This will be the final entry in the series inspired by storytelling tricks and mechanics.  This week is about chasing MacGuffins.

A MacGuffin is a plot device that serves as a catalyst for action throughout the story.  It’s something that characters are motivated to acquire.  Often, the MacGuffin is an object, but it could also be a goal or an idea.  For example, a popular object MacGuffin would be the Ark of the Covenant from Raiders of the Lost Ark.  This was from the first Indiana Jones film.  The movie follows Indiana Jones, an archaeologist, as he goes on a globetrotting adventure to find and secure the Ark before the Nazis can get it and use its powers.  All the action, conflict, and movement all are driven toward acquiring this MacGuffin.  Without the MacGuffin, there wouldn’t be an Indiana Jones story.  There wouldn’t be anything driving him forward to achieve.

Let’s connect this to life.  Sometimes, I find myself working and running around endlessly.  Then, I pause for a moment, and I realize that I’m not sure what I was running toward or why I was running.  Has this ever happened to you?  Maybe we all need a MacGuffin to bring clarity and lead to action.  Sometimes, my MacGuffin is a medal, which serves as a catalyst for me to train and prepare for a race.  Sometimes, my MacGuffin is a specific deliverable, which causes me to really focus on what matters.  Sometimes, my MacGuffin is the idea of being an awesome dad, which causes me to be a lot more in tune with how I’m parenting.

The challenge: What is a MacGuffin worthy of your pursuit?

Bonus fun question: If your MacGuffin is an idea, what physical thing would embody that idea?  Maybe it’s embodied by a statue, a diamond, or something else.

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry