Plot holes break connection and stop readers from finishing your book. Learn the 5 hidden plot holes most writers miss—and how to fix them with confidence.
Don’t Lose Readers Because of Hidden Plot Holes
Plot holes are sneaky.
Readers won’t warn you about them.
They’ll simply… stop reading.
And nothing hurts more than losing a reader because something felt off—even if they couldn’t explain why.
The good news?
Most plot holes aren’t massive explosions in your story structure.
They’re tiny fractures that quietly weaken your story’s emotional integrity.
Let’s break down the five plot holes most writers overlook and exactly how to fix them.
1. The Vanishing Subplot
A subplot appears, promises tension or growth…
and then disappears.
Readers never forget a dropped thread.
Unresolved longings, hinted backstories, emotional wounds, or relationships that fade out without closure all create a subtle feeling of incompleteness.
💡 How to Fix It
Keep a running list of every emotional thread your story introduces.
Track:
- the question or tension raised
- who it involves
- when it was last mentioned
- where it resolves
Stories feel satisfying when you close the loops you open.
2. The Personality Flip
Nothing breaks reader trust like a character acting completely out of alignment with who they’ve been.
If a decision doesn’t make sense based on their past, wounds, or worldview, the reader feels the disconnect immediately.
💡 How to Fix It
Motivation first. Action second.
Ask yourself:
Would the person they were in chapter one make this choice?
If the answer is no, then your character needs:
- more inner struggle
- more development
- or a clearer emotional arc
Let the shift happen gradually so the leap feels earned.
3. The Broken Rule
Every story—fantasy or contemporary—has internal rules.
Break them, and the illusion collapses.
Broken rules look like:
- sudden new abilities
- contradictions in your magic system
- setting inconsistencies
- continuity errors
- real-world inaccuracies
- ignoring limitations you already established
💡 How to Fix It
Create a simple story journal that tracks:
- your world’s rules
- your character’s limits
- magic mechanics
- continuity
- timelines
When you honor the rules you set, the reader feels grounded and safe in your world.
4. The Convenient Miracle
A resolution appears out of nowhere:
- the perfect clue
- a surprise power
- a helpful stranger
- a last-minute coincidence
- “it was all a dream”
These shortcuts might solve a plot problem…
but they break emotional integrity.
💡 How to Fix It
Let resolution flow from character transformation.
Readers crave:
- courage
- choice
- sacrifice
- faith under pressure
- redemption earned through growth
Not convenience.
Your character should wrestle, choose, and grow—not be rescued by the plot.
5. The Time Warp
Timelines are where accidental plot holes LOVE to hide.
Look for inconsistencies like:
- characters healing impossibly fast
- travel happening too quickly
- days blending together
- seasons shifting without reason
- emotional arcs resolving in unrealistic timeframes
💡 How to Fix It
Build a simple story calendar.
Track:
- days and weeks
- travel distances
- emotional beats
- healing timelines
- pacing shifts
Small timeline adjustments create major believability.
Plot Holes Don’t Just Break Logic—They Break Connection
Readers forgive imperfect writing.
They forgive rough drafts.
They forgive missing commas.
But they don’t forget when something “doesn’t feel true.”
Because truth, emotional and structural, is what creates reader trust.
And trust is what keeps people turning pages.
Why This Matters for Christian Writers
Christian storytelling is deeply emotional—not because it’s dramatic, but because it’s honest.
We write from a place where faith and humanity meet: fear and hope, doubt and trust, heartbreak and redemption.
When your characters misread a moment, it isn’t weakness…
it’s truth.
It reflects the tension we all live in:
- wanting to trust God but wrestling with insecurity
- hoping for healing but fearing disappointment
- stepping forward in faith while carrying old wounds
Letting emotion distort perception isn’t just good craft—
it’s spiritually resonant storytelling.
Before You Go — Build Your Writing Momentum
✨ Free Writing + Book Outline Mini Toolkit
Your jumpstart bundle for getting unstuck and structuring a story with confidence.
✨ The Christian Writer’s Guide
No more staring at the page wondering where your story goes.
This guide includes structure frameworks, worksheets, scene planners, pacing tools, and subplot guides—everything you need to write with clarity instead of confusion and confidence instead of doubt.
Finish your draft without burnout using a step-by-step 3–6 month plan designed specifically for Christian women writers.
✨ Book Me as Your Editor
For Christian authors who want faith-aware editing with professional excellence.
Email: hello@penandpolish.studio
DM on Instagram: @pen.and.polish
Keep writing. Don’t give up. You can do this.
Pen and Polish 