Help Finding an IC

writing
#1

Hey all, I’m just thinking out loud, so to speak, by posting this one. Hope you don’t mind.

I’m trying to find a good IC for a story I’m working on. I’ve mentioned it before. It’s a superhero story for one of my children. I have a couple options but not real sure which would be best.

So far I have an OS that is annoyed by the troubled the superheroes cause as they have all these destructive battles with supervillains (think Superman in Man of Steel, or the Hulk jumping around and slamming into buildings), but they also hide at the first sign of conflict waiting for someone to swoop in and save them. Through the story they will explore lack of confidence in themselves to take action vs their worry that the supers will end up destroying the town and their way of life. They see the superheroes as the source of the problem because of the way they fight.

Then I have an MC who is a young girl (about 4th or 5th grade) that loves the superheroes (the kids like them even though the adults are annoyed by them) and wants to play Superheroes and watch their TV show and dress like them. She wants to try to do the right thing like they would but everyone tells her she can’t be a hero because she has no powers. But she doesn’t care, she’s going to try. And pretty soon on the story she discovers she does have powers but doesn’t know how to use them yet. Throughout the story she will explore the use of her skills and learn that it’s not the powers you have that make you super, but how you use them.

So far I’m looking at an IC that will manipulate the way the MC thinks by playing a role and exploring ability vs desire.

So far I’m looking at 1 of 3 options for an IC. The MCs friend that is getting bullied, the bully, or the superhero team. If I use the bully and get him to stop bullying it’ll feel a little too cheesy and unreal, I think, but it would be like having a hero and a villain (traditional, not necessarily Dramaticas definition) as the main characters in a super hero story. If I use the bullied friend, i think it will look more like a microcosm of the OS which could be good. But either of those would end up relegating the super hero team to basically sideline characters. I guess that would be okay because it’s not supposed to be about the super team. But I also like the idea of the super heroes being the role models that no one looks up to but one little girl and she ends up showing them how to be better (steadfast MC, changed IC). Not sure which best compliments the MC, if any of them even do.

#2

Real life biology: the husband and I got a rescue dog that ended up bullying our other dog, years later, when she went blind. Fyi

#3

Sounds really cool. I can see why your kid would dig this story.

^^^ This!!! It sounds like the one you like best too.

What if it’s just one super hero, who’s really down on his luck, and NO ONE likes him anymore – not even the kids. Maybe his powers have gone haywire or something. His action figure is still the model from 5 years ago because it doesn’t sell, and when kids play superheroes the boys will choose to be a girl superhero before being him. (hey! I just noticed that last part sounds like Playing a Role!) Maybe there’s even a licensed Lego version of his super-team, but they left him out of the set.

Or you could have it a whole team that’s not doing well and no one likes, if you have multiple super teams. But I like the one loser.

Maybe he meets the MC in some random villain attack… tries to save her but makes things worse? And something then ties them together, so that he has a reason to visit her later on? Could even be some weird item she picks up or something to do with her own powers. Anyway, I can totally see these two influencing each other.

If you have the whole storyform, can you share the MC & IC Problem quads? MC Problem esp. helps for me to visualize a steadfast MC…

1 Like
#4

Thanks for the awesome feedback, @mlucas. The story form I’m using is below. I planned to show you a semi-gistified version too, but don’t have time at the moment to fill in everything for that. If you’re interested in seeing it to help discuss it, let me know and i’ll happily come back and do it!

STORY ENGINE SETTINGS: “Your Story”

CHARACTER DYNAMICS:
MC RESOLVE: Steadfast
MC GROWTH: Start
MC APPROACH: Do-er
MC PROBLEM-SOLVING STYLE: Intuitive
IC RESOLVE: Change

PLOT DYNAMICS:
DRIVER: Action
LIMIT: Optionlock
OUTCOME: Success
JUDGMENT: Good

MAIN VS. IMPACT STORY
(The Main vs. Impact Story)
THROUGHLINE: Situation
CONCERN: How Things are Changing
ISSUE: Security vs. Threat
PROBLEM: Ending
SOLUTION: Unending
SYMPTOM: Test
RESPONSE: Trust
CATALYST: Fantasy
INHIBITOR: Experience
BENCHMARK: The Future
SIGNPOST 1: The Past
SIGNPOST 2: How Things are Changing
SIGNPOST 3: The Future
SIGNPOST 4: The Present

