HELP!!!! HUGE Plot Hole in my WIP!

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  • #99634
    Evelyn
    @iluvhim18
      • Rank: Wise Jester
      • Total Posts: 95

      This is pretty embarrassing to admit, but I found a huge plot hole in my current WIP. In case you don’t know, (doubtful since I talk about it every chance I get. xD) my current WIP is a YA sci-fi/fantasy novel that’s about a bunch of princesses competing in a tournament against each other. I wrote a character to play the ‘mentor’ role to my MC. She’s one of my favorites but she returns to her kingdom about mid-way through the novel after she learns that her mom, the queen, has died. She leaves to go and rule her kingdom…

      welllllllll I forgot about this and she appears in a later scene and plays a VERY important role. I don’t know what to do at this point, I’m too far in and it’s too key of a scene to just cut from the novel. Do I replace her with another character, write out her unexpected but important leave, or something else I haven’t thought of yet?

      I’m stumped as what to do, any ideas???

      If you ask me about my book, I will talk for hours. Have a nice day!😊

      #99638
      Elfwing
      @elfwing
        • Rank: Knight in Shining Armor
        • Total Posts: 486

        @iluvhim18

        what if she abdicates being queen? is she under 18? you could do where if they’re under 18 a lord protector can rule in the young monarch’s stead? This has happened in European countries with child monarchs…

        OR she could be forced to abdicate by those under her believe/convince others she is incapable of ruling? i dont know what kind of government you have set up in the country…

        idk if that is helpful or not…

        • This reply was modified 3 years ago by Elfwing.

        I'm 'a homeschooler' because cookie-making writing artistic animal-whisperer isn't a job title

        #99640
        Evelyn
        @iluvhim18
          • Rank: Wise Jester
          • Total Posts: 95

          @elfwing

          Thank you, that does kind of help, but she’s actually 18, not a ‘child.’ And she believes that refusing to rule would be considered treason.

          That helps me with background for another character, though, so thanks! 😀

          If you ask me about my book, I will talk for hours. Have a nice day!😊

          #99641
          Elfwing
          @elfwing
            • Rank: Knight in Shining Armor
            • Total Posts: 486

            @iluvhim18

            oh ok cool

            like i said i don’t know much about the story

            glad to be of assistance!

            I'm 'a homeschooler' because cookie-making writing artistic animal-whisperer isn't a job title

            #99642
            Elizabeth
            @lewilliams
              • Rank: Loyal Sidekick
              • Total Posts: 252

              @iluvhim18 Oooh royalty!! My favorite:D

              Hmm, since she wouldn’t abdicate… what if she was back in the vicinity of your other characters doing royalty-related things? Like, she’s essentially on a business trip, or she needs something from their country and thus has an excuse to be there. Does that make sense?

              “Seven seconds till the end. Time enough for you. Perhaps. But what will you do with it?”

              #99643
              Evelyn
              @iluvhim18
                • Rank: Wise Jester
                • Total Posts: 95

                @lewilliams

                They’re not in any one particular kingdom, they’re sort of at an ‘in-between’ point. The tournament area is on an island away from the main kingdoms. But she could probably get away with going to visit and then ends up trapped on the island with the princesses. Maybe.

                If you ask me about my book, I will talk for hours. Have a nice day!😊

                #99662
                Lydia S.
                @lydia-s
                  • Rank: Knight in Shining Armor
                  • Total Posts: 399

                  @iluvhim18

                  Hmm… Does she have to be a princess in order to be at the tournament? If so, perhaps her coronation got put on hold for some reason. Is there a required mourning period for the heir to the throne before they take the crown? Was there some trouble at the palace? Perhaps a jealous upstart or a plot to kill her required her to flee from the country. Or, now being queen, was she promoted to the rank of a judge?

                  I don’t know as much about your story as I just joined a few weeks ago, so I’m not sure if any of these will work. I hope one of them helped though. 😀

                  #99664
                  Evelyn
                  @iluvhim18
                    • Rank: Wise Jester
                    • Total Posts: 95

                    @lydia-s

                    Yes, only princesses can compete in the trials. All of those are very interesting ideas, and although there aren’t any physical judges, she could definitely show up as an honored guest or a trainer. Thank you for the help! 🙂

                    If you ask me about my book, I will talk for hours. Have a nice day!😊

                    #99669
                    Madelyn
                    @madelyn
                      • Rank: Loyal Sidekick
                      • Total Posts: 115

                      (There was a bit of a technical issue… so this reply might show up twice)

                      Hey there! @iluvhim18

                      Just gonna pop in here.

