In movies or books, a motivating plot device that the protagonist pursues, often with little explanation. The MacGuffin is usually used to start or heighten the action and then becomes unimportant and forgotten by the end. You can have a good movie with a MacGuffin—Alfred Hitchcock practically invented the term—but it takes more skill than most of us have.
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The year is 1912. Roald Amundsen and Robert Scott each set out on an expedition to reach the South Pole. No one has ever done this before. Scott and his four companions reach the Pole on January 17, 1912, only to find that Amundsen had reached it 34 days prior. Scott's team turns around and begins the return trip. None of them make it. Their bodies and documents are discovered eight months later, and Scott's legacy endures as that of a tragic hero.
The year is 2013. Man's dreaming and hubris have not changed in 100 years. Ben Saunders and Tarka L'Herpiniere, after years of planning and fundraising, set out, trying to complete the Scott expedition themselves.
To say any more would spoil the exceptional, human piece of writing and story that is today's link.
WritingExpeditionsHubrisExtreme thingsHonestyThere were some college football bowl games yesterday, and there were some funny things in those bowl games. Enjoy! And make sure to turn the sound on for the second one.