Crucial element for MC Change/Start/Success

questions
#1

Just when I thought I had the right story form, I now have doubts after seeing that my MC’s crucial element is Acceptance. (Change/Start/Good/Success)

By the end of the story, she has to reject a whole lot of things, so how can her CE be Acceptance?£@$£% Well, that was my knee-jerk reaction. :flushed:

I took a deep breath and gathered myself. In the story, she goes along with quite a lot at the beginning but she gradually adopts her Solution of non-acceptance as the story unfolds.

So, what gives?

I looked into it further and this is how I understand the crucial element.

  • Crucial element is not a character trait.

  • Crucial element is a story element that ties the MC to the OS.

  • A Change MC will eventually adopt the IC’s CE (in this case, of non-acceptance) by the end of the story, thus making her a whole new refreshed “person”

My conclusion is that the CE is a story element rather than a characteristic or trait.

Do I have that right? If not, please do let me know. Thanks!

#2

Basically, you are correct. That said, it is related to the objective characters AND the subjective characters. It is one of the many interconnections between the throughlines that bind them together into a singularity (a whole).

Despite its name, it is no more important than any other aspect of the story structure and dynamics.

#3

thank you :slight_smile:

#4

@chuntley but why is the MC crucial element different … depends of the outcome of the story?

OS Solution Nonacceptance
Change/Start/Success/Good
MC Crucial Acceptance
Example form Subtext: Start refusing to compromise, and you can learn if someone is right for you

OS Solution Nonacceptance
Change/Start/Failure/Good
MC Crucial Nonacceptance

Example form Subtext: Peace of mind awaits those who start refuse to compromise, even if it means failing to get others to conceive of something different.

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#5

The CE is such a nifty way to summarise the feel of the story! Fantabulous.

And, I also have a working theory that the MC CE is the element that ushers the MC into the OS. I haven’t tested it out on a whole lot of storyforms yet so don’t hold me to it.

But…

For example, in Nightcrawler, our MC is scrounging around for a job and some cash. That’s his Situation/Present.

OS is completely different in that it’s all about capturing and delivering (and twisting) the events for the news.

Two different line of events up until the CE kicks in. Plus, when writing a story, a writer is always looking for a way to braid the MC into the OS in a credible way.

In Nightcrawler, the MC CE is Potential. What sparks his connection to the OS is the Potential element…in this case, Lou Bloom sees the potential of what he could do to make money…and off the story goes.

Just a working theory…

#6

[per Jim, probably referencing conversations with me, from a different thread]

Finding the MC Crucial Element:

  • Change/Success - OS Problem is the MC Crucial Element
  • Change/Failure - OS Solution is the MC Crucial Element
  • Steadfast/Stop - OS Focus is the MC Crucial Element
  • Steadfast/Start - OS Direction is the MC Crucial Element

Change stories find the Crucial Element in Problem or Solution because they focus on the Dilemma in resolving the inequity.

Steafast stories find the Crucial Element in Focus or Direction because they focus on the Work in resolving the inequity.

#7

For reference re Nightcrawler

MC is steadfast/start

oops, ok, so it looks like Certainty is his CE.

Ok, well, I thought I had something there, but I didn’t calculate the CE correctly.

So, Direction of Certainty is his CE…and well, it does work too tbh because he starts working as a camera person even though he has no experience, and neither does he have a camera, but he has this unshakeable certainty that he can make money doing it.

But, gotta admit, it doesn’t seem to tie in as well as Potentiality.

#8

Is it correct to say the crucial element is different (when success or failure) … because …

MC Crucial Acceptance

Change/Success - OS Problem is the MC Crucial Element

… the MC resolves the inequity by focusing on the crucial OS Problem

MC Crucial NonAcceptance

Change/Failure - OS Solution is the MC Crucial Element

… the MC doesn’t resolves the inequity as he doesn’t find a way to apply the crucial OS Solution

#9

No, because a Change MC always shares the problem and solution element with the OS. Steadfast MC’s share the symptom and response elements with the OS.

#10

I think he was asking why the Crucial Element for a Change character differs based on Success/Failure.

@Gernot, I don’t think it’s as simple as you stated because it’s not necessarily the MC that resolves the problems in the OS. I’ve seen it described for a Change/Failure story as the MC “using up” that Crucial Element for his own personal issues, so that it can’t be used or properly applied in the Overall Story.

Here’s more detail: https://narrativefirst.com/articles/the-crucial-element-of-screenwriting-in-action

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#11

My whole life is referencing conversations with you LOL

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#12

Is there a way to locate the Crucial Element on the Story Engine or in Storyguide? I can find the OS Problem/Solution, but cannot locate “Focus/Direction.”

#13

As far as I know, the Crucial Elements can only be found on the Characteristics pane (they are indicated by the triangles in the top-left corners of those Elements):

The Focus/Direction is also known as the Symptom/Response. Whether it’s displayed as the former or the latter in the software depends on the Term Swap Option you choose in the Preferences, pictured below.

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