What is a MacGuffin? Well, Wikipedia defines MacGuffin as… Just kidding. When you hear the word MacGuffin think motivation. That’s all MacGuffins are. A thing for your characters to chase after. A plot device, usually in the form of an object, that propels the action of your story. MacGuffins are often mystical in nature. Relics
Tag: How to
In today’s popular culture we are awash with anti-heroes. You have your Walter White, your Tony Soprano, Dexter, Tyrion and Jaime, Bond, Bourne, Holmes, and Solo. You can’t swing a dead cat without hitting an anti-hero. Now, I’m not complaining. I’ve espoused my love for anti-heroes on this very blog. Anti-heroes are great when we
Do you know what one of my greatest challenges as a writer is? Creating good, believable characters. When I began my writing journey, creating characters seemed simple enough. Make up a name. With me it was usually something stupid like “Deacon Devlin.” Then, tell the reader what this person looks like- He had dark hair,
I have an interesting historical fact for you. Did you know that two of the most well know artists of all time hated each other? I’m talking about Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo. This may not come as a shock to you as artists often feud with one another. Think Tupac and Biggie or Taylor
What do you think is the most important element of a story? Some people say the plot. Others say the characters. They’re both wrong. The most important element you need to develope for your story is a theme! So, today we’ll learn how to write a strong theme. Sure stories are meant to entertain us
This week I want to talk about anti-heroes. In this morally ambiguous time, it’s no longer popular to write about classic heroes who are purely good and righteous. I mean, where’s the fun in that? Gone are the days of swashbucklers like Ivanhoe and Robin Hood. Even the most recent incarnation of Superman has a
It’s November. Is it just me, or was November designed to be the most stressful month of the year? Halloween is such a fun holiday, but fast-forward twenty-four hours and all the big-box retailers start blasting Christmas carols like they’re trying to break up a hostage crisis. How can you convince your boss to give
You’ve knocked out your First Act and you have a killer Inciting Incident. What now? Well, it’s time for your Second Act, and in this act, your protagonist has one job- To Respond. A good First Act will end with a major plot point that will disrupt the protagonist’s life in a significant way. Need