Plot Holes Checklist: 10 Signs and How to Fix Each
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Use this checklist to scan your draft for plot holes. Read each sign, then check your story against it. Mark spots where it matches and apply the fix right away.
Work through one section at a time—acts, characters, timeline. Revise as you go to keep momentum.
1. Character forgets key skill
Protagonist swims like a pro in chapter 3 but drowns in chapter 20 without explanation.
Fix: Add a line early showing lost ability (injury, fear) or restore it with training scene.
2. Unexplained item appears
Hero pulls magic dagger from nowhere in climax; never mentioned before.
Fix: Plant the item in an earlier scene—character finds or inherits it—with a purpose tied to plot.
3. Timeline skips without gaps filled
Chapter 5: wedding tomorrow. Chapter 6: couple divorced for years.
Fix: Insert bridge scene or summary showing divorce events; adjust dates to match.
4. Sudden motivation shift
Villain wants revenge in act 1, then seeks peace with no buildup.
Fix: Foreshadow change with internal conflict or event that forces rethink; show it gradually.
5. Contradictory facts
Sidekick says he's never left town, but earlier scene has him traveling abroad.
Fix: Search manuscript for sidekick's history; rewrite one instance to align facts.
6. Event lacks ripple effects
Building explodes in chapter 10; characters act like nothing happened next day.
Fix: Show consequences: injuries, news reports, changed plans in following scenes.
7. Forgotten subplot
Orphaned child arc starts strong, vanishes midway, unresolved at end.
Fix: Weave subplot threads through middle; resolve or cut entirely in final act.
8. Impossible travel distance
Character flees city A to city B (500 miles) in two hours by horse.
Fix: Research real travel times; extend timeline or swap to boat/train.
9. Off-page resolution
Antagonist captured, but reader learns it from dialogue, not shown.
Fix: Move key resolution on-page if stakes demand it; summarize minor ones tightly.
10. Prop behaves inconsistently
Door locks with key in act 1, opens freely later despite no tampering.
Fix: Track prop rules in notes; add scene explaining change (broken, new key).
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