Plot-Driving Secret: Difference between revisions
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{{trope}} |
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This is when the entire [[Plot]] of a work depends on someone being left out of the loop. It may be that the person or group keeping the secret is holding the [[Idiot Ball]], or is [[Properly Paranoid]], or maybe they simply [[Cannot Spit It Out]]. Whatever the reason, they have kept a key player from knowing something crucial, and it is that lack of knowledge that enables the plot to happen. Otherwise, they could simply [[Just Eat Gilligan]]. |
This is when the entire [[Plot]] of a work depends on someone being left out of the loop. It may be that the person or group keeping the secret is holding the [[Idiot Ball]], or is [[Properly Paranoid]], or maybe they simply [[Cannot Spit It Out]]. Whatever the reason, they have kept a key player from knowing something crucial, and it is that lack of knowledge that enables the plot to happen. Otherwise, they could simply [[Just Eat Gilligan]]. |
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May result in [[Poor Communication Kills]]. |
May result in [[Poor Communication Kills]]. |
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Compare [[Idiot Plot]], [[ |
Compare [[Idiot Plot]], [[Comedy of Errors]] and [[Just Eat Gilligan]]. Also compare [[Driving Question]]. |
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See Also: |
See Also: |
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* [[The Con]] - "Wait, you're ''not'' a Nigerian Prince who needs help hiding his fortune?" |
* [[The Con]] - "Wait, you're ''not'' a Nigerian Prince who needs help hiding his fortune?" |
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* [[Bruce Wayne Held Hostage]] - "You mean our hostage is actually [[The Hero]]?" |
* [[Bruce Wayne Held Hostage]] - "You mean our hostage is actually [[The Hero]]?" |
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* [[Locked Out of the Loop]] - "You ''all'' knew this?" "Yes, but there's a reason we didn't tell you." |
* [[Locked Out of the Loop]] - "You ''all'' knew this?" "Yes, but there's a reason we didn't tell you." |
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* [[Loves My Alter Ego]] - "You mean the guy I love and the guy with an unrequited crush on me are the same man?" |
* [[Loves My Alter Ego]] - "You mean the guy I love and the guy with an unrequited crush on me are the same man?" |
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* [[The Masquerade]] - "Dude, they're really vampires?" |
* [[The Masquerade]] - "Dude, they're really vampires?" |
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{{examples|Examples }} |
{{examples|Examples }} |
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== General: == |
== General: == |
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* Almost every Mystery depends on someone not knowing who the culprit is. Once that knowledge is revealed, the story ends, unless the plot is actually about gathering evidence. |
* Almost every Mystery depends on someone not knowing who the culprit is. Once that knowledge is revealed, the story ends, unless the plot is actually about gathering evidence. |
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* Any character with a [[Secret Identity]] is likely to have a few stories of this nature. |
* Any character with a [[Secret Identity]] is likely to have a few stories of this nature. |
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* Pretty much every undercover cop story runs on this. If the criminals knew from the outset that the new guy in their ranks was a cop out to bust them all, he or she would be dead in short order. |
* Pretty much every undercover cop story runs on this. If the criminals knew from the outset that the new guy in their ranks was a cop out to bust them all, he or she would be dead in short order. |
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== Literature == |
== Literature == |
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* In the ''[[Fearless (novel)|Fearless]]'' books, the plot was frequently driven by the fact that [[The Hero|Gaia]] was either keeping a secret from someone or having one kept from her. |
* In the ''[[Fearless (novel)|Fearless]]'' books, the plot was frequently driven by the fact that [[The Hero|Gaia]] was either keeping a secret from someone or having one kept from her. |
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* A minor plot point in ''[[Akata Witch]]'' was that Sunny was the only one in the group whose parents weren't magical and didn't know that she was taking lessons to improve her magic. |
* A minor plot point in ''[[Akata Witch]]'' was that Sunny was the only one in the group whose parents weren't magical and didn't know that she was taking lessons to improve her magic. |
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