Newbie developing working novel title: Back in May

[whitepaws]

Notes Collected along the way:

RS: Situation

@jhull

I’ve found massive improvements in quality of storytelling when the author focuses on the relationship as if it is its own entity - the relationship suffers problems because of a Situation, not because one person or another has a problem with the Situation. When you start thinking of one to the exclusion of the other you start to collapse the potential of that Throughline.

Yes, it can be “an argument between two people” but again–you’re just repeating what is in other Throughlines and you’re missing out on a key part of your story that will elevate the quality of it 1000x.

and

@SharkCat

I’d thought that MC and IC were two opposing perspectives (one of which changes at the end) and the RS was them interacting until they get to that point of change. If RS isn’t about that changing perspective, what is it for aside from making sure that the Overall Story has a dynamic pair? If IC is trying to help MC with something, is that actually in the IC throughline, or is it half in IC (“That poor MC needs my help”), half in MC (“I have this problem I need help with”), or if everyone’s concerned with the Future/Obtaining/whatever the help might fall under, should it be in Overall?

So, keeping the above explanations in mind and keeping the throughlines separate, here goes:

MC: Manipulation
Angela, the MC, has conditioned/manipulates herself to interpret what she experiences by new age mantras and “laws”. She’s in her head most of the time, trying to remain IN THE NOW and is trying to become a timeless person where she experiences all as one. She’s the kind who will break out into the OM chant in the middle of serving a customer at the bookstore.

IC: Activity
Bruno the Italian chiropractor is a physical focused man who focuses on action as a means to achieve success in the world. Plays football after work and squash on the weekends. He is a very practical, hands on kind of person. His brutish methods clash with Angela’s way of being.

RS: Situation
The NHS assigned Angela to Bruno for treatment of her whiplash. Angela’s growing list of ailments prevents him from concluding her case and so she remains a patient. He tries different approaches. After some time, the ‘couple’ reach the limits of the allotted NHS budget and things get even more absurd.

OS: Fixed Attitude
Everyone is biased in favour of their own method of surviving and thriving in the world.

GOAL: Innermost Desires
Everyone wants to prove that their methods are the right ones. (I think)

If no one reaches the goal, I will have to change Outcome to Failure because no one gets to prove their method is the right one. Hmmmm