Chekhov’s Gun and the Law of Necessity

Structural Economy

Anton Chekhov famously insisted that if you show a rifle hanging on the wall in the first chapter, it must go off by the second or third. It’s a lesson in structural economy that many of us (myself included) often ignore in the heat of a first draft.

We fall in love with a secondary character who has no purpose, or we describe a beautiful antique clock that never plays a role in the scene. In a short story or a focused novel, these elements act as “promises” to the reader. When those promises aren’t kept, the reader feels a subtle, subconscious frustration. Review your “walls” today. If there is a gun that isn’t going to fire, take it down.

The Monroe Minute
Identify one object or minor character in your current scene. If they don’t influence the outcome, remove them.

Until the next page,
Sloane S. Monroe

#### **File: 2025-10-25.md**
```toml

Sloane Shay Monroe

I don’t write to idealize love, but to explore it honestly, with emotional precision and depth.