had the thought to try this today, to place the definitions themselves in a quad. I found it very helpful.
The idea is THREE TREATMENTS, layered, performed in order:
- pure (space)
- throughline inflection
- PSR inflection (time)
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TREATMENT 1. PURE (SPACE)
comparing each pair of variations, created thoughts like:
** what is required morally in this situation might not be allowed, and he has to do it anyway, but not get caught.
that dilemma drives him to conceive a new idea.
(interesting that it’s based on the driver companion pair)
** something is required, and there’s an expedient way forward that might not be a good idea, given the repercussions
so he has to conceive a different way forward
** he has an ability, and it’s constrained by what is allowed, but his lack (of food, for example) is a strong
motivation to say, to hell with what’s ‘allowed’ if it means starving to death
and so he comes up with a new idea
** his motivation based on lack makes him reckless and drives him to an expediency which has immediate repercussions
and he has to improvise a new idea for how to get out of it.
so. this turned out not just to be spotting the conflict but to be spotting, specifically, dilemmas.
These are the ‘pure’ comparisons.
Now let’s add another color. Let’s shade in the Throughline, the Impact Character Psychology.
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TREATMENT 2: THROUGHLINE INFLECTION
Keeping in mind that this is an external view of being influenced by a character’s thoughts, how he thinks. Sounds like a pretty cerebral character to me so:
** the MC observes the IC struggling with the moral issues and knows he has to do it anyway, and
encourages the idea
discourages the idea
changes his own action because of IC’s idea
** the MC is well aware there’s a faster way there if you ignore the dangers, and that the IC is required to do something,
so when he innovates a new idea
encourages the idea
discourages the idea
changes his own action because of IC’s idea
** the MC sees the pressure the IC is under because of lack, and knows his ability and the constraints are dangerous, so
the MC
encourages the idea
discourages the idea
changes his own action because of IC’s idea
** the MC sees the IC’s lack has made him reckless and he is facing repercussions for his expediency, so when the desperate IC has an idea, the MC
encourages the idea
discourages the idea
changes his own action because of IC’s idea
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TREATMENT 3: PSR (TIME)
Now shade the meaning with Time and event colors.
** the MC observes the IC thinking about new work that everyone approves of
and that he is capable of doing, and hears about it when he has the idea
of finally getting a job—the same kind of first job the IC’s father once had.
** the IC tells the MC that he knows it’s required that he has to work, but this
isn’t the sort of work he’s drawn to, which makes the MC think he’s a privileged
kid who wants to select only jobs that please him, an idea foreign to the blue
collar MC - the IC gets the idea the the MC disapproves of him. the IC has no
record of past employment so this is a first step.
** the IC explains to the MC that in the resent past he tried to work in another part of the city,
but an established power base pushed him out. He has an idea that if he works at this job he
dislikes first, he might be able to go back and appeal to them.
** the IC reacts when the MC says, you’re not really qualified for any real job, so you might
as well try everything. He realizes you’re right: everything is outside what I know I can do.
He realizes he’s been approaching it from the wrong angle and gets an idea of the right way to
approach it.