Plot device
Story writing technique / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A plot device or plot mechanism[1] is any technique in a narrative used to move the plot forward.[2] A clichéd plot device may annoy the reader and a contrived or arbitrary device may confuse the reader, causing a loss of the suspension of disbelief. However, a well-crafted plot device, or one that emerges naturally from the setting or characters of the story, may be entirely accepted, or may even be unnoticed by the audience.
This article is about writing techniques for enhancing a plot. For mechanisms that generate stories and plots, see Story generator.