An intelligent observation....

[Paul Whybrow]

‘An intelligent observation of the facts of human existence will reveal to shallow-minded folk who sneer at the use of coincidence in the arts of fiction and drama that life itself is little more than a series of coincidences.’

Rafael Sabatini

 

[Katie-Ellen]

The folk sneering at the Deus ex Machina are forgetting the adage; 'truth is stranger than fiction'.

BUT I would say the coincidence has to be significant meaningful, to 'work' in fiction. Where not every coincidence seems meaningful in real life.

Any whiff of a cop-out.....and cue the boos.