Elements of Writing: Chekhov's Gun vs. Foreshadowing
- The Writer
- Aug 16, 2016
- 3 min read
It is considered wise to introduce Chekhov's Gun in the first chapter of your book; unless you don't intend to use it. It is also considered wise to begin foreshadowing in chapter one. But what is the difference and how do you do it?
We'll start with Chekhov's Gun. The idea is that if you mention a gun in chapter one, at some point it has to be shot. So, you don't draw attention to something or someone unless it will be significant. However, you must draw attention to things that will be significant or else they will feel random to the reader. Chekhov's Gun can be a person, an item, an ability or skill. Typically, you want to introduce or allude to your Chekhov's Gun in the first chapter. Suppose you mention the fact that your hero has a bionic hand, then never mention it again and never have him use it for anything. You have essentially broken a promise to your readers, the promise that the bionic arm was worth mentioning. On the other hand, suppose you never mention your hero's bionic arm. Then, at the climax of your story, the hero defeats his enemy with the help of said bionic arm. Your readers will be annoyed that the arm was never mentioned; it will feel random, out of place, and lazy. This is why you must mention Chekhov's Gun, and you must follow through on it.
But suppose you wanted the readers to be surprised by the fact that your hero has a bionic arm? That is where foreshadowing comes in. If Chekhov's Gun is drawing attention to something, foreshadowing is dropping subtle hints that will probably be overlooked until the big reveal. If you want to keep readers in the dark, you have to so in such a way that when reach the end, they will be able to look back and see that the clues were there. If you wanted to surprise your readers with the hero's bionic arm, you would foreshadow it by mentioning how strong his hand is, the clanking sound whenever he touches a doorknob, or the odd, almost involuntary way his hand moves when he is distracted. The best way to incorporate foreshadowing, without being too obvious, is to have it double as character development.
The difference between Chekhov's Gun and simple foreshadowing, is how much you emphasize and how direct you are. Both are valuable and useful plot devices. But when and how do you use them? Well, it depends on what you are writing, but every story needs a twist and every story needs a promise. In the film, "The Prestige" a magic trick is described as having three acts; the Pledge, the Turn, and the Prestige. Every story needs these acts as well. Chekhov's Gun is the Pledge, because we're directing our readers' attention to something and promising it is ordinary yet important; they know that is not entirely true, but that is because they expect us to make it extraordinary. That is the real reason why Chekhov's Gun is the Pledge; we're telling our readers to pay attention, because something is going to happen. Foreshadowing sets up for the Turn, the plot twist we should have seen coming. As soon as the Turn happens, we understand it, because of all the foreshadowing leads to it. The Turn is impressive, the puzzle fits, but now we need a conclusion. This is where everything we foreshadowed, every time we introduced Chekhov's Gun, every Turn and Pledge our story has made, comes together to create the Prestige. When it comes to crafting stories, the Prestige comes when you are able to weave many Pledge/Turn situations into one climax.
In your writing, look for ways to incorporate several instances of Chekhov's Gun and foreshadowing. Think about how you can use the Pledge, Turn, and Prestige format in the story you are telling. Share your thoughts and ideas in the comments below.
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