MC vs OS Throughlines
Posted: Aug 14, 2010 10:50 am
Hello,
I'm having trouble determining what should be MC or OS Throughlines. Of course on the surface it's easy, what involves the MC personally and what involves everyone. The problem comes when I look at a story like October Sky (Rocket Boys). It seems obvious that the OS Throughline is about perseverance, never give up. It's an inspirational memoir; the problem is that this could easily be the MC Throughline.
I'm writing my memoir and it has a lot of action stories but also emotional challenges. It is an internal and external success story.
1) My life starts positive, optimistic, I thought (and was told) that success would be easy. Dad was my hero.
2) Then the recession of 1974 almost destroyed my family, I lost my optimism, felt lied to, dad no longer hero.
3) Life take a radical turn to the wild side while I at a young age (14).
4) After a false turn around I finally get things going the right way. Change of attitude, success not easy. Change in external actions, finish school. Dad should be hero.
5) I become successful in 2 exciting fields that evolved from my childhood interests and my misguided wild days.
I know that I am the protagonist/MC, my dad as the antagonist (at least as I saw him just after the 74 recession), different friends as other archetype characters.
I can see the OS Throughline as external/out-of-control (wild days stories) =Activity.
Or external/stuck (give false sense of success is easy by others) (recession of 74 turned my world upside down) =Situation.
Or internal/out-of-control (my decisions took me to the wild side) =Manipulation.
Or internal/stuck (I precieve that I was lied to and I'm stuck in an unfamiliar "real" world) =Fixed Attitude.
When I pick any of these I then realize that because it is a memoir and about me, that these elements could be about the OS Throughline or just as easily the MC Throughline. The more I think about this the more I'm getting confused.
And is it about Change, my change in thinking, or is it Steadfast because the one unchanged thing was my need for success and acceptance?
Help, anyone.
P.S. This stuff is tough.
I'm having trouble determining what should be MC or OS Throughlines. Of course on the surface it's easy, what involves the MC personally and what involves everyone. The problem comes when I look at a story like October Sky (Rocket Boys). It seems obvious that the OS Throughline is about perseverance, never give up. It's an inspirational memoir; the problem is that this could easily be the MC Throughline.
I'm writing my memoir and it has a lot of action stories but also emotional challenges. It is an internal and external success story.
1) My life starts positive, optimistic, I thought (and was told) that success would be easy. Dad was my hero.
2) Then the recession of 1974 almost destroyed my family, I lost my optimism, felt lied to, dad no longer hero.
3) Life take a radical turn to the wild side while I at a young age (14).
4) After a false turn around I finally get things going the right way. Change of attitude, success not easy. Change in external actions, finish school. Dad should be hero.
5) I become successful in 2 exciting fields that evolved from my childhood interests and my misguided wild days.
I know that I am the protagonist/MC, my dad as the antagonist (at least as I saw him just after the 74 recession), different friends as other archetype characters.
I can see the OS Throughline as external/out-of-control (wild days stories) =Activity.
Or external/stuck (give false sense of success is easy by others) (recession of 74 turned my world upside down) =Situation.
Or internal/out-of-control (my decisions took me to the wild side) =Manipulation.
Or internal/stuck (I precieve that I was lied to and I'm stuck in an unfamiliar "real" world) =Fixed Attitude.
When I pick any of these I then realize that because it is a memoir and about me, that these elements could be about the OS Throughline or just as easily the MC Throughline. The more I think about this the more I'm getting confused.
And is it about Change, my change in thinking, or is it Steadfast because the one unchanged thing was my need for success and acceptance?
Help, anyone.
P.S. This stuff is tough.