Coincidence, revisited

thethinker42 · Jun 26, 2007

Coincidence in fiction was discussed a while back, and I've been thinking a lot about it as of late. I see coincidence a lot in books, film, etc., but sometimes it works: person X happens to overhear a hushed conversation and relays the info to someone else just in time to prevent catastrophe, for example. Two people who haven't seen each other in years are suddenly thrown together by chance. Right place, right time.

Ever since reading that previous discussion, I've been worrying about whether some instances in my WIP's are "too coincidental". Is coincidence ever okay?

Would you consider coincidence to be a plot device that CAN work if done right, or something to be absolutely avoided?

Sorry if I'm beating a dead horse here.

Just wanted to clarify things.

Chasing the Horizon · Jun 26, 2007

I think coincidence has a place in novels. It really depends on the story and what the coincidence is. I would never solve a plot through a coincidence, but I do have one story where a character gets involved in the plot because of a coincidence. More than one blatant coincidence in a book wouldn't be a good thing, though, IMO.

FennelGiraffe · Jun 26, 2007

Generally speaking, a coincidence that hurts the protag* may be acceptable. A coincidence that helps never is. Even so, I wouldn't use more than one--maybe two, max--per book.

On the other hand, sometimes a couple of lines of setup earlier is enough to convert a coincidence into an "I should have seen that coming!"

*Including a coincidence that causes his or her initial involvement in the conflict.

kristie911 · Jun 26, 2007

It absolutely CAN work if done correctly. But done poorly, it's a horrible device that will blow up in an authors face. And done too many times in a book will kill it all together. HTTH is right, the plot should never be solved through coincidence...that just comes across as cheesy.

scarletpeaches · Jun 26, 2007

I hate, hate, hate coincidence in any novel. Yes, even those of Dickens. Blech. It makes me throw a book across the room then fetch it back so I can throw it again.

maestrowork · Jun 26, 2007

Coincidences can move things quickly, so you don't have to set things up for pages and pages... and coincidence does happen in real life. The kind of coincidences that irks me is the deus ex machina, or it's so obvious that the author has run out of ideas. Otherwise, it's no worse than having a tree fall on the protagonist's house... it happens.

thethinker42 · Jun 26, 2007

FennelGiraffe said:
Generally speaking, a coincidence that hurts the protag* may be acceptable. A coincidence that helps never is. Even so, I wouldn't use more than one--maybe two, max--per book.

On the other hand, sometimes a couple of lines of setup earlier is enough to convert a coincidence into an "I should have seen that coming!"

*Including a coincidence that causes his or her initial involvement in the conflict.

Ok, THAT makes sense. Most of the more-or-less coincidences in my WIP's are early on, and are part of what gets the characters involved in the plot. Definitely not used for SOLVING the plot, though!

thethinker42 · Jun 26, 2007

scarletpeaches said:
I hate, hate, hate coincidence in any novel. Yes, even those of Dickens. Blech. It makes me throw a book across the room then fetch it back so I can throw it again.

Yeah, but who cares what you think?

scarletpeaches · Jun 26, 2007

At the risk of derailing slightly, I noticed a bit of a DEM in one of my early WIPs - a car crash. I know, I know. Sorry.

But anyway...I planted some references earlier in the book to the person's dangerous driving and speeding. Would this work?

thethinker42 · Jun 26, 2007

scarletpeaches said:
At the risk of derailing slightly, I noticed a bit of a DEM in one of my early WIPs - a car crash. I know, I know. Sorry.

But anyway...I planted some references earlier in the book to the person's dangerous driving and speeding. Would this work?

It could. Assuming that the crash was CAUSED by their dangerous driving and speeding. Wouldn't do much good to do all that foreshadowing and then having T-boned by a Mac truck that ran a red light.

But you knew that, of course...*eyeroll*

scarletpeaches · Jun 26, 2007

thethinker42 said:
Yeah, but who cares what you think?

I hate you.

thethinker42 said:
It could. Assuming that the crash was CAUSED by their dangerous driving and speeding. Wouldn't do much good to do all that foreshadowing and then having T-boned by a Mac truck that ran a red light.

But you knew that, of course...*eyeroll*

And now I hate you even more.

Vincent · Jun 26, 2007

Heck, real life is all about coincidence. It's one big coincidence after the next.

But perhaps coincidence just seems less believable in fiction.

Is that what they call irony?

thethinker42 · Jun 26, 2007

scarletpeaches said:
I hate you.

And now I hate you even more.

Awwww, you know you love me.

Especially as long as I keep your dirt quiet...

raydad · Jun 27, 2007

Too many coincidences can destroy the believability (e.g. Pasternak's Zhivago and Dickens - as mentioned earlier), upping the cheese factor. In my WIP my MC has an apparent coincidental meeting with another character at a train station who has the same last name. Later, the it's revealed that it was not a coincidence and actually has bearing on the plot.

Soccer Mom · Jun 27, 2007

Coincidence can work if done properly and early in WIP as in real life is just such an incidence. But pleeeeeeeeease don't let a coincidence solve the problem.

True story: I worked a murder in which a fire fighter was trying to pick up a hooker (off duty). Her pimp decides he's too clean cut and must be a cop, so he freaks and stabs the fire fighter. Victim drives off in his truck, but passes out from loss of blood and careens through an intersection, T-boning a truck. The driver of the truck was the pimp's estranged father who hadn't spoken to the pimp in over a year. True story.

Coincidence, revisited

thethinker42

Abnormal Romance Author

Chasing the Horizon

Blowing in the Wind

FennelGiraffe

It's green they say

kristie911

Happy to be here

scarletpeaches

maestrowork

Fear the Death Ray

thethinker42

Abnormal Romance Author

thethinker42

Abnormal Romance Author

scarletpeaches

thethinker42

Abnormal Romance Author

scarletpeaches

Vincent

Cheers

thethinker42

Abnormal Romance Author

raydad

Soccer Mom

Crypto-fascist