Differentiating The Past from Memory

questions
#1

Hello, quick question here.

For a story I plan to write for NaNoWriMo, I wanted to put the RS Throughline in Understanding, which naturally put the OS Throughline into Conceptualizing. For my Change MC I’ve chosen a concern of The Past and a concern of Memory for my Steadfast IC. Now from what I understood Memory is a subjective look at what has happened, creating different recollections ofa certain event between individuals. But what about The Past ? How can a character deal with what has happened objectively without there being a little bit of subjectivity from his part (thus relating it more to Memory) ?

Well the real question in that case would be : how can Memory truly impact The Past ?

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#2

That’s an interesting question which you might explore in your story. Answer: it can’t. Because what objectively happened in the Past is separate from Memory of the events (just look at the zillion history books out there) and the conflict between these two might focus on the difference between those two things.

For example, what if someone were trying to get the truth about a family event, yet the other wanted to avoid tarnishing the memory of the people involved?

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#3

Thank you for answering ! That’s where I have some troubles because my IC needs to impact my MC in some way ; I could find a way to do it if their concerns were Progress and Impulsive Responses for example, but The Past and Memory ? It’s harder honestly, because it can get into a black and white argument really easily (the one driven towards the truth and objectivity, the other holding on to her own subjectivity and biases).

It’s great that you talk about family event because it somehow describe what I intend to do. In this story the two of them are sisters, the MC being the eldest - 18 - and the IC the youngest - 14 -. They don’t have a bad relationship per se but there’s a lot of misunderstandings and problems of communication between them (explaining the RS concern of Understanding). But both of them are also super heroes who fight off each other because they don’t know the other’s identity ; and it is both their civilian and heroic selves, as opposed to their relationship as sisters, that represent the MC and IC perspective. I have some ideas for the IC concern of Memory (her notoriety as a civilian, a veteran hero, a middle-school girl, a sister or a daughter ; nobody can quite understand her because of how different their recollections of her are. Her own memories, which are driving her towards doing good or bad things. How she forces her sister to remember things in general, especially about them and herself. Determined to make a big impact in the world, as a hero, and in her family, as a civilian.) Troubles arise when it comes to make the MC concern of The Past different from this concept of Memory, and in such a way that the IC perspective will really challenge (and then change) her worldview.

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#4

It could be that the insights of the IC’s Memory cause the MC to re-evaluate the meaning of The Past, and that’s how the MC changes.

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#5

That would be an interesting way to look at things, that’s for sure :slight_smile: Thank you again for your input !

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#6

The Dramatica definition of The Past is:

The past is not unchanging. Often we learn new things which change our understanding of what past events truly meant and create new appreciations of how things really fit together. A story that focuses on the Past may be much more than a documentation of what happened. Frequently it is a re-evaluation of the meaning of what has occurred that can lead to changing one’s understanding of what is happening in the present or will eventually happen in the future.

Sounds like there’s plenty of room for a character to subjectively misunderstand or misinterpret the past.

MC enters the room proudly wearing clothes from a long outdated style of fashion (stuck in the Past).
IC laughs and says “Hey, I remember that (insert style of clothing). My grandma used to wear stuff like that.” (Memory)
MC says “Is it that bad?” and then goes to change.

There ya go. Memory affecting the Past. Needs some inequity thrown in, but you get the idea. The MC wearing outdated clothes is presumably suffering an external problem while the IC is seeing the past internally and thus from Memory.

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#7

Haha okay that was funny. But it’s helpful, thanks a lot !

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#8

Remember it’s not a character, it’s a perspective. Which means it’s not about what the character sees about their past, but rather the story itself.

The story identifies something problematic in the past that creates personal conflict. Often this comes in the form of guilt — like Cobb in Inception with being responsible for his wife’s death, or Ripley in Aliens and her complete absence during her daughter’s life, or K in Blade Runner; 2049 and his role in the replicant revolution.

If you think of it more as a perspective, it’s easier to identify the kind of problem that will fit best with your story.

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