Let's Talk Plot Holes

Hi,

It's been five years, so hopefully you've managed to get your book started.

I think if you're going to write a book along these lines you've got to make up your rules and stick to them. For example: IS God in charge, or are they equally powerful, or is Satan in charge. Personally, I go toward the 'God's in charge, but allows Satan some rope so that he THINKS he's in with a chance'. If you put Satan in charge, well, why didn't he win when Michael cast him out of heaven yadda yadda. These are questions which you HAVE to answer in yourself first. They may not necessarily come out in the book, but they have to be answered so that you know how things are going to go.

So, lets say you go with 'God and Satan are equal in power', well, God's minions on earth would also be trying to protect the 'innocent girl'. Satan may not know where 'the innocent girl' IS. He's powerful, but isn't all knowing. Something that would have to be explained. Maybe the "Gabriel Byrne" Satan isn't Satan, but a powerful demon that is doing Satan's dirty work, and so Satan can't communicate directly with him (see Warlock for example (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098622/). If he DOES know where she is, maybe there is a reason that he can't just 'fly over'. Maybe she has to give herself willingly, and so has to be coaxed. Maybe only ONE ovum will cause the anti-Christ to be born, and ONLY when that ovum is released on 31st December, 1999, will she be able to be impregnated, and it MUST be done at 'x location'.

All this is stuff that you can fit into a book, but is hard to fit into a movie - especially one that is angled toward an audience that really only want to see fancy explosions and chase scenes.

There is really no such thing as a plot hole. Every 'plot hole' can be covered by good writing, but the questions have to be answered for the audience either directly or indirectly. So, a plot hole in a movie is due to sloppy writing, and movies these days a rife with them. When they have their entire imagination to use, why do writers resort to sloppy writing? Because we're conditioned these days to only have the memory of a goldfish. "Oh look, bit explosion... I don't remember what happened before that...".

I'm waffling a bit here, but what I guess I'm trying to say is if you want a story to be tight, you have to think about it from top to bottom. You have to KNOW what's happening with backstory of your characters. And I don't mean a George Lucas "I knew Episode 1, 2 and 3 before I wrote episode 4" (talk about plot holes!) kind of *beep* I mean really actually know, not say that after your book is successful.

Take my brief bits above.

Does your Christine character have to be a virgin? If so why? IF she can only be impregnated by Satan on the 31st December, 1999 why does it matter? Maybe it DOES, but if it does, then you've got to work out why. Why was it important for Mary to be a virgin with Christ? Because then there is no way she could have been a natural birth. Christ had to be conceived of the holy spirit... in this instance Satan isn't 'creating life in Christine's womb' he's literally 'doing it the old fashioned way' - so does it matter?

So, let's say you think it does matter... this has to be answered... at least in your head. It has to be answered because if Christine is 24 years old, why is she still a virgin? Isn't it rare these days for women to be virgins at that age? It's not impossible, just highly unlikely. If she is, then that's going to affect her entire character background. Has she lived a sheltered life? Then she's not going to be streetwise.

A lot of waffle above. Just food for thought. I hope you do write your book. There is a lot of crap out there, so it wouldn't be hard to write better than the crap that is out there - but you're allowed to aim higher than the crap. Why not aim at a really good quality piece of literature instead :).

Good luck.



SpiltPersonality

I agree. He seems to know everything and everyone he uses. Like when he comes to Christine's house and snarls to her dying stepmother "You had ONE job and you failed!" (May not be 100% accurate quote). If he knew her and knew what her assignment was why not "fly" there (when he was in that "invisible swishing" form), grab a nearby male body and do the John Cassavetes thing right then and there? Oh, right, there'd be no point in making a movie. Duh!