Can one dramatica element be a motivating factor for the source of conflict when story encoding?

[samuelogeda]

Can one use these drives/ motivations to create stronger illustrations of narrative conflict?

Desiring
Knowing
Thinking
Abilitying/doing

Wanting
Needing
Should
Can

Being
Having

Being responsible
Being obligated
Rationalizing
committing

How things stand Emotionally
How things stand Rationally
Perceiving of self
Being One’s true self

Drive/motivation + dramatica element + problem = narrative power

Adding a level of justification gives more narrative power to the dramatica terms when it comes to making it a problem,

Can one dramatica element be a motivating factor for the source of conflict when story encoding?

For example:

Can doubt be a motivator for the process of trust

For example:

Taking time to trust

[Greg]

@samuelogeda

Drive/motivation + dramatica element +

When you choose a Dramatica Element, that Element becomes the motivation. Are you asking about using a different element in order to create justification/backstory?

[samuelogeda]

yes, that’s what I intended to say

imagine I’m encoding a problem of Pursuit.

I choose to use Control to justify Pursuit.

The police chief is seeking to control the pursuit of an investigation against a prime suspect in a murder because that criminal and the police chief have collaborated on drug trade in the past. The chief is concerned that if that criminal is caught, he could expose their previous dealings together.

This causes them police chief to hire a hitman to kill the criminal before the police get to him.

Is the process of conflict here control or pursuit

Justifying element + the source of conflict element + and this is a problem because

Dream (justifying element) + pursuit (source of conflict) + and the pursuit is a problem because

A boy has a dream of getting married to a certain girl in his class. This causes him to pursue a relationship with her. She tells him she’s not interested but he doesn’t let up on the pursuit because he believes the dream he had shows him they are meant to be and he should never stop fighting to make that a reality for as long as he lives.

Girl: justify element: avoid + source of conflict (pursuit) + and this is a problem because

The girl pursues different methods of avoidance. She talks to the guy on several occasions to leave her alone but he doesn’t listen. She eventually goes to the administration but they’re not able to offer much help beyond talking to the boy. She tells her parents about the situation. The parents tell her they can move her to another school but she doesn’t want to live that school because it has the best music program in her city.

My mind is running wild now.

Is it possible to use elements from a single quad to justify different instances of a source of conflict for another element?

For example using faith, disbelief, support, and oppose to justify a problem of pursuit.

Or

Source of conflict element is a problem because of justifying element

Pursuit is a problem because of a dream

Or should one use the problem quad alone as sources of justification for the source of conflict element in a throughline.

Can multiple justifications all coming from different characters or even the same characters be used to encode the problem of same dramatica element for example pursuit?

Can instances outside the dramatica terms be used to justify a source of conflict?

[mlucas]

In your police chief example, it seems like Control is the true source of conflict. Pursuit might be the Focus/Symptom.

The boy’s drive definitely sounds like Pursuit. I don’t think you need to worry about a “justifying element” – that seems overcomplicated to me, unless you find it really works for you. In the example, the dream can be part of his reason for Pursuing the girl without it needing to be the actual Dramatica element of Dream. (although in a full storyform it’s possible Dream might be his Unique Ability or something)

When you look at it from the girl’s point of view, what’s happening here is that someone is suggesting the possible Solution (Avoid) when the parents say she could switch schools. But because of her own Pursuit drive (pursuing music) she dismisses that possible solution.

So in summary, I like your examples but to me it’s overcomplicating things to try to look for other Dramatica elements to “justify” the problem. I would just use the regular Problem, Focus/Symptom, Direction/Response, and Solution terms. Then add whatever storytelling and backstory/justification you like, whether the words happen to coincide with Dramatica terms or not.