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Q&A How to foreshadow to avoid a 'deus ex machina'-construction

As Galastel says, you have to talk about it. I do that with legends; and make sure my hero believes those legends maybe were real, but probably exaggerated, and certainly the descriptions have pro...

posted 5y ago by Amadeus‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Answer
#4: Attribution notice removed by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-19T22:13:51Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/47031
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#3: Attribution notice added by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-08T12:36:28Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/47031
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision by (deleted user) · 2019-12-08T12:36:28Z (almost 5 years ago)
As Galastel says, you have to talk about it.

I do that with legends; and make sure my hero believes those legends _maybe_ were real, but probably exaggerated, and certainly the descriptions have probably been embellished a bit.

Like believing a religious icon from the past _maybe_ had some miraculous powers, but _raising somebody from the dead_ was exaggerated. Maybe the ancient folk _thought_ somebody was dead but they weren't, so the icon cured him and brought him around, but didn't reverse an actual death.

Or maybe the hero believes absolutely, but also believes it is a one-time thing, anybody claiming to have the power or have seen the power is either a fraud or a sucker.

I tend to include both believers and skeptics, fewer believers and the mainstream skeptics, with logical reasons for being a skeptic and just "belief" for the believers, they don't have any logical justifications.

But then of course in the moment of truth the hero gets slapped upside the head with their ability. I like that surprise and the emotional conflict it causes.

#1: Imported from external source by user avatar System‭ · 2019-07-31T17:36:49Z (over 5 years ago)
Original score: 4