Detective, Adventurer, Pilgrim throughlines

theory
#1

I have this idea and I am wondering how Subtxt/Dramatica peeps think it would work. I have a third-person HOLISTIC (fms) story (novel) that is going to be presented as a collection of first-person journals from two different throughlines. The narrator is in the RS throughline. OS: Physics, Obtaining; MC: Mind, Subconscious; OC: Universe, Future; RS: Psychology, Becoming.

The “editor” of the story is a character from the RS throughline.

Overall story is along two lines of searching. 1) a journey to return a relic 2) a mystery to solve in the palace. Both are evaluated through Journal entries. 3) pilgrimage journey (overarching the throughline of the RS, see below)

The RS occurs for two side characters during another journey to a certain location.

The OC is the 1) quest character.

So, initially my MC was the protagonist-detective in the palace. This fits with Mind: Subconscious. I thought, the journals being first person along with the compiler’s 3rd person explanation of what happens.

But then, I realized that theoretically, I have a Great Gatsby type of MC narrator of OC protagonist. So then, where does that leave me with my 2) detective character, who was supposed to be the MC? If they slip into a second OC role, I wonder if my domains are wrong.

First question: confirm that if the journals and narrative is written/compiled from a character in the story then the narrator becomes MC. Second question: is there any way to do this for the focus to remain on the growth of the detective? I have a changed MC.

#2

A mere Dramatica novice’s suggestion:
Your Quest player strikes me, as you state, as the MC (and archetypal Protagonist)
Your Narrator, providing a RS perspective, could be the Guardian archetype, or based on it ie taking the aspects you want and creating a complex character type.
Best wishes

#3

How is writing/compiling by a character within the story connected to the narrator being the MC?

1 Like
#4

Are you asking if a story is written in first person, is the first person narrator character automatically the MC? I don’t think it’s automatically so, however, I do think in 99% of cases the first person narrator would turn out to be the MC.

A better test might be to think of the story as a whole (kind of outline level) and figure out who the audience is “with” the most. As a reader, whose shoes are you in?

#5

My take is that the narrative framing (the fact that the actual diaries are exposed to the audience) should not cloud who is the character the audience empathizes with (the MC). There are several stories that use found documents or letters without implying the MC is the author of those. The key point is who the character is from which the audience borrows the experience, through whom they judge the events.

As per the protagonist on the OS, any character might be offering their perspectives on the events, but remember that the protagonist is the character pursuing the goal.

From your description, it seems the MC and the OC are the narrator and the editor. Sure, they didn’t experience what is in the documents first hand, but they are the ones offering their perspectives to the reader, the ones guiding how the reader should judge the events.

If the OC is the quest character, it doesn’t feel like a side character but as a character pursuing something. It certainly feels like the protagonist.

Sherlock Holmes is certainly a protagonist in his novels, but he is never the MC. This is also true for many other stories. The important question is How do we learn about the investigation, and WHY? The why is the motivation of the MC to give the audience their perspective when narrating the facts.

I’d say the question can’t be answered yes/no because the journals are not the storytelling, they are just a piece of information. The main point is who is exposing the journals to the audience (your readers) and why, is that character passing a judgment? Because that character is the MC.

If it is the detective who is doing the compilation and judgment, he is the MC.

The problem you’re facing is due to the fact you are dealing with two levels of storytelling (a story within a story). The overarching story is the compilation/editing of the documents, and that establishes the MC and OC. What they are compiling/editing is different accounts of another story.