I do not fully understand the quoted line. What is it saying? Is it saying that in practice it need not literally be a man with a gun coming through the door?
The laconic version is: "Breaking a lull in the plot with a spontaneously chaotic event."
That seems to suggest the trope is already If Inspiration Fails Add X but is struggling a bit to say so in the main text.
edited 3rd Nov '10 12:03:35 AM by Camacan
I don't understand why a split would be needed. Oh, I get it, the Inspiration one is when the X is something other than a man with a gun. It seems like the title Chandler's Law can cover both fine. Presumably it was meant metaphorically, anyway, unless his advice was for murder mystery writers only.
edited 3rd Nov '10 1:40:09 AM by rodneyAnonymous
Becky: Who are you? The Mysterious Stranger: An angel. Huck: What's your name? The Mysterious Stranger: Satan.@Camacan: Yeah, that's stated earlier in the description: "The addition of a new opponent or complication, usually amidst a burst of violence, can free a protagonist from where he has become mired in the current plot. " So, no, it doesn't have to be precisely "a man with a gun", but something along those lines.
Chandler's Law doesn't literally mean to always use a man appearing at a door with a gun to create dramatic tension. What it means, loosely, is if the plot is in danger of becoming stuck, add some unrelated tension.
You're suggesting to split this trope into "Literal Examples, and everything else". Yeah no.
edited 3rd Nov '10 1:35:27 PM by savage
Want to rename a trope? Step one: if it ain't broke, don't fix it.Instant Inspiration Just Add X is a non-trope. People can get inspiration from anything at any time.
Want to rename a trope? Step one: if it ain't broke, don't fix it.Yep Just Add X is not a trope.
I wasn't expressing myself clearly: most of the text is fine. It's that last line that is confusing.
That last line is probably just a strained restatement of what was said more clearly above. We all get the trope, the laconic version sums it up perfectly. Ditch that last line, it doesn't add anything.
edited 3rd Nov '10 9:24:44 PM by Camacan
The offending line, "Examples below take one of two forms: Either a work actually using this trope, or a writer having an equivalent 'If inspiration fails, have X happen' rule." was added two days ago, the day before the OP.
Becky: Who are you? The Mysterious Stranger: An angel. Huck: What's your name? The Mysterious Stranger: Satan.

Even the description itself says:
... so I suggest we split off the latter, "If Inspiration Fails Add X", from Chandler's Law.
(edit: fixed some of the markup.) (And grammar.)
edited 2nd Nov '10 8:24:49 PM by Antheia