Changing One's Nature vs. Change

Discuss the practical use of Dramatica. Have questions about how throughlines should be used, how to create Complex Characters or even the various combinations of the 12 Essential Questions and how they will affect your story go here.
zeitenflug
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Changing One's Nature vs. Change

Postby zeitenflug » Aug 13, 2012 10:25 am

Hi there, what exactly is the difference between Changing One's Nature as a signpost and a MC resolve of change? Let's say I have a storyform that includes a MC resolve of Change. This means, the IC remains steadfast (i.e. his influence is "successful" and the MC changes because of that)... However, if the IC has a signpost of "Changing One's Nature" - what then? Have you examples of how an IC remains steadfast but displays a "Change of his Nature" at the same time?

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Chris Huntley
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Re: Changing One's Nature vs. Change

Postby Chris Huntley » Aug 16, 2012 9:25 am

The Main Character Resolve of Change means that the character has fundamentally shifted the way he addresses the personal issue at the heart of his concerns within the context of a specific story, such as going from actively disbelieving something to having faith.

The structural Type (second level from the top in the Dramatica structural model) of Changing One's Nature explores the process of transformation. To fully understand its use as a Signpost, one must consider the throughline in which the signpost appears.

As part of the Main Character throughline, it could be the MC considering what it means to change his nature -- what might be required, what are the costs, benefits, impediments, etc.

As part of the Overall Story throughline, it could be that the objective characters' consider the process of changing their natures (or resisting the change), and/or comment on the benefits or deficits of changing one's nature in the context of the "big picture" in the story.
Chris Huntley
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zeitenflug
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Joined: Aug 12, 2012 9:56 am

Re: Changing One's Nature vs. Change

Postby zeitenflug » Aug 17, 2012 11:34 pm

Considering the vampires (see earlier post): MC resolve of change: He believes that the transformation process can be stopped by science; however since he fails, he changes his stance on that. The IC's Changing Nature signpost: He virtually changes his nature (becomes stronger, more fierce, more vampire-like).

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Chris Huntley
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Re: Changing One's Nature vs. Change

Postby Chris Huntley » Aug 20, 2012 9:57 am

That works fine.

Side Note: Though you can describe causality between the effort in the Overall Story throughline to achieve the Story Goal as failure and that the MC's change is a direct result of that (or vice versa), understand that the causality does not a structural condition but a synthesis of the story points in your illustrations. The reason I mention this is that you can have ANY combination of dynamic choices (e.g. Success and Change as well as Failure and Steadfast), so one dynamic choice does not limit or imply other dynamic choices.
Chris Huntley
Write Brothers Inc.
http://dramatica.com/
http://screenplay.com/


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