“A plot hole isn’t the end of the world. It’s just a place where the story needs a bridge. And you, my creative friend, are an excellent bridge builder.”
— L.A. Walton, The Book Maven
Plot holes happen to the best of us. You’re writing a complex story with moving parts, timelines, and multiple characters making decisions—of COURSE something is going to not add up. The question isn’t whether you’ll have plot holes. It’s whether you’ll catch them before your readers do.
Common Plot Holes and Their Fixes
| The Plot Hole | Why It Happens | How to Fix It |
| Character knows something they shouldn’t. | Information leak from another subplot. | Track what each character knows and when they learn it. |
| A problem has an obvious solution no one tries. | You need the conflict, so you ignore the easy fix. | Have a character suggest and then dismiss the easy fix with a reason. |
| Timeline doesn’t add up. | Events are rearranged in revision but dates aren’t. | Create a timeline spreadsheet. Track every event. |
| A character contradicts their earlier behavior. | Growth without setup, or inconsistency. | Add a scene that bridges the shift. Motivation must be shown. |
| A setup has no payoff (or vice versa). | Something was added or removed in revision. | Search for every setup and match it to a payoff. |
Your Plot Hole Prevention System
- Maintain a story bible. Character details, timelines, rules, and established facts in one place.
- Use beta readers specifically for logic. Ask them: ‘Did anything not make sense?’ They’ll find what you can’t.
- Read your draft as a reader, not as the writer. Forget what you intended. Only count what’s on the page.
- Ask ‘why didn’t they just…’ for every major scene. If there’s an easier solution the characters ignore, you have a hole.
Your Move, Creative
Read through your current draft with a single question in mind: ‘Does this make sense?’ Flag every moment of doubt. Then fix them one by one. Your story will be bulletproof.
Stop letting your stories stay stuck.
