The Chekhov’s gun checklist: How to edit your writing so each detail matters
You know the audio messages where they tell a story, but somehow include every insignificant detail?
“Okay, so I was at that café — you know, the one near Sarah’s place? And this was on Tuesday… no, Wednesday! No, wait, when did it rain last week?”
Before they get to the point, you’ve already decided to listen to the rest later (maybe).
Now, I’m not saying we should all script conversations like Oscar-winning screenplays…
But a powerful story — whether it’s told in fiction, business writing, or public speaking, whatever — should contain details that earned their place.
Chekhov’s Gun is an editing principle where all the details of your story are perfectly placed and have consequences. In this article, I’ll equip you with 5 techniques using the concept of Chekhov’s gun to create powerful stories.
First, who was Chekhov, and why does he talk about guns?
Chekhov's gun is a narrative philosophy that proposes each detail included in a story — such as a backstory, a character trait, or an object — is there for a reason that will later hold greater significance.
The source? Russian writer and playwright Anton Chekhov, who famously stated that if a gun is shown in the first act of a story, then at some point it needs to be fired.
For writers, it’s a reminder that every detail should lead to a payoff. And if it doesn’t, it’s time to cut and refine until only the essential remains.
This literary principle is useful for all forms of writing, from short stories to public speaking to your next social media post. It promises:
Stronger impact: Set expectations that are paid off, keeping readers satisfied.
Clearer focus: Clarify your writing by knowing what belongs and what doesn’t.
Better flow: No more dragging middle sections or overly long descriptions.
How to fire Chekhov’s gun while editing
1. Set the stage
People love guessing what’s coming next.
It’s why we seek adventures into the unknown and how we get hooked to TV shows.
But curiosity begins by setting the stage with a promise. In storytelling we call this ‘foreshadowing’: subtle details that leave lingering questions that fully click into place later.
In fiction, it’s when you introduce a detail early that matters later. For example, a character who has a photographic memory cracks the case with it later.
In public speaking, it’s when an irresistible hook triggers a problem later resolved in the speech. Steven Bartlett, for example, has begun many speeches with, “When I was fifteen, my mum told me to leave the house…” Now you need to know why.
In nonfiction, a headline and opening should build curiosity that is later delivered on.
Quick note: Foreshadowing is often confused with a ‘Red herring’. But a red herring is the opposite: it’s a detail intended to distract readers from the real answer, like the many possible culprits in a murder mystery story.
2. Deliver the payoff
Chekhov’s Gun results in a sense of completeness. A setup later earns its ending, and every detail is a meaningful step.
The creators of South Park, Trey Stone and Matt Parker, have a simple way to deliver this payoff. Their favorite words to introduce between each beat in a story are but or therefore.
Let’s see this in action from the famous episode Scott Tenorman Must Die:
SETUP: Cartman gets scammed by a boy called Scott Tenorman and wants revenge.
BUT Scott humiliates him constantly, making Cartman’s need for revenge even stronger.
THEREFORE Cartman orchestrates an elaborate plan that leads to Scott eating his own parents in a chili.
Mmm… your tears Scott! Your tears are so sweet!
This ‘payoff’ after setting the scene can also be achieved in business narratives, such as case studies.
SETUP: A challenge that needs solving (backed by data or a customer story)
BUT your software/business model/solution helped resolve this issue with [...].
THEREFORE the challenge was resolved, and these results were achieved.
Good writing is a cause-and-effect reaction where each point should set up the next. If you introduce a fact, argument, or example, don’t leave it hanging. Follow through, or cut it.
3. Know which details should remain
How do you know which details complete this big picture?
While editing, ask yourself:
What purpose does this element serve?
Would the story suffer if I removed it?
Does this detail pay off later?
There is an important bonus question: is this detail holding the reader’s attention? There’s a simple way to find out:
Find an editor whom you trust to give a useful perspective on your draft, and get them to mark down every time their mind ‘wanders’ while they’re reading your text.
If their mind wanders a lot, then the text lacks urgency. It’s either:
Overly descriptive
Sharing details that don’t keep the reader hooked
Meandering and not leading back to the core point.
For fiction writers, if you were to be even more brutal with your edits, follow the advice of one of history’s greatest satire writers, Kurt Vonnegut:
“Every sentence must do one of two things—reveal character or advance the action.”
4. Cut the clutter (even if you love it)
This is one of the hardest parts of editing. A beautifully written paragraph might feel important, but if it doesn’t serve the whole, it’s dead weight.
One practical trick is to read your work out loud, asking yourself: Does this detail spark clarity? Does it reveal something important? Or does it drag the pace?
If the latter, thank it for its service and kill it.
My years in the software industry have shown me that tech companies are some of the worst offenders here for cluttered messaging. Either there’s too much technical jargon or they strip things down so much that their product sounds just like everyone else’s.
The key is knowing when to provide detail. Customers further down the funnel need specifics, but at the top, clarity and differentiation matter most.
5. Sleep on it
How do you get clear on what to cut and what should stay?
Simple: consult the mattress.
Imagine finishing your short story today and setting it aside for a year. When you pick it up again, certain details will stand out as essential, while others will feel unnecessary.
But you don’t have to wait a year. Just simulate the effect: take a break, go for a walk, revisit it the next day or (time permitted) next week. Return with fresh eyes so that the text doesn’t even feel like yours.
Stephen King takes his stories to the extreme, giving a 6-week gap between his draft and the editing stage:
“With six weeks’ worth of recuperation time, you’ll also be able to see any glaring holes in the plot of character development. I’m talking about holes big enough to drive a truck through.”
Does each element still feel vital or provide a payoff to the setup? If not, that’s a sign it needs to go.
Writing with purpose
Chekhov’s Gun isn’t just about cutting fluff: it’s about the structure of your piece, from setting initial expectations to closing the loop in a satisfying way.
Whether you’re writing a story, crafting a pitch, or delivering a speech, your details should be elevated to move the story forward.
Great stories have that moment where everything clicks — where the theme is made clear, where the question is answered, where a 5-minute moment of change makes the audience gasp and say “I knew it!”
Is your writing set up for that moment?
