So, I had a thought lately... Scary thing, I know… I can smell the smoke billowing out...
The use of the Chekov’s Gun element in fiction is a simple idea. For reference, if one shows something (ie. A gun), then you have to show it being fired before the end of the play/novel; if you don’t, well, there’s no point to having it presented. I can’t say I’ve seen a lot of its usage in modern works. Most works that I’ve seen seem to disregard this idea in favour of many other things.
I’ll admit, I’m guilty of this as well. I’ll show a great many things and then completely disregard that. Show weapons, gear, et cetera, and never use them again.
So, the question becomes, does anyone use it? Does anyone ensure that the weapon they’ve shown in Scene 1 of Chapter 1 is used by the end of the novel?