Episode 115 Keeping the god in the machine. Why 'Deus Ex Machina' endings suck and how to avoid them

March 13, 2018 00:16:48
Episode 115 Keeping the god in the machine. Why 'Deus Ex Machina' endings suck and how to avoid them
The Creative Writer's Toolbelt
Episode 115 Keeping the god in the machine. Why 'Deus Ex Machina' endings suck and how to avoid them

Mar 13 2018 | 00:16:48

/

Show Notes

itunes pic
Deus Ex Machina or 'god out of the machine' endings have a rich heritage going back to the Ancient Greek Theatre. But they are a terrible model for endings in creative writing. In this episode, we explore what Deus Ex Machina endings are, why they are so bad for creative writers, and how we can create a much better ending that will give credibility to our work and satisfy our readers.

Other Episodes

Episode

March 08, 2014 00:15:27
Episode Cover

Episode 5 - The power of suggestion

In this episode we look at another dimension of showing not telling, and that's the potential for hinting, suggesting or implying something rather than...

Listen

Episode

July 13, 2019 00:13:20
Episode Cover

Episode 139 When characters go rogue.

This episode is a response to an issue I’ve been discussing with a listener. We talked about characters who seem to take over the...

Listen

Episode

April 03, 2017 00:17:34
Episode Cover

Episode 97 - If you only get one thing right in your writing make it this

As of this month (April 2017) I’m working hard on the Creative Writer's Toolbelt Handbook. As I look back on nearly 100 episodes I’ve...

Listen