# Playing a role - MC throughline **URL:** \ **Category:** Support\ **Created:** [August 23, 2017, 2:24am UTC](https://discuss.dramatica.com/t/playing-a-role-mc-throughline/1178 "2017-08-23T02:24:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Leah](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex010/user_avatar/discuss.dramatica.com/leah/32/425_2.png) [@Leah](https://discuss.dramatica.com/u/Leah)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2017, 12:12pm UTC](https://discuss.dramatica.com/t/playing-a-role-mc-throughline/1178/21 "2017-08-28T12:12:58Z")
Just when I think I have it all figured out…lol. Seriously, though, how do you know when you finally have the right storyform? Here’s where I’m currently at: OS Throughline - Fixed Attitude Concern: Memories Issue: Truth Problem: Perception MC Throughline: Manipulation Concern: Developing a Plan Issue: Situation Problem: Perception ---
**Author:** ![Leah](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex010/user_avatar/discuss.dramatica.com/leah/32/425_2.png) [@Leah](https://discuss.dramatica.com/u/Leah)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2017, 7:29pm UTC](https://discuss.dramatica.com/t/playing-a-role-mc-throughline/1178/22 "2017-08-28T19:29:52Z")
> [@MWollaeger](#): > > Your MC is probably still Anna. You gravitated to her for a reason. But the question you have to ask yourself now is along the lines of What problem is unique to her in this story? Is it the intent of Dramatica to have the IC have a unique problem as well (unrelated to the OS Goal) or is their role related to the OS throughline or the MC throughline? ---
**Author:** ![MWollaeger](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex010/user_avatar/discuss.dramatica.com/mwollaeger/32/82_2.png) [@MWollaeger](https://discuss.dramatica.com/u/MWollaeger)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2017, 7:54pm UTC](https://discuss.dramatica.com/t/playing-a-role-mc-throughline/1178/23 "2017-08-28T19:54:31Z")
At the heart of it, there are four throughlines with unique problems. The OS is _Objective_ and impersonal. The IC and MC are our _subjective_ characters and have a bit of oil/water going on with the _Objective_ stuff. Does the IC have their own problem? That’s a great question, and there are two ways to go about learning this: 1. The IC has their own problem: this is how I learned it, but… 2. The IC is the _you_ perspective in a story, meaning that _I_ am looking at _you_. That’s a better way to look at it. Think always about the effect the IC is having on the MC. They are an obstacle, an impediment, a hiccup in the way the MC wants to go about doing things. So, while a very optimistic _IC_ can be looked at as “Hey, that IC is really boppy” and it’ll work, it’s a smarter plan to look at the IC and ask, “Is this boppy nature of the IC affecting my MC?” You can look at my answers in [this thread](http://discuss.dramatica.com/t/how-do-handle-a-killed-ic-in-the-3rd-4rd-act/1174) to see an example of how and IC can affect an MC. ---
**Author:** ![MWollaeger](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex010/user_avatar/discuss.dramatica.com/mwollaeger/32/82_2.png) [@MWollaeger](https://discuss.dramatica.com/u/MWollaeger)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2017, 8:23pm UTC](https://discuss.dramatica.com/t/playing-a-role-mc-throughline/1178/24 "2017-08-28T20:23:17Z")
> [@Leah](#): > > Is it the intent of Dramatica to have the IC have a unique problem I wanted to go into this just a bit more. It is _not_ the intent of Dramatica for the IC to have a unique problem because Dramatica is a descriptive model, not a prescriptive model. _Dramatica has no intent_. People who push Dramatica and want you to use it well have the intention of you understanding how ICs work in the model, but the model itself was built from the ground up to model how we think. ---
