Recently, I read a book with a great beginning that quickly fell apart after act 1. What happened, exactly? It became riddled with unearned plot points.

When I say “unearned plot points,” what I’m pointing to are basically moments in a story that feel forced, sudden, or inadequately developed, leaving leaving me with a stark feeling of dissatisfaction.

Let’s dive into what unearned plot points are, why they happen, and how they can undermine an otherwise great story.

First, let’s define unearned plot points.

An unearned plot point is a significant event, decision, or change in a story that feels unjustified by the preceding narrative.

It’s when a major twist occurs without the necessary buildup or foreshadowing. These moments can disrupt the story’s flow. These often result in a sort of shrug feeling, a reaction of, “Oh. Okay.”

It can also be when a character suddenly acts in a way that doesn’t align with their established personality. It can feel as though the author is manipulating their character in order to force the plot to work a certain way, even if it doesn’t make sense with the preceding context.

These moments are “unearned” because the story didn’t put in the work beforehand to make these plot points make sense in the narrative.

Let’s break it down.

• Lack of Foreshadowing: This is the biggest one. Foreshadowing is crucial for major plot developments. When a plot twist or character decision happens without any prior hints or setup, it feels abrupt and jarring.
  • On the flip side, when a story doesn’t make adequate use of Chekhov’s Gun moments, it can have the opposite effect. The feeling that the story tried to set something up, but never used it.
• Deus Ex Machina: This is related to the foreshadowing problem. This is when an unexpected and implausible solution resolves a story’s conflict. A Deus Ex Machina can feel especially unearned if the solution comes out of nowhere, without any groundwork laid earlier in the story. It undermines the tension and stakes, making the resolution feel cheap and unsatisfying.
  • Like in the 1978 Superman movie, when Lois Lane is killed so Superman flies so fast he reverses the rotation of the Earth, which apparently also reverses time. Lol.
• Rushed Development: This often happens when a story needs to reach a certain climax or resolution quickly, sacrificing the necessary buildup and emotional investment.
  • For example, a romance that suddenly escalates from mild flirtation to a declaration of love within a few pages may leave readers feeling like they missed important steps in the relationship.
• Inconsistent Characterization: Characters should act in ways that align with their established traits, motivations, and development. When a character makes a decision or takes an action that contradicts their established personality without sufficient explanation or growth, it feels unearned.

Unearned plot points undermine stories.

Earned plot points are the result of careful buildup, allowing readers to emotionally invest in the characters and events.

When a plot point feels unearned, it breaks the reader’s immersion in the story. It also lacks the emotional weight and resonance that comes from a well-developed narrative arc. This can make climactic moments fall flat and leave us feeling underwhelmed.

So if you find yourself dissatisfied or disconnected with a book, consider whether it has earned everything its given you. You may find the narration lacks cohesion and clear direction, which means the author is forcing the plot to work. If that’s the case, I heartily encourage the DNF — spend more time reading books you’ll love instead!