                      Oof, plot holes can be super hard to figure out, so I’ll just throw out some random ideas:

                      Would it be possible to move this key scene to the country where the mentor figure is ruling? Maybe she or her kingdom are somehow be involved in what is going on so that whatever is happening happens in her area?

                      Sometimes plot holes are fun to fill with plot twists. Could there be something that the readers don’t know about her that could cause her to be in the area?  Or maybe she never left at all?

                      Could this key scene somehow take place before she leaves?

                      Could someone have targeted her as she was on her way to her kingdom? If she was in some sort of an accident, she might have to return (and helpfully return just in time for the key scene). Or could the people in her country be rioting against her so she has to come back? Could that tie into the story somehow?

                      I’m not sure if any of these could actually apply to your story, but I hope they’ll at least spark an idea! You also mentioned replacing her role in the key scene with another character, which is a great idea too! If you want to tie it back to the mentor figure, could the person have been sent by her? Or maybe one of the already established characters could fill the role, so you don’t have to create a new character?

                      That’s all I could think of; I hope I was of assistance! 🙂

                      ~In Christ Alone My Hope Is Found~

                      #99670
                      Evelyn
                      @iluvhim18
                        • Rank: Wise Jester
                        • Total Posts: 95

                        @madelyn

                        They don’t exactly solve the problem, but they definitely give me a fresh perspective on how to fix the problem! Thank you!

                        If you ask me about my book, I will talk for hours. Have a nice day!😊

                        #99710
                        Madelyn
                        @madelyn
                          • Rank: Loyal Sidekick
                          • Total Posts: 115

                          @iluvhim18

                          Glad to be of service!

                          Your book sounds very interesting; best of luck! 🙂

                          ~In Christ Alone My Hope Is Found~

                          #99764
                          Lydia S.
                          @lydia-s
                            • Rank: Knight in Shining Armor
                            • Total Posts: 399

                            @iluvhim18

                            I hope I helped! You’re very welcome. 😀 <333

                            #99970
                            GodlyFantasy12
                            @godlyfantasy12
                              • Rank: Chosen One
                              • Total Posts: 6645

                              @iluvhim18 Hope ya don’t mind me jumping in with my own sorta plot hole thing! I could use some tips (I’ve got an idea but some other insight would help)

                              So one of the big main plots in my story is one of my MCs, Jocelyn, is blamed for the murder of her uncle.

                              Problem is, it’s one of those where you know she is obviously innocent and I’m not sure how to convincingly have the people in her homeland kinda turn on her and believe she did it.

                              my mom and I and others have discussed having it be like rumors begin spreading and eventually it bubbles up and the “soldiers” of her land don’t care she isn’t innocent.

                              The ppl around her can be a bit eccentric and dark and she’s been pretty protected and is naive, so I can use that to my advantage, but it still seems like a big stretch to have her be the main suspect (even tho many others know for a fact she couldn’t have done it)

                               

                              One other thing that helps is she is the one found with the body, but again, is it not realistic enough?

                              #IfMarcelDiesIRiot
                              #ProtectMarcel
                              #ProtectSeb

                              #99971
                              Evelyn
                              @iluvhim18
                                • Rank: Wise Jester
                                • Total Posts: 95

                                @godlyfantasy12

                                nah, I don’t mind.

                                Are you trying to convince the readers she’s suspicious? If so, you could always have a hidden motive or give your MC some sort of bitterness over the situation/victim.

                                If you ask me about my book, I will talk for hours. Have a nice day!😊

                                #99973
                                GodlyFantasy12
                                @godlyfantasy12
                                  • Rank: Chosen One
                                  • Total Posts: 6645

                                  @iluvhim18 No, the reader knows she’s innocent, it’s making others believe she did it seem realistic

                                  #IfMarcelDiesIRiot
                                  #ProtectMarcel
                                  #ProtectSeb

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