A Macguffin is the plot device through which the journey of the story finds its impetus. Most thrillers have one. A Goodwin is something I just gave name to. Maybe it already has a name. Maybe it's so obvious it doesn't need a name. But it wasn't obvious to me, I didn't put in enough Goodwins, and my thriller is boring as a result. Hope my thought process helps someone, long winded as it is.
A Goodwin is a exciting and dramatic event, usually violent, that keeps the reader going by maintaining interest. Every thriller/action writer uses Goodwins. How long does it take Archie Goodwin, Travis McGee or Spenser to get in a fight? Part of the thrill is having someone threaten Spenser, and he gets to show off his physical prowess.
Sometimes it's directly related to the plot, sometimes it's not. You read Jack Reacher, you wait for the first fight. Doesn't matter if it's the local cops harassing him, a couple of no goods in a bar. Jeez, Reacher thinks way too much. But then a Goodwin comes alone and makes everything OK, keeps us reading.
Of course, the success and quality of a Goodwin is how integrated into the plot it is. A Goodwin should show us something about the character, physically and mentally. Doesn't have to be a fight. Could be telling his boss to pound sand. Could be anything that has conflict. But it's exciting, makes us read, and draws us into the main character even further.
It's a chance for the character to express themselves before the climatic ending. In a Goodwin we may learn more about the character than all the dialog and talk put together. It sets us up for how they are going to behave. It's a little test of their ability, a taste of what's going to come.
"Aloha from Hell." A Jack Reacher wannabe. Another guy with way too many interior monologue. But then we get a cool fight scene, like clockwork, every few chapters. Take out the fight scenes no one would read it.
In fantasy there are plenty of Goodwins. Some gal or guy goes on a quest through the magic forest. They're going to get attacked, fall into quicksand, escape by their quick wit. All Goodwins. Does it matter if it's quicksand or a giant snake? No, it's a test of their character. Look at Princess Bride, it recognizes and spoofs this in the Fire Forrest.
OK, but isn't this just conflict? Well sure, but it's a specific type of conflict. A moment of high intensity, high stakes, where things get ratcheted up for a moment. Opposition, quick decisions, stress, give and take. Not just people talking about doing something. Actually doing something, being tested, reacting.
Isn't any action scene a Goodwin? Well, pretty much if it's done right. A real CIA guy or a private detective probably gets to see action every few years. Real life isn't very exciting. The problem comes in making our novel realistic, while still having a Goodwin every few chapters, a Goodwin that fits in and drives the character. How could an action scene not be a Goodwin? When the character isn't involved and has no control over his or her fate. When there are no consequences. When there are no choices for the character to make.
Does a Goodwin have to be physical? In "The Last Coyote" there is a very dramatic opening scene, where veteran homicide detective Harry Bosch is undergoing mandatory consoling. Now Harry getting up in age, not many physical fights left in him, but he's pretty confrontational, and the battle of wits between him and the counselor is every bit as compelling as a fight scene. It meets all the requirements of a Goodwin. Raises the stake. Takes it to the next level. Shows the character. And keep us riveted. That's great writing.
Sure, not all books need Goodwins. Goodwins won't save a bad book, a poor plot. Nothing worse than a poorly done Goodwin. Hey, throw in some random action because you're running out of plot. There are no rules. If you're a brilliant writer you can get by with just mood and atmosphere. But Goodwins really helps. If your thriller doesn't have a Goodwin every few chapters you might want to think about this.
This is probably intuitively obvious to a lot of writers. But naming it, putting it in concrete terms is a big help to me. I literally didn't have a Goodwin till over half way through my novel. I have things that masqueraded as Goodwins, people dying, strange happenings, adventures, but they were not Goodwins. They didn't INVOLVE the protag. One reviewer commented, "You book should be exciting with everything that's happening. But it isn't, and I have to stop reading at this point."
A Goodwin is a exciting and dramatic event, usually violent, that keeps the reader going by maintaining interest. Every thriller/action writer uses Goodwins. How long does it take Archie Goodwin, Travis McGee or Spenser to get in a fight? Part of the thrill is having someone threaten Spenser, and he gets to show off his physical prowess.
Sometimes it's directly related to the plot, sometimes it's not. You read Jack Reacher, you wait for the first fight. Doesn't matter if it's the local cops harassing him, a couple of no goods in a bar. Jeez, Reacher thinks way too much. But then a Goodwin comes alone and makes everything OK, keeps us reading.
Of course, the success and quality of a Goodwin is how integrated into the plot it is. A Goodwin should show us something about the character, physically and mentally. Doesn't have to be a fight. Could be telling his boss to pound sand. Could be anything that has conflict. But it's exciting, makes us read, and draws us into the main character even further.
It's a chance for the character to express themselves before the climatic ending. In a Goodwin we may learn more about the character than all the dialog and talk put together. It sets us up for how they are going to behave. It's a little test of their ability, a taste of what's going to come.
"Aloha from Hell." A Jack Reacher wannabe. Another guy with way too many interior monologue. But then we get a cool fight scene, like clockwork, every few chapters. Take out the fight scenes no one would read it.
In fantasy there are plenty of Goodwins. Some gal or guy goes on a quest through the magic forest. They're going to get attacked, fall into quicksand, escape by their quick wit. All Goodwins. Does it matter if it's quicksand or a giant snake? No, it's a test of their character. Look at Princess Bride, it recognizes and spoofs this in the Fire Forrest.
OK, but isn't this just conflict? Well sure, but it's a specific type of conflict. A moment of high intensity, high stakes, where things get ratcheted up for a moment. Opposition, quick decisions, stress, give and take. Not just people talking about doing something. Actually doing something, being tested, reacting.
Isn't any action scene a Goodwin? Well, pretty much if it's done right. A real CIA guy or a private detective probably gets to see action every few years. Real life isn't very exciting. The problem comes in making our novel realistic, while still having a Goodwin every few chapters, a Goodwin that fits in and drives the character. How could an action scene not be a Goodwin? When the character isn't involved and has no control over his or her fate. When there are no consequences. When there are no choices for the character to make.
Does a Goodwin have to be physical? In "The Last Coyote" there is a very dramatic opening scene, where veteran homicide detective Harry Bosch is undergoing mandatory consoling. Now Harry getting up in age, not many physical fights left in him, but he's pretty confrontational, and the battle of wits between him and the counselor is every bit as compelling as a fight scene. It meets all the requirements of a Goodwin. Raises the stake. Takes it to the next level. Shows the character. And keep us riveted. That's great writing.
Sure, not all books need Goodwins. Goodwins won't save a bad book, a poor plot. Nothing worse than a poorly done Goodwin. Hey, throw in some random action because you're running out of plot. There are no rules. If you're a brilliant writer you can get by with just mood and atmosphere. But Goodwins really helps. If your thriller doesn't have a Goodwin every few chapters you might want to think about this.
This is probably intuitively obvious to a lot of writers. But naming it, putting it in concrete terms is a big help to me. I literally didn't have a Goodwin till over half way through my novel. I have things that masqueraded as Goodwins, people dying, strange happenings, adventures, but they were not Goodwins. They didn't INVOLVE the protag. One reviewer commented, "You book should be exciting with everything that's happening. But it isn't, and I have to stop reading at this point."
