Again, I was listening to On the Page podcast. This time to episode 423 released October 16, 2015. Pilar Alessandra interviews John Vorhaus. In his book The Little Book of Sitcom he writes that there are 3 levels of conflict.
Global Conflict
Local Conflict
Inner Conflict
If I may, I assume:
Global Conflict = Overall Story Conflict
Local/Interpersonal Conflict = Relationship Story Conflict
Inner Conflict = Main Character Conflict
Vorhaus is only missing one piece. What do you think he would call the Influence Character conflict?
The External Conflict? I guess this points out for me my lack of insight with the obstacle/influence character throughline. I’ve always struggled with wrapping my head around the “YOU” perspective and separating it from the Relationship/subjective throughline/conflict.
External conflict might be good. The other perspective throughline. It’s a throughline that is not experienced by the MC but IMPACTS the MC in some way. But, where is the conflict experienced in this throughline?
The Relationship throughline is experienced by the MC and the Impact/Influence/Obstacle Character together. Do we observe it or experience it subjectively? (That’s the heart of the story-the one that pulls on our heartstrings) but the OTHER throughline is observed by the MC (or sometimes it is pushed in the MC’s face or blocks the MC’s path) but that OTHER conflict is the other way the MC could go but does not.
How (or maybe where) does the OTHER’s throughline/conflict affect the MC. Does it undermine his Unique Ability? Does it fix his critical flaw? Does it make the MC call into question his/her purpose/goal or inner/personal external conflict thus leading to change or rejecting it and staying steadfast?
This seems obvious to us but I wonder why non-Dramatica folk don’t see this yet, this fourth conflict, this fourth throughline.