Basic Vocabulary: Deus Ex Machinia

Have you ever watched a movie where the ending was so contrived and forced that you didn't believe it at all? Maybe the hero is out of ammunition and the bad guys are closing in from all directions and then dam breaks and floods the whole area and our hero is the only one who is able to survive because he grabs a tree branch and floats away. Or maybe the bad guy has completely defeated the forces of good but just before he can deliver the death blow, a little kid comes running out of the crowd and tugs at his sleeve and asks him why he's so mean, so he changes his mind about the whole thing and lets the good guys go.

Congratulations, you've experienced Dues Ex Machina. 

Wikipedia defines Dues Ex Machina as: "The term has evolved to mean a plot device whereby a seemingly unsolvable problem is suddenly and abruptly resolved by the contrived and unexpected intervention of some new event, character, ability or object. Depending on how it is done, it can be intended to move the story forward when the writer has 'painted himself into a corner' and sees no other way out, to surprise the audience, to bring the tale to a happy ending, or as a comedic device."

Note from the Wikipedia definition above that a writer may choose to create a Dues Ex Machina situation, and that it could potentially be used to benefit the story. Think about a Mel Brooks comedy, where the Dues Ex Machina ending is part of the joke.

Even as a comedic device, Dues Ex Machina is difficult to pull off without looking lazy. My advice? Stay away from it. Use foreshadowing and logical story progression to bring your story to a logical close. 

Then again, what do I know?

-The Illiterate Writer