Colonel Mustard, in the library with the candlestick

I thought I'd explain the gun reference in yesterday's post. I can't remember where I heard/read it, but essentially there's a saying out there that "if you put a gun over the mantle in the first act, you'd better shoot it by the third." This statement is especially applicable in the short story form, where real estate is at a premium and every detail has to contribute to the overall story and move the plot and characters forwards. You can maybe fudge it a little in a novella or novel, but loose ends stick out in a short story and need to be dealt with before the words 'the end'.