Encoding character relationships in mysteries

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Scott

Encoding character relationships in mysteries

Postby Scott » Aug 01, 2012 6:17 pm

Any practical advise for encoding character relationships or character elements within mysteries? The only Dramatica example of a mystery given thus far is Chinatown, and, according to the story analysis page [http://www.dramatica.com/story/analyses/analyses/chinatown.html], the characters in that film don't illustrate any of the character elements (either that or which characters represent which elements was left out of the analysis).

My questions about assigning character elements in mysteries:

1) I am working with an OS Domain of Activity, and in that Domain, Reason and the Protagonist are in the same quad. I want for the detective to be the person pursuing the overall story goal (the Protagonist) but also provide the logical POV in the story (the Reason archetype), yet I can't have him be both because of the rule about no character possessing two elements from the same quad. Any advise as to how to deal with this?
2) I want for some suspects to be killed off yet still want for them to play a role in the story. If I kill off a character who only has one or two elements, is it still necessary that I do a "hand-off" if all of the character interactions involving that element have already been explored?

Any other advise or links to discussions about encoding character relationships in mysteries or thrillers would be appreciated.

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Re: Encoding character relationships in mysteries

Postby Chris Huntley » Aug 05, 2012 7:16 am

1. Ignore the rule and put both in the same character, but understand -- and play off -- the relationship those elements have as your character makes his arguments, voices his opinions, or acts toward resolving the OS problem and Story Goal.

2. You SHOULD have all the characteristics play through the entire story. THAT SAID, this can be accomplished by hand-offs or something as simple as bringing up a reference to that character and his/her position: "You know what Alex would have said, 'What's for dessert?' " (The Big Chill) There are lots of techniques for having characters make their point after they are gone, and they don't have to have a disembodied voice saying, "Use the Force, Luke...Trust me."
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