There is a scene in my first novel of a series that has my MC's see a dragon die, that was dear to them; it was murdered by three people who are ganging up on the MC's at the current time with the intent to kill them too. Then the dragon's spirit shoots straight into the closest MC. This is because, right after the death, spirits leave the body but want to return, and as it's aloft in the air as a silvery ball, it goes into the nearest living person. That person then sees the memories and past thoughts of the one who's dead. When it doesn't recongise the person as their own body, the spirit leaves straight after. You get me?
This is explained right after that, but I fear that, already, the little scene can be considered one with a deus ex machina.
However, this little scene shows/gives three other things:
1. It shows a little more about spirits, and the Spirit World is very important in my story.
2. It gives an explanation as to why another character goes through the same thing, by seeing the dead's memory and all, in a later book. So, the scene basically sets the ground for that.
3. It also gives a little insight to how dragons are treated by some people in my world, alongside proof as to why a certain character can't be in public or around the people they love anymore.
Even with those three points, would it still be considered a deus ex machina. I'm a little worried because in that scene things just happen there and then and almost completely out of thin air for the reader, which perhaps might make them think that this is the deus ex machina.
I think I've been worrying about this for a while.
BQ: Um... this may seem like a weird question but, how do you pronounce 'deus ex machina'? I've always done it as if the phrase was French, not Latin, even though I know it's Latin. So I say it in my head like 'duh ehy mashina'. xD You? Haha ....B%26amp;A: I've a question about a probable deus ex machina in my book. Help, please?
Hehe, well it's not French, it's Latin, like you said, so it's "DAY-oos EX MACH-ee-nah" pronouncing every syllable.
I think that even though your plot point comes "out of nowhere" that isn't necessarily deus ex machina. It's explained well enough and has a purpose, and isn't just a godlike manipulation of your power as a writer to save everyone at the end ;)B%26amp;A: I've a question about a probable deus ex machina in my book. Help, please?
A dues ex machina is usually more of a cope-out (usually, to help the protagonists) Even though this seems to just happen, I don't think it's a dues ex machina. It's more like a plot twist/secret of the world that's more important to the story, instead of something that's like "Are you kidding me?" just to make the hero's life easier.
You might find this interesting: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Ma鈥?/a>
BQ: I usually pronounce it like: Days-EX-mach-een- ah, but that's probably wrong.
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