# Character Development

**URL:** <https://discuss.dramatica.com/t/character-development/1524>\
**Category:** Support\
**Created:** [March 11, 2018, 11:46pm UTC](https://discuss.dramatica.com/t/character-development/1524 "2018-03-11T23:46:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![YellowSuspenders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a6a055/32.png) [@YellowSuspenders](https://discuss.dramatica.com/u/YellowSuspenders)\
**Post date:** [March 11, 2018, 11:46pm UTC](https://discuss.dramatica.com/t/character-development/1524/1 "2018-03-11T23:46:10Z")

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1.) If there is a red triangle containing the letters “MC” in the Temptation square of the Characteristics matrix, then doesn’t that mean that the MC has the characteristic of Temptation?

2.) If the MC Solution = Temptation, doesn’t that mean that the MC does not have the characteristic “Temptation”?

My story form has both 1 and 2. I don’t know how to interpret this. Help, please.

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**Author:** ![Hunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba9def/32.png) [@Hunter](https://discuss.dramatica.com/u/Hunter)\
**Post date:** [March 12, 2018, 12:22am UTC](https://discuss.dramatica.com/t/character-development/1524/2 "2018-03-12T00:22:32Z")

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Here is my understanding. Take it with a grain of salt.

**My Answer for #1**

Characters in a story don’t “have” elements, per se, but instead “use” elements. The characteristics matrix that you refer to is a collection of the elements used by various OS characters. So, that mark means that whenever your main character (notice, not capitalized) is **acting as an OS player/character** , the character will represent Temptation. This is separate from, though related to, the Main Character Throughline.

**My Answer for #2**

A Main Character actually has/uses all 64 elements throughout the story. What a MC Solution of Temptation actually means isn’t that the MC doesn’t have/use Temptation. Instead, it means that whenever the MC _does_ use Temptation, whatever is truly bogging them down (for Changed) or truly driving them forward (for Steadfast) looses much of that effect. In this case, that problem/drive is Conscience, so whenever the MC uses Temptation, the effects **on the MC** of something having to do with Conscience are quelled. [_Edited: Conscience (dynamic pair with Temptation) instead of Conscious_]

_Summary_

So, you’re character has/uses Temptation. What it means for this to happen, and the effects we see within the story will change based on which throughline (MC or OS) this is happening in.

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**Author:** ![mlucas](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex010/user_avatar/discuss.dramatica.com/mlucas/32/275_2.png) [@mlucas](https://discuss.dramatica.com/u/mlucas)\
**Post date:** [March 12, 2018, 4:27am UTC](https://discuss.dramatica.com/t/character-development/1524/3 "2018-03-12T04:27:48Z")

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@Hunter 's answer is totally on the money (except for a couple typos, I think you meant Conscience not Conscious, Hunter. 🙂 )

The important part is keeping the MC’s role in the MC throughline separate from their OS role.

Also, is this a Failure story? I think that red triangle is denoting that the MC Crucial Element is Temptation. You may want to read up a bit on the Crucial Element:

> **[The Crucial Element to Telling a Great Story](https://narrativefirst.com/articles/the-crucial-element-to-telling-a-great-story/)**
>
> The most important part of any story exists at the intersection of the objective and subjective points-of-view within the narrative.

  

> **[The Crucial Element of Screenwriting in Action](https://narrativefirst.com/articles/the-crucial-element-of-screenwriting-in-action/)**
>
> The connection point between subjective & objective throughlines highlights a key narrative element.

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**Author:** ![Hunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba9def/32.png) [@Hunter](https://discuss.dramatica.com/u/Hunter)\
**Post date:** [March 12, 2018, 4:40am UTC](https://discuss.dramatica.com/t/character-development/1524/4 "2018-03-12T04:40:14Z")

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> [@mlucas](#):
>
> @Hunter 's answer is totally on the money (except for a couple typos, I think you meant Conscience not Conscious, Hunter. 🙂 )

Definitely did. Fixed the original post for future readers.