A plot device is an element introduced into a story to solely to advance or resolve the plot of the story. In the hands of a skilled writer, the reader or viewer will not notice that the device is a construction of the author; it will seem to follow naturally from the setting or characters in the story. A poorly-written story, on the other hand, may have such awkward or contrived plot devices that the reader has serious trouble maintaining suspension of disbelief. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Look up plot in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A writer is anyone who creates a written work, although the word more usually designates those who write creatively or professionally, or those who have written in many different forms. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Calling an element of a work a 'plot device' is generally derogatory, implying a lack of complexity in the work. Judging something as a plot device is always subjective, and depends on the degree to which the 'item' serves other purposes or is well-integrated into the tale. For example the 'magic item' which the protagonists of a fantasy novel have to find or destroy is often a plot device; however one might hesitate to apply the term to the Ring of The Lord of the Rings, since it also serves many other purposes in the book. This article is about the novel. ...

MacGuffins and related matters

One of the most common plot devices is the MacGuffin (a term coined by Alfred Hitchcock). A MacGuffin is an object (or character) which drives the actions of the characters, but whose actual nature is not important to the story; another object would work just as well, if the characters treated it with the same importance. Hitchcock said that "in a thriller the MacGuffin is usually 'the necklace'; in a spy story it is 'the papers'". This article is about the plot device. ... Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock KBE (August 13, 1899 â€“ April 29, 1980) was an iconic and highly influential British-born film director and producer who pioneered many techniques in the suspense and thriller genres. ...

MacGuffins are plot devices frequently found in 'quest' fantasy stories; the magic artifact which the hero must recover in order to save his village, world or family is a MacGuffin (unless like Tolkien's Ring it's nature is a significant part of the story). The labours of Hercules might well qualify. For other uses, see Hercules (disambiguation). ...

MacGuffins are sometimes referred to as "plot coupons" (especially if multiple ones are required) as the protagonist only needs to "collect enough plot coupons and trade them in for a denouement". The term was coined by Nick Lowe. A plot coupon, and the somewhat less-well-known plot voucher, are the names Nick Lowe gave to specimens of plot devices in his essay The Well-Tempered Plot Device, which was published in Ansible in 1986. ...

Another common form of plot device is the object, typically given to the protagonist shortly before, that allows them to escape from a situation that would be otherwise impossible. Nick Lowe coined the term 'plot voucher' for these, as the protagonist needs to "save the voucher and cash it in at the appropriate time". Examples of this might include the object given to a character which later deflects an otherwise fatal bullet. Most of the devices given to James Bond by Q could fall into this category. The gifts given to Perseus could also count. 007 redirects here. ... Q is a fictional character in the James Bond novels and films. ... Perseus with the head of Medusa, by Antonio Canova, completed 1801 (Vatican Museums) Perseus, Perseos, or Perseas (Greek: Περσεύς, Περσέως, Περσέας), the legendary founder of Mycenae and of the Perseid dynasty there, and was the hero who killed Medusa. ...

Other plot devices are simply one-offs to get the protagonist to the next scene of the story. The enemy spy, who suddenly appears, defects, reveals the location of the secret headquarters and is never heard of again, would be an extreme example. Without this 'device' the hero would never find the headquarters and be unable to reach the climactic scene; however the character becomes less of a plot device if the author gives them a back-story and a plausible motivation for defecting, and makes them an interesting character in their own right.

Some other plot devices include:

• Deathtrap — overly complicated method of killing a character, used solely to provide a means of escape
• Deus ex machina — artificial or improbable means of resolving a story, such as having it turn out to be a dream
• Quest — complicated search for capture or return of an object or person
• Quibble — following the exact terms of an agreement to escape what would normally be expected
• Red herring — a person, event or object which deflects attention from the real thing

In humor-themed forms of entertainment, particularly those that break the fourth wall in pursuit of comedy, plot devices or the concept itself may be deliberately pointed out to the audience for a joke. For example, in the one-shot DC comic book Blasters, written by Peter David, one of the protagonists is shown installing a device, made by an alien race known as the "Plaht", into her spacecraft that will allow herself and her companion to locate the other protagonists, which was required to forward the plot of the story. Her companion then seemingly turned to face the reader and said, "Oh, I get it. It's a Plaht device." (In this case, the "Plaht device" would be considered a deus ex machina.) The animated series Sheep in the Big City even featured a robot character actually named "Plot Device", who apparently worked for the antagonists and served no other purpose than to advance the plot when it arrived at an apparent standstill (usually by coming up with ridiculous plans to capture Sheep). A deathtrap is a literary and dramatic plot device in which a villain, who has captured the hero or another sympathetic character, attempts to use an elaborate and usually sadistic method of murdering him/her. ... For other uses, see Deus ex machina (disambiguation). ... This article is about the word, for other meanings see Quest (disambiguation) A quest is a journey towards a goal with great meaning and is used in mythology and literature as a plot device. ... A quibble is a common plot device, used to fulfil the exact verbal conditions of an agreement in order to avoid the intended meaning. ... In literature, a red herring is a plot device intended to distract the reader from a more important event in the plot, usually a twist ending. ... The fourth wall is the imaginary invisible wall at the front of the stage in a proscenium theater, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... DC Comics is an American comic book and related media company. ... A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ... Peter Allen David (often abbreviated PAD) (born September 23, 1956) is an American writer, best known for his work in comic books and Star Trek novels. ... For other uses, see Deus ex machina (disambiguation). ... Sheep in the Big City was an American animated television series which ran on Cartoon Network for two seasons, from November 2000 to April 2002. ...

The popular card game munchkin contains a literal "plot device" that dramatically turns the tide of a game. Munchkin is a popular card game by Steve Jackson Games, written by Steve Jackson and illustrated by John Kovalic, that has a humorous take on role-playing games, based on the concept of munchkins (immature role-players, playing to win). The card game is itself a spin-off from The...

See also

• Literary technique
• Plot devices in Agatha Christie's novels

A literary technique or literary device may be used in works of literature in order to produce a specific effect on the reader. ... Agatha Christie’s reputation as “The Queen of Crime” was built by the large number of classic plot devices that she introduced, or for which she provided the most famous example. ...

External links

• Television Tropes and Idioms Big wiki of plot devices