Constructive critique and fast fixes for your NOVEL, NONFICTION, OUTLINE, or QUERY LETTER.
Discuss your current writing project in a 15-minute ASK THE EDITOR session. It’s free!
Constructive critique and fast fixes for your NOVEL, NONFICTION, OUTLINE, or QUERY LETTER.
Discuss your current writing project in a 15-minute ASK THE EDITOR session. It’s free!
The MacGuffin, a tasty narrative device, isn’t served for breakfast — and it certainly didn’t retire with Hitchcock.
In movies and literature, the MacGuffin gives characters something to pursue. Whether its a sacred relic or The Dude’s stolen rug, the object matters less for what it is than for what it does: it mobilizes action.
It could be as immense as a Death Star looming in a galaxy far, far away or as tiny as the microfilm in North by Northwest. Suitcase-sized MacGuffins are easiest to find. They tend to tick.
Size and shape matter less than the fact that the Raiders cared deeply about the Lost Ark. The Nazis and Indiana Jones chased that movie’s MacGuffin from Nepal to Egypt and beyond. As good and evil clashed, audiences remained glued to their seats, swept up in well-plotted events.
Legendary screenwriter Aaron Sorkin advises writers to make their characters care. Give them clear intentions and throw obstacles in their way. A MacGuffin is a physical object that brings focus to intention.
In theaters, popcorn sales suffer when an onscreen character commits to a goal and confronts horrific challenges. Viewers dare not miss a moment.
Strong stories in print as well as cinema hinge on characters seeking a goal. That goal might be posessing a sacred relic or resolving a deep personal need. Either pursuit – physical or metaphysical – drives the plot.
Stories centered on character growth, relationships, or a theme can succeed without a MacGuffin. Still, it’s a powerful tool. When used well, a MacGuffin ignites desire and propels characters forward.
Make your character want something in every scene. Make it hard to get. That will make the reader care, and when readers care, pages keep turning.
In his tech writing work, George created a chest-high stack of unattributed training and computer manuals for Walt Disney World Co and in consulting assignments across the eastern U.S. He also wrote and published fiction and nonfiction books.
George holds a Poynter ACES Editing certificate. He currently provides beta reader and coaching services at SecondEyesEditorial.com.