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Tips on Signposts

Posted: Oct 29, 2012 9:41 pm
by RavinDave
I always seem to get stuck when I start to look at the Signposts for the Impact Character.

Let's take a random "Type" -- PLAYING A ROLE. Does this mean that the IC is directly involved in "Playing A Role" or that their impact forces the MC to consider "Playing a Role"?

All the examples I see in the sample files seem to fudge this. Indeed, many of them highlight things that seem to more properly belong in the OS or MC/IC Throughlines (though I imagine a certain amount of overlap is expected.

Re: Tips on Signposts

Posted: Oct 30, 2012 11:44 am
by Ville
Yeah, the IC Throughline can be a bit tricky. It might be the hardest Throughline for most writers. It's the one Throughline mainstream story theory misses almost completely. We are all familiar with main characters, subjective relationships and overall stuggles. Not many of us recognize the need of a character that pushes the MC toward change. Still, the IC Throughline does find its way into many stories.

The emphasis must be on the Main Character's point of view. The MC looks at the IC. Loose that perspective and the IC Throughline gets redeuces to just a secondary MC Throughline that doesn't belong there at all.

RavinDave wrote:Does this mean that the IC is directly involved in "Playing A Role" or that their impact forces the MC to consider "Playing a Role"?


Both ways are valid. The IC can try to talk the MC into playing a role; the IC can also play a role himself. I personally find the latter a much more interesting way to encode the IC Troghline. You can concentrate on action and visuals and blocking (I'm assuming you're writing a screenplay). The former reduces the IC Throughline to just talking. Not very interesting.

Re: Tips on Signposts

Posted: Nov 08, 2012 12:14 pm
by Chris Huntley
I agree. The IC can be aware of the MC and directing his influence on the MC, such as Obi-Wan in Star Wars. OR, the IC can be completely unaware of its influence on the MC; it's the mere existence of the IC that forces the MC to consider an alternate problem solving path. This is useful if you wish to have a dead person or inanimate object act as IC.

One interesting twist on this was used in Cast Away with Tom Hanks. Since there were no other people on the island, Chuck Noland creates a projection of himself to act as IC, which takes the form of a volleyball named "Wilson." Chuck's responses to Wilson indicate the influence the alternate argument.

Re: Tips on Signposts

Posted: Nov 09, 2012 1:21 pm
by Ville
Chris Huntley wrote:One interesting twist on this was used in Cast Away with Tom Hanks. Since there were no other people on the island, Chuck Noland creates a projection of himself to act as IC, which takes the form of a volleyball named "Wilson." Chuck's responses to Wilson indicate the influence the alternate argument.


What do you think the Crucial Element is? Wilson certainly seems like a perfect Inaction character :D The guy just wont budge! And Chuck is heavily concerned about Protection.

Re: Tips on Signposts

Posted: Nov 13, 2012 3:53 pm
by Chris Huntley
No idea off hand, though it might be a good subject for a Dramatica Users Group analysis.