Character Elements - Decision vs Action

questions
#1

I have been working through characters in one of my projects and was wanting to know how the difference between the Decision elements and Actions elements play out when one looks at them.

Currently I see the Decision element to be an internal process for the character - so someone who has the Motivation as Logic is internally driven by reason. Needing to weight the courses of action in their head and making a decision based on that. Could all Decision elements be described this way? They are an internal process specific to that individual (a bias perhaps).

I am a little more confused about the Action elements. Are they what other people would describe how that person operates? Or is it once again, the way that person is biased to go about their activity? (or both?).

I guess I am asking about perspective - is it how the character sees themselves, or is it how others see them?

Your help is appreciated!

#2

I’m still pretty green in Dramatica, but it’s my understanding that Decision and Action are not character elements (in Dramatica language), but rather plot dynamics. They apply to the objective plot, not individual characters. So any type of character can be in either type of driven plot. In my current WIP, which is a personal drama/education plot with a logical Be-er for a main character, I was surprised that when I took a step back and looked at the overall plot, it was an Action-driven plot. I saw that something would happen and then my character (or another character sometimes) would decide to do something. When I looked at the entire plot, I saw that pattern repeated throughout the story, so my story is an action-driven plot even though it could never be interpreted as an “action story” using non-Dramatica language.

#3

The Action/Decision he’s talking about are the character elements found in Archetypes, the Action/Decision you are talking about FancyRW is the Overall story Driver. Each Archetype found in the objective plot function two different ways within each set of elements there’s the Motivation, Methodology, Evaluation and Purpose sets and each archetype has an Action element and a Decision element within each.

Then they can be mixed in matched to create complex character types.

To answer your question Brendon I believe the best way to view them is more or less from a God-like perspective in that you are viewing them objectively, remotely, indifferent to their wants or needs or feelings. Observing them we get the sense of how they are based on what they say (decision) and what they do (action).

#4

OK–thanks. I looked up in the dictionary before I posted, but couldn’t find anything about Action/Decision elements. The dictionary is old, as is Dramatica Pro which is what I’m stuck with, so perhaps this is something newer in DSE? I am not using archetypical characters, so maybe it’s just something I missed in Pro.

#5

This is discussed in the theory book, briefly. But I think that’s the only place you’ll find it.

#6

I’m with @Dan310 – the omniscient view is the relevant one.

That opens things up to being associated with characters, without necessarily being a part of them. A coach that gets people to go after their dreams is a Pursuit character, because he gets other people to pursue things. A billboard with a pair of eyes on it could be “Reconsider” because it makes people feel guilty and reconsider their actions.

To put in some theoretical mumbo-jumbo: characters only exist because they are the best way to convey story dynamics. They are the “nodes” in the network.

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#7

Interesting thoughts all.

I might need to look at the way i see it again (should I say reconsider) and see if I can see it from the omniscient perspective.

@FancyRW - FYI - I found the reference here: http://dramatica.com/theory/book/characters (search for Archetypal Methodologies).

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#8

Thanks. I remember now. I read that part a year ago, so had forgotten and in my mind changed it to internal/external. And then with developing my complex characters with the build characters screen in Pro, had totally let it fall out of my brain. I do know that with my characters, overthinking it makes it harder. I have to go with my whims and intuitions to get it right.

#9

You may find the 2013 PDF edition of the Theory Book easier to read.

http://support.screenplay.com/downloads/DramaticaStoryExpert/dse5.php

It is downloadable at the above link see the bottom of the page. It is called the
Dramatica Story Expert 5 Help Manual
but that is only the first third of the PDF, the rest is the latest Dramatica Theory Book.
This version has a great contents section and is easily searched using any modern PDF reader.

Archetypal Methodologies - gets you quickly to page 209

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#10

THANK YOU!!! (had to get to 20 characters)