Have you ever read a book, watched a movie, or listened to a story where you suddenly thought, “wait a minute, that can’t be right!” You’ve most likely caught on to a plot hole—a gap in the narrative that happens for no reason.
While some plot holes are harmless and easily fixed, there are those that can be damaging. These plot holes pull the reader out of the reading experience and make it difficult to dive back into the story.
What Is a Plot Hole?
A plot hole is a gap or inconsistency in storytelling that goes against the logic established in the story. They can range from contradictions and illogical events to unresolved plotlines and continuity errors.
When a plot hole occurs, it affects the believability of a story. A reader’s suspension of disbelief is lowered and they find it harder to commit.
Plot holes are usually created unintentionally. Writing a story involves so many details and processes that it’s possible for writers to accidentally overlook some things.
Sometimes writers are so focused on viewing the entire forest that they fail to notice that a tree has fallen. Or, maybe they’re too obsessed with one particular tree that they forget about the rest of the forest.
Types of Plot Holes
Plot holes come in many forms, but here are the five most common types you can find in fiction.
Factual Errors
Incorrect information—including dates, names, or places—can make a story lose its audience, especially if the story is based on real events.
For example, if you’re writing a story set in World War II, introducing military technology that was invented after the war will create a plot hole that the audience may notice.
Illogical Developments
Events that upset a story’s logic only serve to confuse the audience. They want something that is consistent and makes sense.
Plots must be true to the details the story provides, otherwise the audience spends the entirety of the experience in doubt.
A character can’t suddenly develop a skill that conveniently helps them out of a sticky situation. Nor can an all-powerful enemy be beaten so easily. That’s just blatant deus ex machina.
Contradictions
All stories operate by some internal logic. When you don’t stick to a rule you introduced in the narrative, it produces inconsistencies that lead to problems in comprehension.
If you establish early on that only women can do magic but then introduce a man who can without explanation, it sabotages the plot.
Readers rely on the information you tell them to understand how your world works. Break your own rules and you only leave them confused.
Continuity Errors
Continuity errors happen when something that’s already been established is suddenly changed without explanation.
For example, you set a scene where the hero is clearly in front of the villain. A few sentences later, you write that they approached the villain from behind. It messes up the imagery of the story.
Continuity errors can also be simple and subtle. For example, characters might suddenly know information that was never told to them, or they no longer know something they knew a week ago.
Unresolved Storylines
While the main plot is almost always resolved, there are times when the writer forgets to wrap up a subplot.
These subplots are needed for worldbuilding. They flesh out characters, set scenes, and most importantly, push the main plot forward. But sometimes, they get left behind as the story nears completion.
Imagine a story where an orphan learns they’re the Chosen One. Halfway through the story, they find clues about their biological parents. It’s never visited again as the story focuses more on the main plot.
Loose ends like these lead to questions and make the story feel incomplete. The less complete it feels, the less satisfaction there is.
Plot Holes from Famous Books
All stories have plot holes. The truth is, its impossible to create a story without one. Even the most acclaimed novels have plot holes, just like the ones below.
Spoiler alert! It is necessary to discuss significant details about these books to illustrate their plot holes.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
One of the biggest mysteries in this book is what exactly is Slytherin’s monster that dwells in his Chamber of Secrets. The problem is, it’s been explicitly said that the chamber was opened some fifty years before the current story.
In those fifty years, no one thought to interview the student who died during the original attacks. She’s not doing anything but haunting the bathrooms anyway.
Plus why did Dumbledore, one of the most gifted wizards in history, not connect the dots knowing that Slytherin and Voldemort are Parseltongues? I could go on and on about this one.
The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer
Let’s talk about Meyer’s version of the vampire. She repeatedly states that they’re “frozen in time” and unable to grow, especially the lady vampires who can’t get pregnant. At the time of their turning, every fluid in their body (sweat, blood, semen, etc.) is replaced with vampire venom.
And yet Bella still gets pregnant. Keeping in mind the above information and that Edward’s been dead for centuries, it’s surprising that his sperm survived and is still able to impregnate someone.
Angels & Demons by Dan Brown
This novel is riddled with factual errors, including information about antimatter, one of the main plot points in the story. CERN (which features prominently in the narrative) even wrote a FAQ about it. Unfortunately, it can’t be used as an energy source as told in the book simply because it uses more energy to be created.
There’s also that funny part where Vittoria tries to make a call but “this far underground, her cell phone had no dial tone.” Cell phones don’t have dial tones.
How to Fix Plot Holes
People love dissecting stories, especially the ones they hate. Hey, it’s as good an activity as actually reading the story.
Plot holes are in no way an indication of a writer’s poor writing skills. They just happen. It is the responsibility of the writer to fix them, though. The problem is, plot holes are hard to find and sometimes harder to fix. In this case, prevention is better than the cure.
One of the best ways to avoid plot holes is to keep organized and detailed notes. Having a resource where you can quickly cross-reference things is an efficient way to have consistent storytelling.
It’s also helpful to always edit with objectivity. Give your manuscript some space after you’ve finished a draft. Take a rest and look at it with fresh eyes. Or, better yet, hire a professional editor to give you objective developmental edits.
This works because part of what makes you blind to plot holes is you get attached to your sentences, scenes, and characters. It makes you ignore how details connect to each other.
So always make notes and approach your manuscript with the eyes of a reader, not as the writer. Be harder on yourself during the editing stage than the writing stage. Not only will it help prevent plot holes, but it will make you a great writer overall.
What’s the worst plot hole you’ve ever read? Share it in the comments below!
If you enjoyed this post, then you might also like:
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- Constrained Writing: Definition, Examples, and Benefits
- How to Start Writing: 10 Tips to Help You Seize the Day
Cole is a blog writer and aspiring novelist. He has a degree in Communications and is an advocate of media and information literacy and responsible media practices. Aside from his interest in technology, crafts, and food, he’s also your typical science fiction and fantasy junkie, spending most of his free time reading through an ever-growing to-be-read list. It’s either that or procrastinating over actually writing his book. Wish him luck!