IMPACT CHARACTER
(the Impact Character)
THROUGHLINE: Manipulation
CONCERN: Playing a Role
ISSUE: Ability vs. Desire
PROBLEM: Theory
SOLUTION: Hunch
SYMPTOM: Unending
RESPONSE: Ending
UNIQUE ABILITY: Thought
CRITICAL FLAW: Worry
BENCHMARK: Changing One’s Nature
SIGNPOST 1: Developing a Plan
SIGNPOST 2: Playing a Role
SIGNPOST 3: Changing One’s Nature
SIGNPOST 4: Conceiving an Idea

MAIN CHARACTER
(the Main Character)
THROUGHLINE: Activity
CONCERN: Doing
ISSUE: Skill vs. Experience
PROBLEM: Effect
SOLUTION: Cause
SYMPTOM: Test
RESPONSE: Trust
UNIQUE ABILITY: Enlightenment
CRITICAL FLAW: Threat
BENCHMARK: Obtaining
SIGNPOST 1: Obtaining
SIGNPOST 2: Doing
SIGNPOST 3: Gathering Information
SIGNPOST 4: Understanding

OVERALL STORY
(The Overall Story)
THROUGHLINE: Fixed Attitude
CONCERN: Impulsive Responses
ISSUE: Confidence vs. Worry
PROBLEM: Theory
SOLUTION: Hunch
SYMPTOM: Test
RESPONSE: Trust
CATALYST: Worth
INHIBITOR: Desire
BENCHMARK: Innermost Desires
SIGNPOST 1: Memories
SIGNPOST 2: Impulsive Responses
SIGNPOST 3: Innermost Desires
SIGNPOST 4: Contemplation

ADDITIONAL STORY POINTS

GOAL: Impulsive Responses
CONSEQUENCE: How Things are Changing
COST: Playing a Role
DIVIDEND: Doing

REQUIREMENT: Innermost Desires
PREREQUISITE: The Future
PRECONDITION: Changing One’s Nature
FOREWARNINGS: Obtaining

#5

Very cool. I can feel it!

MC Problem of Effect is perfect (I actually guessed that based on your description, and knowing the Issue was Skill).

A lot of similarities to Zootopia, which is cool because there is something that definitely feels similar between that and your description. The OS & RS are the same down to Issues, and then in the problem quad the dynamic pairs are reversed.

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#6

Actually it’s pretty cool you noticed that. I have 5 or 6 other storyforms where I tried several other things. For some reason I kept trying to put the OS in Activity. I was thinking something along the lines of “dealing with the aftermath of destructive super battles.” Anyway, as my children and I continued through our huge Disney kick we’ve been on the last couple of weeks, we put in Zootopia and it hit me that the people who live in the city in my idea were a lot like the animals in the city of Zootopia. They had a Fixed Attitude about the predators, and the people in my idea had a Fixed Attitude about the superhero team. So I kept going and so much of what was in Jim’s article about Zootopia really did match up to what I had in mind.

Another problem I had getting to this storyform that at some point I had an OS story that I thought looked at Value vs Worth, but I also had an MC story that was forcing the OS into Confidence vs Worry. It took a little bit, but after enough looking over it, I finally figured out why I couldn’t put the two together. Playing with the Zootopia form, I was finally able to find something I was happy with that combined both stories. I just had to tweak it a little bit to make it fit what I wanted.

The reason I don’t have an IC yet is because this idea started out, I think, as more of a tale. I was trying to go for something short and maybe went a little too short. I actually thought about how a Nick Wilde character might fit into my story as an IC, but I didn’t like trying to tackle it from that angle. And it didn’t seem to work anyway. Maybe it’s because of the reversed dynamic pairs? Who knows. I was hoping posting on here would help me figure it out. I don’t think I convinced myself of anything, but your response has definitely affirmed that I do like the idea of a hero or heroes fulfilling the IC role in this one.

