Cost of Changing One's Nature in a Steadfast character

[pattyloof]

Bittersweet is right up my alley

[pattyloof]

@mlucas

What would you say is the Story Goal?

Sorry, just woke up and skimmed over your question at first. The Goal in this storyform is Innermost Desires, and your question is a good one. (can you tell I’m at high-level revision this week?)

I’m thinking everyone is trying to get their Innermost Desires met, either through this case or (for example, the side characters) through whatever they’re agitating about. Since this is a Success story, I probably should have each of them accomplish that in some small way.

This sparked a lot of thought about how to deepen the story (and get me extra wordcount ) Thanks!

[pattyloof]

@Etherbeard

Thank you, this is what I was getting at. I’ve sort of thought of Cost/ Dividend as a way to fine tune the feeling of the Outcome, where only the elements presented by the storyform can do that effectively. I think it’s similar to how the audience will only buy in to the Inhibitor/ Catalyst as an effective means to speed or slow the pace of the OS/ RS.

This is a good insight, thanks.

[mlucas]

Hmm. Your structure is close to When Harry Met Sally or Searching For Bobby Fischer. Although the former has a Change MC so is technically closer structure-wise, I think you could find more storytelling similarities with Searching. As I recall in that film most/all of the OS characters are involved with the whole “chess scene” and at face value the story seems like it could have an Obtaining Concern – winning the chess match, achieving #1 status. Kind of similar to your story how it seems like “finding the boy” could be the Goal, but it’s not.

In Searching For Bobby Fischer, the Goal is something like “fulfilling desires” – not just the desire to win at chess but to have friends, to be a good parent, etc. You could imagine Josh losing at the end, yet the story still ending in a triumph if everyone felt their desires were met.

Maybe this can give you some ideas for your Story Goal.

Do they find the boy in your story? One good test is to imagine different versions of your story – one where they don’t find the boy but still Succeed at fulfilling desires, and one where they do find the boy but Fail their desires. These might not be your story, but they shouldn’t be unimaginable.

[pattyloof]

Yes, the boy is found - but not by him.

My MC is a Change MC - I was struggling with the Steadfast IC, actually.

This is a companion story to already published works, so I can’t change major parts of the story like that, nor would I want to.

[mlucas]

@pattyloof

This is a companion story to already published works, so I can’t change major parts of the story like that

I wasn’t suggesting you actually change anything, just imagine those changes, to confirm that Success/Failure does hinge on some specific thing that fits Innermost Desires, and not say on Obtaining the boy. (If you can’t imagine those alternates, it might be a sign that your OS Goal/Concern isn’t actually Innermost Desires.)

[pattyloof]

Ah. Yes. This is good, because if the boy wasn’t found the ending wouldn’t change: my MC would still make a decision on Faith (the RS Solution), using the input given to him by the Steadfast IC.

This also helped me clarify one of his Innermost Desires. Thanks!