Writers often let luck play a hand to move their story forward. A flat tire strands the hero in the wrong town. A missed phone call leads to a disastrous misunderstanding. A dropped key exposes a secret. Bad luck is one of the handiest storytelling tools we have as it can instantly create conflict.

But there’s an important rule experienced storytellers follow:

Luck can get your character into trouble. It should never get them out of trouble.

Why Bad Luck Works

Bad luck is a powerful tool for fiction because it creates problems.

Stories thrive on obstacles and conflict that drive rising tension. Often times back luck comes when we think everything is going to turn out fine. This creates what some call the “all is lost” moment, which is a situation that seems impossible for a character to get out of.

Bad luck makes the situation worse, which is great for storytelling.

Why good Luck is cheating

Now imagine the opposite. Your hero is cornered by the bad guys and escape seems impossible. Then suddenly:

• An police officer randomly comes by to help.
• The power goes out at the exact moment our hero needs it.
• One of the bad guys suddenly turns on the main villain, shooting him dead.

Sure, these things could happen. But if you work the protagonist out of a scrape this way, readers will feel cheated because the protagonist didn’t earn the victory.

As readers, we want to see the character struggle, then work their way out of a problem. If random good fortune solves the problem for them then the story loses its emotional payoff.

The Satisfaction of an Earned Solution

Satisfying endings happen when the protagonist escapes trouble because of something they did.

A good rule of thumb is to let bad luck create problems, but make your hero solve them.

Storytelling is a promise between writer and reader. Don’t let the improper use of luck take the reader out of the story just when it is getting interesting.

-James