#7

I really like the line of thinking here, but i’m not quite sure how to make it jive with my current view of the story. It would have really fit in with some of the earlier storyforms I was looking at, though. I may use a little bit of it, kind of have my current view of what the character(s) should be meeting half way with what’s above.

I’ve definitely decided to go with the superhero as the IC, but still working out how he or they will fit in. There were a few images in my mind of what this story should be early on. One of them was of a super hero team that had done its best to protect the town only to be defeated in a fight of brute strength. Then you have this little girl with recently discovered super powers as the only super powered person left standing against this giant monster or some big villain who has to find a way to beat the villain without using brute strength. So I really don’t want to leave the super hero team as just sideline characters in the OS. But instead of a whole team as the IC, i might keep the team in and only have one of them be the IC.

Another image I had was something like all the Marvel heroes fighting just all over the city, or maybe something like all the individual supers in the Incredibles all having fights in different areas of the city at the same time, or maybe a couple fighting today and a few more tomorrow. Something to keep it more of a constant problem. But the original idea definitely had multiple heroes.

I also keep thinking about the flavor of this story with lots of heroes vs only one or two. both could work, but I really like more heroes in it better. I can’t explain why, though. Still just thinking it through, I guess.

#8

@mlucas,
When you say

how are you seeing problems of Effect? I’d like to know how you see it and why you say it’s perfect. I have two directions I can go with this problem and both will probably be incorporated into this story, but what led me to this problem quad wasn’t the problem of Effect. It was the symptom and response of test and trust. I really thought her problem would be something else until I saw how well everything else in this form worked for what I wanted. And then when I saw test, I thought it was perfect because, as a Steadfast character, she won’t change from Effect, but my understanding is that she should grow from test to trust. I really see her testing both herself and others and ultimately having to trust in herself to solve the problem.

#9

Definitely go with your feeling, there’s probably a good reason for it!

I like the idea of the whole super team being there, and one of them being the IC. Don’t forget that OS characters are super-important; some of the most memorable characters of all time are “only OS characters”.

Regarding how I’m seeing problems of Effect, it was this bit:

… because it seems like she’s driven to have an effect, to make a difference, despite what everyone tells her: “she doesn’t care, she’s going to try”. This will cause her problems, but not because she’s wrong in that. Since as a Steadfast/Good/Success story she’s going to be proven right.

EDIT: You can still add in some personal problems related to her Effect drive that you don’t see quite so much as “right” or “good”. Like, her main drive to try to make a difference is good, but maybe she ignores the negative repercussions her efforts have on her parents or something, which is not such a good thing, and it does cause her problems – but it’s like it’s part of her personality, she can’t help it. She just kind of needs to be that way. This is an Actual Work story, and to make an omelette you have to break some eggs.

The bit about discovering she does have powers but doesn’t know how to use them yet, for the MC throughline at least, you could show the negative effects or repercussions that her untested powers are having. Though the MC would see the problem as something like the untested-ness of the those powers, not so much the repercussions. (Note: regarding going from Test to Trust, I think she still responds with Trust from the very beginning, but at the beginning it’s more problematic, i.e. the Effect-driven Trusting causes trouble for her personally. So as a steadfast character though she may waver she sticks with it, does not give up her determination to be Effective and cements her response of Trust.)

Note some of the difficulties with her powers and the Test/Trust might be in the OS throughline as well as (or instead of) the MC throughline. It really depends on her exact personal issues/worldview; which we know the Effect drive is part of.

Does that make sense?

#10

Absolutely makes sense. Thanks for the thought out reply. I said that I had two directions I was thinking of going in and you covered them both.

The first was that it was clear she wanted to have an effect on the world around her and she would have problems from that. But that’s so vague it didn’t really seem helpful. It didn’t suggest any specific problems that it would cause her so I appreciate the suggestion that the negative repercussions could have an effect on her parents. That definitely helps me think of some ways I make “having an effect on her surroundings” into something that will suggest problems.

