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Chekhov’s Gun: The Essential Key to Honest Communication
Don’t let loaded guns lie
Can you think of a time when someone has dropped something into conversation and just left it there? As if they have something to say but instead of actually saying it, they drop a conversational hint, knowing that you’ll pick up on what they mean without them actually having to say it?
Like;
‘Well…’ and then shrugging.
Or,
Huffing and then, when prompted say, ‘nothing!’
These are conversational guns.
Let me explain.
Chekhov’s Gun
“If in Act One you have a pistol hanging on the wall, then it must fire in the last act.” — Anton Chekhov
The concept goes that in storytelling, you should omit anything that won’t be used. Only things essential to the story should remain.
By placing a gun in the scene and not firing it, it’s pointless. It adds nothing. It’s there for an effect that is never used, never explained and therefore totally unnecessary.
It’s a form of dishonesty. When you place a gun in a scene, you’re insinuating that it will be used at some point…
