What is deus ex machina? I read that writers should never have this in their stories. Why not?
Because they're more annoying than Gilbert Godfried on speed and more out of style than flapper skirts. Deus ex machina gets translated as, "God in a box" a lot, and who am I to argue? It's a good description.
And now, for a wee analogy. Did you ever play a tough video game, so tough that you had to use a cheat code? Don't worry if you have. There's no honor lost if you've used them, because it's just a freaking video game. Get real.
Your cheatin' heart
This plot device is like a cheat code for authors that usually comes near the end of the story. Authors create a tense situation, one where the hero is besieged on all sides and facing certain death. Let's say James Bond has tracked down the super villian in his lair. Bond could shoot him, but the villain has his finger on a button that could launch all the world's nuclear weapons.
This is good. Readers love drama. But sometimes authors hate work. They can't figure how the hero can survive the incredibly tense and dangerous situation they've thrown the hero into.
So they cheat. Suddenly, a CIA agent comes from behind the wall and says, "Don't worry, James. I've dismantled the button. The missiles are safe." Bond shoots the villain and then gets all freaky with some random chick. The end.
What a letdown. It's like the author opened a box and out came God who said, "Don't worry! I'll solve all the problems around here!" Hence, God in a box. It's when writers create an unlikely, out-of-the-blue ending that solves everything.
They were killed by the flu? Give me a break!
It works for the author, since he or she doesn't need to be creative and think of how Bond could get himself out of that situation. But the reader feels cheated. They wanted the character to do something, not some incredibly lucky series of events.
That's the ultimate reason why you should never use deus ex machina in your writing. It makes the reader feel cheated, and they won't like your story.
True, there was a time when this sort of thing was more acceptible. H.G. Wells used it in, "War of the Worlds." Aliens are ravaging Earth's cities, and our armies cannot stop them. Just when the evil aliens are about to win ... they all die from the common cold. We're saved! Thank you God, now get back in your box.
You wouldn't be reading this if you were that established
Today, this ending doesn't hold up as well. Critics and readers forgive Wells because he's H.G. Freaking Wells, a legend in the field, and not some nobody trying to establish themselves as a writer (and that includes me, so don't get all offended).
Here's the bottom line. Use it, and no one will like your work. Avoid it, and you have a much better chance at being liked and published.
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