I have an MC that needs to change to resolve his personal angst. If he does change, however, he destroys almost everything external to himself (i.e. career, family, friendships, living situation) and the OS Goal fails.
Is this Change/Failure/Good if he does change?
Is this Steadfast/Success/Bad if he doesn’t change?
Or is he still a change character if he fails to change in spite of the author’s position that he needs to? So Change/Failure/Bad? Steadfast/Failure/Bad?
Yes.
There is one small caveat – once the story is done, it’s not necessary that you could look at it and say “oh, if only he had remained steadfast on his personal outlook, the Goal would have succeeded.” As Author you can make that statement, or not, as you wish. i.e. you might have a Change/Failure/Good where you imply that the Goal was, in the end, unachievable regardless of whether the MC Changed or not.
But what you have stated is a perfectly fine way to look at it, especially before the story is written.
No, Resolve is entirely based on comparing the MC’s perspective between the beginning of the story and the end. The “author’s position that he needs to” is wrapped up in other story points, as you have mentioned.
Thanks, Mike.
Just needed confirmation. Back to more difficult Dramatica conundrums.
The “needs to” is the storyform - it’s what you’re arguing for.