Chekhov's gun

Chekhov’s gun

Chekhov’s gun is a narrative principle that states every element in a story should be necessary, and irrelevant details should be removed. It originates from a quote by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov, who advised against including a loaded rifle on stage unless it is fired later in the play. This technique is used to create suspense and foreshadowing by subtly introducing elements early on that will later become significant, creating a sense of a tightly woven narrative.

1. Principle: If an object, detail, or character is introduced early in a story, it must serve a purpose and pay off later to avoid making the story feel pointless or manipulative.
2. How it works: Writers introduce seemingly minor details—like a mysterious scar, a strange skill, or a peculiar object—that gain importance as the story progresses.

Examples:

1. In the play The Seagull, a rifle appears in the first act and is used for a suicide in a later act, according to MasterClass.
2. In Ghostbusters, the warning about “crossing the streams” is initially a minor detail but becomes crucial for defeating the final villain, notes Britannica (https://www.britannica.com/topic/Chekhovs-gun).
3. In the movie Shaun of the Dead, a Winchester rifle is discussed early on and is used at the end to fight off zombies, a user on Reddit points out (https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/1d1d7e1/what_is_your_favourite_use_of_chekhovs_gun/).
4. In Harry Potter, the Vanishing Cabinets mentioned early in the series become central to the plot of the later books, says MasterClass.

Reading material

Here is a video that talks about how important endings are :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQmWcz95ldA