Plot Devices

noun a steep rock face or escarpment, especially at the edge of the sea

adjective causing suspense or anxiety because of uncertainty

• The movie ended with a cliff hanging scene, leaving the audience in suspense.
• The TV show always leaves us cliff hanging at the end of each episode.
• I hate when books leave me cliff hanging, it's so frustrating!
• Her decision to quit her job was cliff hanging, as she weighed the pros and cons.

noun a circumstance that is due to chance or luck

adjective resulting from or relating to a coincidence or chance

• The meeting between the two executives was purely happenstance.
• It was just happenstance that I ran into my old friend at the grocery store.
• I can't believe we ended up at the same party, what a crazy happenstance!
• Their love story was not a result of destiny, but rather a series of happenstances that brought them together.

noun a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is considered to be divine intervention

• The doctors described the patient's recovery as nothing short of a miracle.
• It's a miracle that we found parking right in front of the restaurant.
• I can't believe she aced that test, it's like a total miracle.
• The way she effortlessly juggles work, family, and hobbies is a miracle in itself.

verb to revise (an aspect of a fictional work) retrospectively, typically by introducing a piece of new information that imposes a different interpretation on previously described events

• The practice of retconning is often used in literature to alter previously established storylines.
• I heard they're retconning the ending of that TV show we used to watch.
• They're retconning the whole backstory of that character, it's crazy!
• Sometimes in life, we wish we could retcon our past decisions and start fresh.