# Could mapping archetypal character interactions to story points advance narrative dynamics

**URL:** <https://discuss.dramatica.com/t/could-mapping-archetypal-character-interactions-to-story-points-advance-narrative-dynamics/1964>\
**Category:** Support\
**Created:** [July 16, 2018, 7:02pm UTC](https://discuss.dramatica.com/t/could-mapping-archetypal-character-interactions-to-story-points-advance-narrative-dynamics/1964 "2018-07-16T19:02:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![samuelogeda](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex010/user_avatar/discuss.dramatica.com/samuelogeda/32/792_2.png) [@samuelogeda](https://discuss.dramatica.com/u/samuelogeda)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 7:02pm UTC](https://discuss.dramatica.com/t/could-mapping-archetypal-character-interactions-to-story-points-advance-narrative-dynamics/1964/1 "2018-07-16T19:02:52Z")

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I Have been having this thought.

I can have a plot progression of  
Learning  
Doing  
Obtaining  
Understanding

I can look at:

Learning in terms emotion (uncontrolled)  
\*\*They learn but there’s frenzied action as they gather information \*\*

Understanding in terms of reason (control)  
**The frenzied activity of gathering information leads to a loss of control/leverage over terrorists in a hostage negotiation**

Obtaining in terms of antagonist (avoid)  
\*\*The terrorists kill all the hostages. The terrorists prevent the negotiators from bringing back the hostages alive \*\*.

Doing in terms of protagonist (pursuit)  
**The good guys succeed in driving the terrorists out of the region despite the slaughter of the hostages, the slaughter of the hostages causes the military to launch an all out assault**

Or

Learning in terms of contagonist (temptation)  
Understanding in terms of guardian (conscience)  
Obtaining in terms of skeptic (disbelief)  
Doing in terms of sidekick (faith)

Mapping archetypal interactions to signpost type can be one way to unlock dynamics in dramatica I think.

It allows you to clarify the nature of the doing, learning, understanding, or obtaining.

@mlucas let me know if I’m on the right track with this approach to assigning an archetypal role to signposts types to add dynamics to the story forming process.

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**Author:** ![chuntley](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex010/user_avatar/discuss.dramatica.com/chuntley/32/83_2.png) [@chuntley](https://discuss.dramatica.com/u/chuntley)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 9:33pm UTC](https://discuss.dramatica.com/t/could-mapping-archetypal-character-interactions-to-story-points-advance-narrative-dynamics/1964/2 "2018-07-16T21:33:12Z")

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You may certainly do this, but this is a storytelling choice, not a structural choice. The choice you make may imply meaning, but I don’t know if it is consistent with, supportive of, or detracting from the storyform.

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**Author:** ![samuelogeda](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex010/user_avatar/discuss.dramatica.com/samuelogeda/32/792_2.png) [@samuelogeda](https://discuss.dramatica.com/u/samuelogeda)\
**Post date:** [July 17, 2018, 4:04am UTC](https://discuss.dramatica.com/t/could-mapping-archetypal-character-interactions-to-story-points-advance-narrative-dynamics/1964/3 "2018-07-17T04:04:57Z")

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You’re right. The more I think of it, the more I realize it’s a story telling choice.