Need help with Throughline Confusion
Posted: Sep 19, 2009 2:52 pm
I'm experiencing a bit of confusion regarding the best way to present the conflict between
my main and impact characters in my story.
The main points are these.
1) The OS is about a war that is being waged between two groups of people.
2) The SS is about the relationship between a mentor-father and a student-son
3) The MC is a religious acolyte who is convinced that he has a firm understanding of
his people's spiritual path (Fixed Attitude). He uses his religion as a refuge from
certain elements of the OS story that terrify him.
4) The IC is an outcast from the religious order who has a physical condition that
requires him to take regular supplies of a particular kind of natural medicine.
(Situation)
5) The IC, who is the father of the MC, has a greater understanding of their
spirituality and is determined to teach it to his son.
6) Throughout the story, the MC resists the efforts of the IC, but by the end he
questions his own understanding and learns to face the things that he fears instead
of running away from them. (MC Resolve - Change)
My confusion lies in understanding where to place points 5 and 6.
Since the IC character causes the MC to change, does this mean that point 5 belongs
in the IC Throughline? The IC's physical condition, his status as an outcoast and his
greater understanding of the family's religion all originate from the same set of events in
the distant past, so keeping them together in the same throughline would seem to make sense.
But then this raises the question of what exactly is the situation that is being explored -
his status as an outcast, his physical condition or both at the same time?
Regarding point 6, where do I place the conflict between them that causes the MC to
change? Does this belong in the Subjective Story as part of the relationship between the
father and son? Or should it arise naturally from the interaction between the MC and IC
Throughlines?
Is the subjective Story Throughline a part of the process that leads to the MC's
growth, or is something compeletely separate that has nothing to do with it at all?
I think I'm too deep in the woods to see the trees, so any kind of outside
perspective would be greatly appreciated.
my main and impact characters in my story.
The main points are these.
1) The OS is about a war that is being waged between two groups of people.
2) The SS is about the relationship between a mentor-father and a student-son
3) The MC is a religious acolyte who is convinced that he has a firm understanding of
his people's spiritual path (Fixed Attitude). He uses his religion as a refuge from
certain elements of the OS story that terrify him.
4) The IC is an outcast from the religious order who has a physical condition that
requires him to take regular supplies of a particular kind of natural medicine.
(Situation)
5) The IC, who is the father of the MC, has a greater understanding of their
spirituality and is determined to teach it to his son.
6) Throughout the story, the MC resists the efforts of the IC, but by the end he
questions his own understanding and learns to face the things that he fears instead
of running away from them. (MC Resolve - Change)
My confusion lies in understanding where to place points 5 and 6.
Since the IC character causes the MC to change, does this mean that point 5 belongs
in the IC Throughline? The IC's physical condition, his status as an outcoast and his
greater understanding of the family's religion all originate from the same set of events in
the distant past, so keeping them together in the same throughline would seem to make sense.
But then this raises the question of what exactly is the situation that is being explored -
his status as an outcast, his physical condition or both at the same time?
Regarding point 6, where do I place the conflict between them that causes the MC to
change? Does this belong in the Subjective Story as part of the relationship between the
father and son? Or should it arise naturally from the interaction between the MC and IC
Throughlines?
Is the subjective Story Throughline a part of the process that leads to the MC's
growth, or is something compeletely separate that has nothing to do with it at all?
I think I'm too deep in the woods to see the trees, so any kind of outside
perspective would be greatly appreciated.