What is 'Chekhov's Gun'?

The idea comes from Anton Chekhov's(Russian dramatist) writing advice:

"If in Act ONE you have a pistol hanging on the wall, then it must fire in the last act."

Chekhov's Gun is a story concept that suggests how the details you add in your story should contribute to the overall narrative of the story. This also means you should avoid adding unnecessary details that will never be used meaningfully in your narration.

Example: The snake in Chandramukhi(2005) was an unnecessary addition to the story, just for the sake of generating curiosity.

You remove the snake, the story still remains unchanged!

©ScriptsAsylum, 2020