Deus Ex Machina

by Adam Huddleston

The next literary term I would like to discuss is “deus ex machina”. It is a Latin phrase which means “god from the machine”. While it may sound like an interesting plot device to use, it is actually something which should be avoided.

“Deus ex machina” occurs when a difficult problem in the plot gets suddenly solved by an external source that had yet to be introduced into the story. It’s basically a “cop-out”. The term originated from ancient Greek plays when a crane (the machine) would bring an actor (playing a god) onto the stage to aid in the climax of the story.

It is still used when an author writes themselves into a corner and can’t find a way out. Some writers are able to use it for comedic effect, but for the most part, it is a good idea to imbed the conflict’s resolution earlier in the story.

Happy writing!

Foreshadowing

by Adam Huddleston

The next literary term in my blog series is: foreshadowing. I assume most people understand what it is, but it is important for writers to know how to use it well. For completeness sake, foreshadowing is defined as an indication or hint of future events. This can be blatant or very subtle. I would guess that most readers prefer a more sly approach to foreshadowing than being “hit over the head” with it.

Some examples of foreshadowing in movies and literature include:

1. The farmhands, Professor Marvel, and Ms. Gulch in Kansas in “The Wizard of Oz” acting similar to their counterparts in Oz.
2. In “The Empire Strikes Back”, Luke sees a vision of his face in Darth Vader’s mask, foreshadowing the revelation of their relationship.
3. Romeo in “Romeo and Juliet” states that he’d rather die than live without Juliet’s love.
4. The witches in “Macbeth” are an evil omen of future events.

As a writer, it may help to work backwards when creating foreshadowing. Add little clues in earlier parts of your story, but be sure to have those hints blend in with the plot, otherwise the reader will see it ahead of time.

Happy writing!

MacGuffin

by Adam Huddleston

Last week, I presented a blog concerning a plot device known as the “red herring”. This week, let’s quickly look at another: the MacGuffin.

The term, often incorrectly attributed to Alfred Hitchcock (though he did use it often), refers to a main goal that the protagonist is pursuing in a story and which may or may not be important to the overall plot. I retrieved these examples from Wikipedia: the meaning of “rosebud” in Citizen Kane (1941); the NOC list in Mission: Impossible (1996); the Rabbit’s Foot in Mission: Impossible III (2006); the Heart of the Ocean necklace in Titanic; and the mineral unobtainium in Avatar (2009).

Hitchcock did have an interesting quote concerning the MacGuffin:

“It might be a Scottish name, taken from a story about two men on a train. One man says, “What’s that package up there in the baggage rack?” And the other answers, “Oh, that’s a MacGuffin”. The first one asks, “What’s a MacGuffin?” “Well,” the other man says, “it’s an apparatus for trapping lions in the Scottish Highlands.” The first man says, “But there are no lions in the Scottish Highlands,” and the other one answers, “Well then, that’s no MacGuffin!” So you see that a MacGuffin is actually nothing at all.”

I hope this adds to your writing vocabulary!

MacGuffin

by Adam Huddleston

Last week, I presented a blog concerning a plot device known as the “red herring”. This week, let’s quickly look at another: the MacGuffin.

The term, often incorrectly attributed to Alfred Hitchcock (though he did use it often), refers to a main goal that the protagonist is pursuing in a story and which may or may not be important to the overall plot. I retrieved these examples from Wikipedia: the meaning of “rosebud” in Citizen Kane (1941); the NOC list in Mission: Impossible (1996); the Rabbit’s Foot in Mission: Impossible III (2006); the Heart of the Ocean necklace in Titanic; and the mineral unobtainium in Avatar (2009).

Hitchcock did have an interesting quote concerning the MacGuffin:

“It might be a Scottish name, taken from a story about two men on a train. One man says, “What’s that package up there in the baggage rack?” And the other answers, “Oh, that’s a MacGuffin”. The first one asks, “What’s a MacGuffin?” “Well,” the other man says, “it’s an apparatus for trapping lions in the Scottish Highlands.” The first man says, “But there are no lions in the Scottish Highlands,” and the other one answers, “Well then, that’s no MacGuffin!” So you see that a MacGuffin is actually nothing at all.”

I hope this adds to your writing vocabulary!

Red Herring

by Adam Huddleston

Just thought I’d throw another literary device your way. You may have heard the phrase “red herring”. A red herring is defined as:

something, especially a clue, that is or is intended to be misleading or distracting.

