Can working through the four levels of justification aid your expression of a quad story points

questions
#1

I struggle with justifying why something is a problem a lot of the time.

Does consciously working through the four levels of justification

Can, want, need, should

Commitment, obligation, rationalization, responsibility

Situation, circumstances, sense of self, state of being

and TKAD

Help strengthen ones quality of expression of quad story points.

It’s a lengthy process if you’re using it to work through multiple quads but for me as a linear thinker, it helps eliminate or clarify blind spots in my expression of a quad item.

@jhull

#2

That’s probably overkill.

Just ask yourself, as an Author, why a certain Element is a Problem.

You know, you can’t just say “The townspeople don’t like these people from another country” and think that covers Non-Acceptance as a Problem.

Why is their Non-Acceptance specifically a Problem and what kind of conflict does it introduce?

The townspeople’s Rejection of the immigrants drives them to call upon the District Attorney to reject the immigrant’s claims of freedom to assemble because they’re violating land use laws…which drives the immigrants to reject the townspeople’s customs leading them to buy up houses for sale in the area and a popular diner, so they can convert it to their own, thereby increasing tension in the area…and so on…

(Can you tell I’ve been watching the AMAZING Wild Wild Country on Netflix?!)

As someone who loves all things Dramatica and finds 4 levels of Justification super interesting and compelling, you’re better off answering the simple questions first, getting those down and then maybe…maybe somewhere down the road start thinking about that kind of stuff.

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#3

thanks for the response. I’ve been matching can, want, need, should and ktad to the scene(elemental) and event level of my current project and I’m loving the results.

Thinking of a quad in terms of can want need should and ktad has added so much goodness to my narrative.

Based on your advice, I’m going to stick to can want need should and ktad justification for lower level scene resolution in my narratives for now. :sweat_smile:

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