Stop the typing! I’ve learned a new writing term!

I’m beginning to wonder how much room I’ve got left in my brain. Can’t be much.  Seems I learn something new about writing every single day.

 

No, it’s not a cartoon, band or new sandwich at McDonald’s.

So, just what is a MacGuffin?

Writer Angus MacPhail is credited with coining the term, Alfred Hitchcock adopted the word and used it throughout his career.

One way to understand a MacGuffin is to find what, in your story, inspires or motivates the characters.

A MacGuffin can be the goal, object, desire, or gimmick that is of vital importance to the characters. As there are great women behind good mean, there must be something motivating your character to action. MacGuffin is a plot device that gets the story started.

Writers/authors and teachers often disagree on this subject. Some say every story has one or should have one, others say the term MacGuffin was an inside joke between Angus MacPhail and Alfred Hitchcock and shouldn’t be taken seriously.

One example is in the Maltese Falcon. The hunt for the falcon gets the story rolling, but has little to do with where the film ends up. This is a perfect MacGuffin.

Want to read more about MacGuffin? Click on links below.

What Is A McGuffin? by Michael Kurland

WHAT’S A MACGUFFIN IN FILMS AND WHY IS IT CALLED THAT? By Matt Blitz

The MacGuffin Is A Joke

Questions!

Have you heard about a MacGuffin before?

Can you find one in your story?

Which side of the fence do you fall? MacGuffin is real or a joke?

 

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