**Author:** ![furiouswolf](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex010/user_avatar/discuss.dramatica.com/furiouswolf/32/445_2.png) [@furiouswolf](https://discuss.dramatica.com/u/furiouswolf)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 9:03am UTC](https://discuss.dramatica.com/t/playing-a-role-mc-throughline/1178/25 "2017-09-05T09:03:00Z")
Don’t know if this will be helpful but don’t forget to keep the older Dramatica definitions in mind when encoding. Jim had a great article on this subject [https://narrativefirst.com/articles/the-difference-between-becoming-and-being-in-dramatica](https://narrativefirst.com/articles/the-difference-between-becoming-and-being-in-dramatica) Playing a role = Being I prefer the older definitions personally . Conceiving an idea = Conceiving Playing A Role = Being Changing One’s Nature = Becoming Developing A Plan = Conceptualising . And if you’re struggling with a point, look up the Dramatica definition because sometimes it’s very counter-intuitive! 😀 I never would have known that Permission related to a lack of ability otherwise ---
**Author:** ![mlucas](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex010/user_avatar/discuss.dramatica.com/mlucas/32/275_2.png) [@mlucas](https://discuss.dramatica.com/u/mlucas)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 2:44pm UTC](https://discuss.dramatica.com/t/playing-a-role-mc-throughline/1178/26 "2017-09-05T14:44:28Z")
> [@furiouswolf](#): > > I never would have known that Permission related to a lack of ability otherwise Better to think of it as limitations imposed on ability, rather than just lack of ability. (this is kind of off-topic so let’s start a new thread if you want to discuss further) Definitely agree with the rest of your post though, @furiouswolf! ---
**Author:** ![jhull](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex010/user_avatar/discuss.dramatica.com/jhull/32/3_2.png) [@jhull](https://discuss.dramatica.com/u/jhull)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 10:36pm UTC](https://discuss.dramatica.com/t/playing-a-role-mc-throughline/1178/27 "2017-09-05T22:36:46Z")
Permission = Can or Can’t Need = Need or Needn’t Expediency = Should or Shouldn’t Deficiency = Want or Wont Can, Want, Need, Should - Waaaaaaaaay easier than the definitions. ---
**Author:** ![furiouswolf](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex010/user_avatar/discuss.dramatica.com/furiouswolf/32/445_2.png) [@furiouswolf](https://discuss.dramatica.com/u/furiouswolf)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 11:41pm UTC](https://discuss.dramatica.com/t/playing-a-role-mc-throughline/1178/28 "2017-09-05T23:41:42Z")
Well put! Thanks for the correction ---
**Author:** ![furiouswolf](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex010/user_avatar/discuss.dramatica.com/furiouswolf/32/445_2.png) [@furiouswolf](https://discuss.dramatica.com/u/furiouswolf)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 11:42pm UTC](https://discuss.dramatica.com/t/playing-a-role-mc-throughline/1178/29 "2017-09-05T23:42:43Z")
You really need to write Dramatica for Dummies 😄 ---
**Author:** ![Lakis](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex010/user_avatar/discuss.dramatica.com/lakis/32/1816_2.png) [@Lakis](https://discuss.dramatica.com/u/Lakis)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2017, 1:03am UTC](https://discuss.dramatica.com/t/playing-a-role-mc-throughline/1178/30 "2017-09-06T01:03:26Z")
I keep reading bits like this from Jim and everyone else and can’t figure out where to keep all these notes where I’ll remember them when I need them. ---
**Author:** ![Prish](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex010/user_avatar/discuss.dramatica.com/prish/32/33_2.png) [@Prish](https://discuss.dramatica.com/u/Prish)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2017, 2:07am UTC](https://discuss.dramatica.com/t/playing-a-role-mc-throughline/1178/31 "2017-09-06T02:07:52Z")
Call it Dramatica Basics. Writers are very, very smart people. ---
**Author:** ![Prish](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex010/user_avatar/discuss.dramatica.com/prish/32/33_2.png) [@Prish](https://discuss.dramatica.com/u/Prish)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2017, 2:09am UTC](https://discuss.dramatica.com/t/playing-a-role-mc-throughline/1178/32 "2017-09-06T02:09:44Z")
I’m starting to like my macbook pro’s Notes for that. command-N and I get a whole other page, ready to go, and they all stay in the same spot. [Previous page](https://discuss.dramatica.com/t/playing-a-role-mc-throughline/1178.md?page=1)