The use of red herrings in writing can be quite effective in harnessing the reader’s interest. It also enhances the overall experience by providing surprises along the plotline. One word of advice however: make sure your red herrings are real. What I mean is, keep your writing sharp, clear, and free of mistakes in the plot that accidentally lead the reader in the wrong direction. This can aggravate the reader and pull them out of the story.

Happy writing!

I read a writing prompt online at www.writingexcuses.com and since it was a short scene, I thought I’d share it. It’s fairly unedited, so don’t expect too much.

The Front Line

by Adam Huddleston

So I’m standing here, right smack-dab in the middle of the front line. Joe is to my left. You can tell he’s nervous ‘cause his teeth are clacking like a castanet. Oswald is to my right. He thinks he’s gonna be a hero. He keeps hopping up and down in excitement. And guess what. He stinks. Well, to be fair, we all stink.

We’re the army of the undead. There’s a long line of “good guys” across from us and man do they look intense. They’re all screamin’, and jumpin’ around; not unlike my buddy Oswald here.

I mean, I know we’re undead and all, and if one of those block-headed morons from across the battlefield “slays” us, we’ll just pop back up in a moment or two, but still, killin’ hurts! I mean, how would you like to keep dying over and over again? I know, right?

Well, the other army has begun their assault. They’re pouring down the hill on the other side of the river between us. I love this river; use to fish in it when I was a kid. My Pa and I did. That was ages ago. Long before that sorry excuse for a necromancer raised us all from the dead.

Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate a second chance at life, such as it is. I just hate the way he’s always ordering us around.

“Chop down that tree! Forge this axe! Pick up that arm bone that just fell off!”

Humph. Prima donna.

Wow, the other army is making their way across the river now. Wonder when Mr. “Hey, ya’ll all follow me” is gonna give us the go ahead to charge. Not sure it will do much good. We’ll all go running into their front lines and they’ll scatter our bones all over the place. We’ll spend the next six hours trying to find ourselves, and I don’t mean in a psychological sense.

“Joe, don’t dry heave on me, man. You don’t even have a stomach!”

Ok, so they’re almost to us. Maybe a hundred yards away. And there’s our great and glorious leader, sitting atop his dreadsteed. Might as well be picking his…

Wait! What’s this? He’s giving us the choppy hand sign. I’m pretty sure that means “charge.” Alright, here goes!

Writingexcuses.com

by Adam Huddleston

Now that I’ve caught on to an excellent online podcast about writing, I may be including their topics in my blogs from time to time. I promise to always give credit where credit is due as well. The podcast can be found at www.writingexcuses.com. The original moderators were Brandon Sanderson, Howard Tayler, and Dan Wells. Each episode lasts around fifteen minutes and is chock-full of great information.

The first episode covered brainstorming. I really appreciated the ideas the writers gave concerning different techniques they use to come up with ideas. One of the authors described how he uses the “map” or “navigation” feature of Microsoft Word. He creates three headings (plot, characters, and setting) and begins filling each one in with ideas. Once he begins the actual process of writing, he can move throughout the document easily by clicking on an item under one of the headings. I can’t wait to try this with my own work.

If you have a few minutes to spare, I highly recommend giving their podcast a listen. Happy writing!

Hero vs. Protagonist vs. Main Character

by Adam Huddleston

I was listening to a podcast recently where the moderators were discussing the difference between the hero, protagonist, and main character in a story. To be honest, I had never really considered it and simply assumed that they were one and the same. The moderators explained the difference thusly:

Hero: the character in a story that you want to see succeed.

Protagonist: the character in a story that drives the events of the story forward and often changes during it

Main Character: the character the story focuses on, usually told through their point of view

Hopefully these definitions will help you in your writing!

Writing in “You Only Live Twice”

by Adam Huddleston

The fifth film in the James Bond franchise, “You Only Live Twice” finds 007 travelling throughout Japan. Sean Connery, in his role as Bond, is tasked with discovering why two spacecrafts (one Soviet and one American) disappear in orbit. Each superpower believe that the other is to blame. Bond finds that S.P.E.C.T.R.E. is behind the disappearances and eventually runs into Ernst Blofeld, the evil organization’s leader. In the climax, 007 thwarts Blofeld’s plan to capture another American spaceship (which would lead to war between the two nations) and Blofeld’s secret base is destroyed.

I found “You Only Live Twice” to be quite a bit more enjoyable than the previous film “Thunderball”. There is a lot more action and the story line is more interesting. For example, Bond is seemingly shot to death in the opening minutes of the film. I won’t spoil the rest of the movie but it is definitely worth a watch.