Leaderboard

In a word Op, yes. It is still a widely used trope both in film and literature. Mostlky because it deals with the need to be effecient in your story telling. Do not waste time with details that really serve no purpose. If you’re going to take the time to describe an ornate sword, then it better play some role of import. Chekov’s gun could be renamed ‘The rule of foreshadowing’ since that’s where it typically gets used. You hjave to remember CHekov specialized oin short p[lays and stories so the mindset is one of optimal effeciency.

No, I’ve never used Chekhov’s gun. Phasers won’t be invented for another 200 years. Seriously, I think it’s an important concept, because nobody likes it when (a) a gun appears out of nowhere in Act III or (b) the gun that was described in detail in Act I turns out to have no relevance to the story. That said, relevance takes many forms. Sticking with the gun example, that gun on the table doesn’t necessarily have to be used in Act III; it’s function may be, for example, to tell you something about the person who owns it, like the medieval weapons on the wall in Deathtrap. (IIRC, none of them actually get used, but they tell you something about their owner’s fascination with deadly things.)

I love historical, I just find it sooo difficult, mostly for the reason you mentioned. It’s hard to determine where it’s best to take a few artistic liberties and where to go with the research. But it’s soooo much fun.

I’m really digging this thread… I shared a clumsy example of me using the gun concept, such as it is, above. But as I think it over, I realize I’ve used it more than once in my recent writing, probaly more than twice lol. Another example, in my first act I had the main character use a bat to intimidate an intruder, at the end of the scene he puts the bat behind the front door… In act two, the character’s love interest uses the same bat, still behind the door, to off a different attacker that is in the main characters house… I like how you mention the Gun doesn’t have to be used every time as an actual murder weapon, or a plot point in general. Describing particular items can be another way to personalize a character… I’m being a little obvious using family pictures and such as my personalizing objects, but I guess I was on the right track. I’ll be molling this over for a while Cool topic @Tcr I’m curious, are you against the use of Chekov’s gun? I’m not trying to offend you! I just sense this air of annoyance in your post. LIke your sick of people using it as a ‘rule of forshadowing’ as you said….I agree that its commonly used as a means of efficiency… But I didn’t mention the bat in the beginning of my story because I knew I was going to use it again as a murder weapon, so… yeah. Idk… Optimal efficiency seems to be the key. Nobody likes being bombarded with useless facts and descriptions…

Well, you know what mine are, as my Beta, but… My area of specialty, so to speak, is science fiction or speculative fiction. I also don't mind writing historical, but a lot of the time, I find myself having to smudge a detail slightly... And I don't like doing that… I really avoid the romance... Like extremely... Like vampire and sunlight (and not the Twilight vampires...)... I don't really think I do good writing it... I actually think I fail when I've tried (I'm sure anyone keeping up on CHHW would agree...) Another I avoid, though not as vehemently, is westerns. I was never interested in them, so now I don't really have the interest in writing them. Why do I write SciFi and historical? I guess it's the love of stuff like Star Trek and Star Wars with my grandfather. Good memories instilling that deep love of the genre. When I started writing, sci fi was the first I wrote... And historical, I just love history.

eh, don't worry about socially unacceptable. Look at me and yet people still bring me their children so that I may mold their innocent little minds into whatever twisted shape strikes my fancy..mwahahahaha...ahhh, did I type that last part out loud?