Avoid plot advancement by stupidity at all costs. It is very easy to write a character who forgets to lock the door if the story hinges on a burglary. It is very easy to have the guards distracted by the delivery of an unexpected cake if the plot hinges around nopony getting past them. It is easy to forget that unplugging a megalomaniac computer could prevent it from taking over the world if the plot hinges on ignoring that fact.

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