Does Dramatica account for increasing stakes within the signposts? Or is that strictly a function of storytelling?
Sure, I would think anytime you have signposts that go from learning to understanding, you’re potentially increasing the stakes. Think of all the conspiracy thrillers that start small with the main character learning something only to come to a greater understanding that reveals much greater implications than initially believed. Think of a story like A History of Violence and the progression of the MC throughline signposts, Present, Progress, Past, Future, and how the stakes keep getting raised once we fully learn Tom Stall’s background.
It seems to me there are several Dramatica concepts that are related to increasing stakes. Rather than being associated with Signposts directly, it seems like the stakes are more related to Cost, Forewarnings, and Limit (running out of time, running out of options). I quoted some relevant stuff from the Dictionary on Cost and Forewarnings.
Cost builds over the course of the story all the way to the climax. Sometimes by the end of the
story, the consequence of not achieving the goal is far less than the cumulative cost of achieving it.
Forewarnings: The indications that the Consequence is growing more imminent … These Forewarnings could be a quick look at a growing crack in the dam which no-one sees, or it could be a mad scientist installing the final component in his doomsday device; however it is represented, its nature will be described by the storytelling of Forewarnings.
It also seems that the growth in how the IC and MC’s relationship and how they affect each other over the course of the story is related to stakes (for example, a Steadfast MC having to build up more and more resistance to the IC’s influence, until it seems like he might crack).
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Thank Jim,
I see what you mean, yet I know that signposts can be in any order depending on the storyform; which I guess answers my question and makes me feel a little dumb for asking it.
I’ll look at those more carefully, Mike. Thanks.
I am jealous in the worst way of the freedom screenwriters have in superior position, especially in the arenas of forewarnings and dramatic irony, which are much more difficult to pull off in tightly POV’d novel.
Matter of fact, if anyone has examples of books that do this well, I’d love to hear them!