: Re: Is it bad storytelling to have things happen by complete chance? Background I recently noticed in my latest masterpiece novel there is quite a lot of things happening by chance. For example:

@Lengel543

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It depends on the circumstance. It can work, for instance, if it is used to highlight the capricious nature of the universe - but only if this is a theme of your story to start with. It could also work if also work to hang a lampshade on protagonists who aren't what we expect. For example, I always liked in the Green Lantern comics that Kyle Raynar was just some random everyday guy who just happened upon a power ring (though this was later ret-conned). You mentioned assassins, so this could be used to throw your MacGuffin into the path of unexpected characters.

I think you only need to worry about Deus Ex Machina if the chance (or the gods) are actually solving your character's problem instead of their decisions. Like I assume something called "The Chart of Sinners" is going to come with some major consequences down the road. How the assassins stumbled upon it isn't as big as what they do with it.

Of course, there's always the age-old question about what is chance . . . and what is fate.

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