"The Past" as the Story Goal

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.
mgarrido2440

"The Past" as the Story Goal

Postby mgarrido2440 » Dec 18, 2009 9:58 pm

Hello, Mr. Huntley, thank you in advance for your help.

My Overall Story Concern is The Past. I have read Dramatica a few times, particularly the examples it cites about this Concern as the Story Goal. However, I am not sure my illustrations to the question "Something having to do with The Past is the Story Goal. What? are correct and appropriate.

MC has been looking for his soul mate. When he finds it outside USA during one of his business trip, he helps his lover to get a visa, which is not granted. This is the end of Act 1. In Act 2, he tries to smuggle his lover. He believes in love at first sight.

IC (also the Guardian and Reason) is an attorney and a good friend and mentor of MC. He once lived in a foreign country for about 3 years. There he met and lived with his lover. Later he returned to USA and smuggled his lover. He believes two people should know each other before committing.

Sidekick, friend of MC, lives happily with her lover who before they met, paid dearly to be smuggled into USA.

Skeptic, friend of MC, lives not so happily with his lover who he helped to smuggle into USA shortly after they met outside USA.

Contagonist, friend of Skeptic, human trafficker, smuggled Skeptic’s lover, introduced to MC by Skeptic.

So far my illustrations are:

MC is concerned with The Past because 1) he has been alone for too long, 2) he has met his soul mate.

IC is concerned with The Past because 1) the experience of his own past, 2) he smuggled his lover before 9/11/2001, when it was a lot easier, 3) the experience as an attorney.

Please be blunt, thank you for your help and patience.

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Re: "The Past" as the Story Goal

Postby Chris Huntley » Dec 20, 2009 9:19 am

Since it is the OS Concern of the Past, you should not be illustrating your MC and IC as part of that throughline. They have three of their own to deal with (MC, IC, Relationship).

Instead, the PROTAGONIST, or complex character that happens to also represent the MC should have a concern of the past, in which case those concerns would be for things past (not present). He should also be concerned with the Story Goal, whatever that may be.

Your IC could be concerned with past legal judgments, client histories, etc.

In both cases, try to keep it from being too personal or it will feel more like their own throughlines than the OS throughline. Think of them by their roles (the business man, the immigration attorney, etc.) rather than their names while seeing their place in the Overall Story throughline. It is easier to be objective about them.
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