Production for a Steadfast-Start MC

questions
#1

Hi ! For some times I’ve been struggling with this particular piece of my storyform. My Main Character has a drive of Production and although I know exactly how her Solution would play out (if she were to change or when temporarly adopted), I struggle a bit with her drive. As a Start Character, Dramatica tells me that she suffers from a deficiency of Production and I have some problems figuring out exactly how it would be different from Reduction. Does anyone have some tips regarding that ?

(As a side note, it’s a bit difficult for me to separate Production from Potentiality because it is the thought process leading towards potentiality)

#2

I… don’t think being a Start character defines whether a positive or negative state of Production is that character’s drive. That being said, the difference between negative Production and positive Reduction is this. Negative Production does not create new options, which causes problems. (For example, you could think of it as an illustrator for a company who keeps using the same general types of images in their work.) Positive Reduction, on the other hand, actively removes options. (For our illustrator example, they’d be a new illustrator who thinks the company’s current website is too kitschy and avant-garde, so they want to revert it to the tried-and-true basics that have been used for decades.)

Same principle behind the difference between Production and Potentiality. Production is, essentially, creating new potentials; Potentiality is working with what already exists. You ever have one of those milk cartons that you have to fold to open? Potentiality is using either fold to open it; Production is turning it upside-down and stabbing the straw through the bottom. :stuck_out_tongue:

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#3

That’s what I originally thought but the storyform report said that because she was a Start character, she had to have a deficiency of Production. I wasn’t sure if I had to use it but I wanted to make sure, so thanks a look for your explanations :slight_smile:

I like your examples a lot, I understand better now !

#4

In this post, Chris makes it clear that Start/Stop needn’t apply directly to the Problem/drive:

So you just need some way of saying that your steadfast MC “is holding out for X to start.” And you’re free to use a deficiency AND/OR abundance of Production as your MC’s (oft-problematic) drive.

(Note the AND/OR because it’s possible for the same MC to suffer or be driven by too much Production in one area and too little in another.)

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#5

Okay, then that’s a relief ! I like that Dramatica allows one character being driven by both deficiency or abundance in the motivation area, it can make for interesting scenes :slight_smile: Thanks for this explanation !