On LinkedIn, a colleague who edits mysteries mentioned the usefulness of a false confessions to serve as red herrings in mystery novels. They’re clever devices that distract the reader (and the sleuth) from solving the case too soon.
I commented on her post stating that I detested the device of having the villain confess his (or her) perfidy—cue Perry Mason and Matlock here—just so the hero could arrest him and/or send him to prison, because there was no eal evidence sufficient to convict him otherwise. That last-minute confession of evildoing reminded me of the often overly elaborate plots screenwriters and authors use to enable otherwise bumbling protagonists to defeat their villains.
If you’re of a certain age and/or enjoy watching 1980s reruns of MacGyver (starring Richard Dean Anderson, not the newer version with the kid), then you’ll remember that series’ recurring villain: Murdoch. Smooth, sadistic, and overly confident in his own cleverness, Murdoch concocts scenarios of absurd elaboration when simple expedience would have succeeded with much less fuss on his part. Instead, his reliance on complexity gave MacGyver adequate time to wriggle free from whatever death trap he found himself in to go on and thwart Murdoch’s evil plans.
It’s a weary cliche repeated in Star Trek, Star Wars, every James Bond movie ever made, and many other shows and books to elevate tension and drama and afford the hero ample opportunity to win. In reality, simple expedience is much more effective.
However, in a tongue-in-cheek nod to those cliched plot devices, Peter Anspach compiled the original “Evil Overlord List.” Before “viral” referred to anything but illness-causing viruses, this took on unprecedented popularity and grew. Contributors around the world contributed to it. Other lists, perhaps inspired by this one, were published. Eventually, the rules for the evil overlord were consolidated and published here: http://www.eviloverlord.com/lists/overlord.html.
Jack Butler also developed a similar list which may be found here: https://tropedia.fandom.com/wiki/Jack_Butler%27s_Original_Evil_Overlord_List.
For those authors writing their own mysteries or other complicated plots, either list serves as a gentle and humorous warning: Don’t make things more complicated than they have to be, and common sense goes a long way toward a successful plot. If your hero digs himself into a hole, then figure out something other than the villain’s overweening hubris and penchant for complexity to fail at a critical juncture, thus allowing the hapless hero to save the day. As with accuracy in detail and doing the necessary research to ensure plausibility, this is another element of realism that genuinely ratchets up dramatic tension and forces your hero to display grit and determination as well as cleverness and reliance on sheer dumb luck.
If you’re looking for a good laugh, check out either list. They’re worth the read!
If you’re looking for a skilled ghostwriter who won’t fall into this trap or you have a story that too complicated for its own good and you need an editor with common sense to simplify it, then look me up at https://www.henhousepublishing.com. Let’s talk about your project and your expectations.