Μerry Christmas! Happy Holidays! Coincidence?

It's Christmas Day today!

What are the chances! It's the first time my day to post in the blog is so perfectly timed for well wishes! So first off, I'd like to wish you all a happy Christmas Day, and if you don't observe it, a joyous day as you like it.

Second off, let's talk about coincidences in webcomics!

In real life, a coincidence is taken as such. A moment in time where things just …happen to align just right for an event to take place. (if it happens more than once, too frequently, etc., that's another story…)

But what about in webcomics, or any piece of narrative work? 'Selling' a coincidence is a lot harder than it is in real life. In fact, several things that have been coincidences wouldn't 'fly' within a story, because the audience would find it 'too convenient' or 'lazy writing' on the part of the creator.

To convince an audience that a coincidence in a comic is legit, rather than 'convenient happenstance', the author has to take extra steps: the story must not have more than one coincidence. The way the coincidence happens has to be carefully arranged so that the conditions occur from other sequences of events that naturally unfold. The audience might see what is going to happen (the coincidence) because they can see where things are going, but that's partly why the coincidence will 'fly'.

When won't it?

When it gives the impression that this coincidence is the only way that the writer can get out of the corner they have written themselves in. Basically when the coincidence gives the 'deus ex machina' effect and, to add insult to injury, hasn't been thoroughly prepared as the natural result of a pre-existing sequence of events. For example, if a character runs into a dead end, and then just 'happens' to find a lever, completely by chance, that opens a trap door to let them escape, then that has a higher risk to be considered 'convenient writing'. If the same character runs into a dead end, but we have previously seen them having studied such places and knows there must be a lever somewhere, and starts frantically searching for it, not finding it, and then accidentally comes across it, it's more likely to be accepted by the audience as a 'coincidence' that they trip over the thing, since they're already trying to find it.

So how 'convenient' would it be that my posting is perfectly timed to be published on Christmas Day?

If it's vital to the plot, a lot. If it's not as vital, maybe not so much. If it's real life, 100%.

Have you ever needed to introduce a coincidence in your story? Do you remember reading or seeing on film any 'convenient' coincidences?

Have lovely holidays everyone!

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