Hey y’all,
So I’m working through Melanie’s Storyweaver, and under the character section there is a piece called moral dilemma, that ties in with the thematic section. I’m just wondering is there something in the MC throughline that suggests what/what area the moral dilemma might be (in)? Cuz I’m thinking about my MC and honestly, I can’t come up with a moral dilemma for her.
Any thoughts one where to get ideas on a moral dilemma for her? (critical flaw? something else?)
You might find a moral dilemma between the MC and the OS throughlines. For example, the MC “player” having to choose between something to do with her personal issues and pursuing the Goal. (At its most climactic this choice could mean Failure if they don’t pursue the Goal, but it doesn’t have to.)
In that case, where the dilemma is in the intersection of the MC and OS, the Critical Flaw is a great place to look, as you suggested.
Perhaps you can also find something in the MC Resolve, since Change is never easy, nor is remaining Steadfast under pressure to change.
More generally, I think you could find fodder for moral dilemmas in almost any Dramatica story point. A moral dilemma is a way of taking the story point / gist and making it into a real 
source of conflict. Imagine the writers of The Fugitive were Dramatica users: “Hmm, OS Problem of Help, something about a kid needing help because the ER doctor diagnosed her wrong… But to make that a real problem we need to have it so Dr. Kimble would need to put himself and his whole mission in jeopardy by saving her…” Not that he agonized over that dilemma, but you can see it working.
But though you might get ideas from one story point, I think a moral dilemma would tend to be “multi-appreciation”. That example of the misdiagnosed kid hits on OS Problem vs. MC Problem and MC Critical Flaw, for example.
If you wanted to make it even bigger, you could bring the IC and/or RS throughline in. Maybe the IC is influencing the MC to change perspective and help achieve OS Goal, and there is relationship stuff bound up in there too, but the MC resists the change. Now that’s a climax!
How does Melanie describe a moral dilemma?
The article Using Dramatica and StoryWeaver Together by MAP speaks a bit about moral dilemmas and the Issue and Counterpoint. Maybe it will help.
Thanks @mlucas. I guess the problem I’m having is that she is in a conflict filled sitch but has no inner turmoil about anything she might do to get out of it. None. But that maybe the problem, maybe I’m not digging deep enough.
Here is the relevant part of what Melanie says
[quote]A story must have a “head” line and a “heart” line. In other words, it needs both a logistic plot and a story of personal growth.
The main character carries the heart line of the story as he or she grapples with a personal moral issue…[/quote]
And yes, “Gretel” is the character I have in mind.[quote=“Gregolas, post:4, topic:1363, full:true”]
The article “Using Dramatica and StoryWeaver Together” by MAP speaks a bit about moral dilemmas and the Issue and Counterpoint. Maybe it will help.
[/quote]
I will go hunt it up. Thanks.
looking at it now. I’ve never gone through the whole thing before, so I’m not sure exactly what it’s going for. Sounds like it’s either saying that the MC needs an MC throughline, or maybe it’s saying the MC needs a personal issue (as in Issue and Counterpoint?) to resolve by solving their problem. Not sure I’m saying that right, but it’s like how Woody has problems when he finally gets competition for Andy’s affection, but his personal issue that bringing Buzz back to Andy’s room resolves is the idea that it’s not important how much they get played with, but that they’re there for Andy when he needs them.
Please come back and share your experience with StoryWeaver. I played with it a bit but never dug too deep into it.
So my take here is that the answer you’re looking for is not only not in the storyform, it cannot be in the storyform.
It’s like holding a measuring cup and saying, “Where does this tell me what to measure?”
The measuring cup can’t tell you. It can’t even tell you if it’s a liquid or a solid, or something like peanut butter, where you have to go through extra steps to get it right.
Knowing that she’s a Be-er can’t even help you, because that’s how Gretel tries to solve problems; it’s not even part of the problem.
Go take Gretel on a long car ride to the zoo. See what she talks about. See how she reacts when the zoo is expensive and the tigers are off at the veterinarian’s office because their stripes fell off. Blow cold air in her face and feed her too much popcorn. Listen to what she does when she steps in gum and that brat kicks her in the shin and sweater ends up getting soiled by the grease on the monorail’s accordion door. Talk to her about Hansel. But something at the gift shop for Hansel. Tell her flamingos are born white and platypuses are born from eggs. Drop a tarantula in her pants.
That’s where your answer is.
This might help.
For example, applied to Star Wars:
Harold,
That’s lovely and I will definitely use it for a change character. I’m not sure Layla is. I’ve always had this story set as her being steadfast. But then if she is…she is not the protagonist.
The first 2 steps can apply to any MC–change or steadfast, protag or not.
Why not? I’m not sure I see that this must be the case.