There Are No Coincidences

I often say that writing needs to be realistic and it needs to be natural. It's true. However, you can never forget that it is still crafted. And because of that fact, there are certain aspects of real life that never translate well.

In real life, there are coincidences. Sometimes, things seem related, but have nothing to do with each other. In writing, there is no such thing as coincidence. If two things seem related, they usually are; then it's just a clue. If they aren't related, then it's a red herring to the audience.

But how come we can't have coincidences? The main reason is that a story isn't real life; it is crafted by a human being and shared to a human audience. Humans don't like loose ends and rough spots. We like things to make sense. We like to find patterns and logical progressions (which is why crime dramas are hit from Sherlock Holmes to CSI). When information is completely useless within the context of a story, it is supposed to be removed. If the color of a person's pants doesn't add to a story or a scene, we don't mention it. If five people in a room are all wearing identical pairs of pants, it is a strange coincidence, but if it is not relevant to a story, there is no reason to mention it.

I will note, though, that every rule of writing can be broken and still produce a good work. I have had peers that steadfastly disagreed with the rule that everything written in a story matters. They believed that you can put in plenty of information that served no purpose and still make a good story.

If you would like to put coincidences in your stories, feel perfectly free to. If your audience does not respond well to them, you know why. Take them out and see if things improve.