If you mention that a character can read minds in Chapter 1, you'd be following the mandate of Chekhov's Gun if, eventually, this character's telepathic abilities were to become a significant plot point.Īs with any literary “rule,” you should take Chekhov’s Gun with a grain of salt and be mindful of where and how you apply it. To learn more about foreshadowing, go here for our in-depth take on the tactic. Foreshadowing takes place when a writer drops hints that the reader will probably overlook until the moment that all of the details come together.In other words, if you draw attention to something, you will eventually reveal why it's worth noticing. Chekhov’s Gun refers to the unspoken agreement that a writer won’t make “false promises” to a reader by introducing elements that are unexplained.Many writers often confuse Chekhov's Gun with foreshadowing, so let’s quickly clear up how they differ: When implemented correctly, it also guides writers towards better plot development, deeper character growth, and overall more effective writing.
Today, the dramatic principle of Chekhov's Gun - that every element introduced in a story should have a function in the overall narrative- is a seemingly unbreakable rule of storytelling. The phrase 'Chekhov's Gun' originates from advice that the writer would commonly give to young playwrights: “If in Act One you have a pistol hanging on the wall, then it must fire in the last act.” The term can be traced back to the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov, who used the example of a rifle being loaded to illustrate this point. Answer: Chekhov's Gun is a fundamental writing concept which states that all significant details introduced in a story should have a narrative function.
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