(no subject)
Chekhov's Gun: A gun hanging on the mantle in Act 1 must be fired by Act 3. To ignore this rule is often considered a sign of poor writing.
For example: If your story occurs at a wedding, where the groomsmen are all carrying canes, and it is shown that the handles of said canes can be unscrewed to reveal a sword blade (this wedding has a fairy tale/fantasy theme), then at some point before the end of the wedding, someone has to attack: either there's an external threat which the groomsmen hold off while everyone else runs, or else an argument among the groomsmen results in a sword fight.
My cousin Kristy's wedding did not observe this rule. She and her parents are probably happier for it, but I was disappointed to discover my life is poorly-written.
For example: If your story occurs at a wedding, where the groomsmen are all carrying canes, and it is shown that the handles of said canes can be unscrewed to reveal a sword blade (this wedding has a fairy tale/fantasy theme), then at some point before the end of the wedding, someone has to attack: either there's an external threat which the groomsmen hold off while everyone else runs, or else an argument among the groomsmen results in a sword fight.
My cousin Kristy's wedding did not observe this rule. She and her parents are probably happier for it, but I was disappointed to discover my life is poorly-written.