomes easier to forget. Tease your readers. Force them to go back and reread your work for the simple pleasure of finding those miniscule snippets of serendipitous connectivity. The best books are the ones that get better the more often you read them, and employing Chekhov’s gun is a sure-fire way of accomplishing this.
Posted on: Wed, 04 Dec 2013 21:40:36 +0000
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