The other thing I was looking at was the effects of her untested powers and the problems that could arise from that. But that seemed almost too specific, unrelated to the thematic issues going on. Of course it wouldn’t be unrelated since everything in the story is happening in a single story mind, but that’s one of my issues, i guess.

Anyway, your answer will be really helpful when I go back to encoding. Thanks again!

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#11

So now i’m looking at a super hero IC. He manipulates the MC with his way of thinking about justice and The Right Thing. He has some sort of motto that the MC latches onto (kind of a Truth, Justice, and The American Way type thing). But it’s just his overall superhero behavior that draws the MC to this character.

Once the MC meets him, however, it’s clear he’s wearing a figurative mask under the literal one. He doesn’t have it all together, but is trying to play a role for the public.

He has incredible strength (among other powers) and believes he has to use his abilities to the fullest. The city, he says, is too scared to stand up for themselves and too weak even if they wanted to. That’s why he thinks they need him. And yet he desires not to be hated by the city for all the damage he causes. All the supers desire to feel appreciated for what they do despite the bad consequences of it (this may be getting a bit into the OS). All the supers would like a thank you from someone, but no matter how much they desire it, they always keep that hidden behind the mask. It’s just part of being a hero, after all.

The RS, then, has the IC and MC in a problematic situation. The IC is a superhero, but is also the MCs personal hero. She looks up to him. There’s more to it, but basically she can’t let anyone but the hero know that she is super, and he can’t let anyone but her know that he isn’t.

I’m not sure what progress they are concerned about. I had planned on giving the MC a sidekick that would help her learn to use her powers and progress toward being a real superhero, but maybe that needs to fall to the IC. Would it work to say that the unappreciated hero is considering no longer being a super hero as How Things are Changing within the relationship, or does that spill too much in OS with the OS characters being annoyed with the supers?

They explore issues of personal security, masks and such to protect your identity to protect those you love. And this is countered by also trying to present yourself as a threat to villains, but while trying not to also appear to be a threat to civilians.

I’m not real confident in any of this so far and am still trying to change a lot of it. But now i’m getting stuck at a relationship problem of Ending with a symptom of Test. Ending and Test are supposed to point at the relationship between the two characters, right? So again, maybe the hero looks at ending his time as a hero and the MC can’t let him do it or something? Any thoughts on how you see these playing out? I don’t mean to ask anyone to write the story for me, but just looking for a little direction to get me started. Something I can look at and understand so i can come up with my own version.

#12

Cool!

I think the RS Domain of Situation works pretty well at face value – she’s a little girl and he’s an adult superhero. Because of what they are (in the physical/external realm), they’re not really supposed to be friends or even hanging out. Kind of a like a fox and a bunny, or a King and a slave, that sort of thing.

The Progress here would be their concern of how things are going within the relationship. So they’re always worried about “how it’s going” between them. If you could graph the relationship, it would be the current “slope” that matters to them most.
So yeah, the stuff with him considering no longer being a super hero is another throughline – except the part of it that affects the relationship, like if it would mean they’re not going to see each other anymore. (That would definitely fit the RS Problem of Ending!)

These things might be present in the story but they’re really there to hone in on the Security issue in the relationship itself. A really good way to use Security in RS is as insecurity, i.e. they’re insecure about the relationship. So maybe they do things to protect themselves from getting hurt, and this causes problems within the relationship. And the relationship is easily threatened by certain things, etc.

A few ideas here. Maybe they keep testing the relationship’s limits somehow, how far they’ll go far each other, and they see this as a problem. Or maybe they feel like the relationship is too untested, that it won’t be able to weather a storm, and they respond by trying to gain the other’s trust? Or by trying to prove to themselves that they can trust each other? (that last one might feed back again into Symptom, i.e. it might look like testing the relationship’s limits)

For Ending, I think you can just try to put the whole thing under a big shadow of Ending, like the relationship is really afraid of being ended (furthering its insecurities about its situation and the way things are going between them). Your stuff about “ending his time as a hero” fits really well with this – it’s not the actual RS encoding but it gives a good reason for the relationship’s fears.

Do you see them as embracing their RS Solution of Unending in the end? (it’s up to you whether the relationship is ‘steadfast’ or not)