Plot Devices: Should we use them? (part 4)

Another interesting plot device that you may be familiar with is known as the “plot voucher,” which involves something that a character finds or receives in the story that has some later, important significance. This is similar to the deus ex machina device, except that the audience knows about it much earlier in the story—they just didn't realize what it was for until it saves the day. Somehow, this has become slightly more accepted and doesn't ellicit the loss of suspension of disbelief in an audience quite as much. Often, these magical objects are found in fantasy or science fiction stories, and the protagonist doesn't realize the power or capability of the item until a dire, possibly life-threatening moment has arrived. Perhaps the reason we accept this plot device over the deux ex machina is because we knew about the object before the crisis, and might have even been yelling for the protagonist to try using it to save himself. When the character finally does use it, we feel relieved, possibly smarter because we realized it before the character—we saw it coming.