Yes! Hopefully I’ve found a method of making that a tad easier. Thinking of it in those terms has become crucial to my encoding process.
1 Like
Should I start by pinning down the inequity of my story? And should I word it as a narrative argument? Yes or No will suffice. Cheers.
Please forgive me, I have just realised that I have not used quotation marks around Jim’s original wording - I am sorry. Other than “MITCH” “SADIE TEAK” and “no longer need to be around SADIE TEAK”, all the wording is jhull’s)
I have used Jhull’s excellent ‘template’ to begin pinning-down the INEQUITY in my story. I hope by using Jim’s framework i have not broken any Community code of conduct. Thanx. Emm.
Mitch’s DESIRE to no longer have the need to be around SADIE TEAK and Sadie Teak
SADIE TEAK is not a problem.
The DESIRE to no longer have the need to be around SADIE TEAK is not a problem.
What does create the potential for a problem is the space between the two: (could this be their age difference? lack of mutual attraction? Imcompatabi!ity?)
…the human mind sees this space as an inequity.
When faced with an inequity you have two choices:
…resolve the inequity
or
…justify it away.
(The Inequity Between Things – Resolving the Inequity)
You can resolve the inequity in different ways:
…MITCH to lose his DESIRE to no longer have the need to be around SADIE TEAK
Get rid of the DESIRE no more separation between things, no more INEQUITY - everything returns to Zen.
OR
MITCH can continue having the need to be around SADIE TEAK.
Continue having the need to be around SADIE TEAK, HE no longer has a DESIRE for it, no more space in-between, no more inequity - everything returns to normal.
But what if MITCH has difficulties not being around SADIE TEAK, and HE can’t get rid of the DESIRE to be around SADIE TEAK?
That’s when you start the justification process.
(Justifying the Inequity)
When deciding the alternate path of justification, MITCH’S mind first looks to see where it is going to focus its attention.
Let’s say MItch focuses on ‘being around SADIE TEAK’.
MITCH has "locked’ the DESIRE to no longer have the need to be around SADIE TEAK away — MITCH is no longer going to consider losing that desire as an option.
HIS attention is focused on 'no longer having the need to be around SADIE TEAK.
With the DESIRE locked away, the desire to ‘no longer have the need to be around SADIE TEAK’ itself now becomes a PROBLEM.
MITCH cannot end his need to no longer be around SADIE TEAK, and it’s giving him grief.
The need to no longer be around SADIE TEAK is now a PROBLEM because MITCH’S mind determined it wasn’t going to re-consider the DESIRE.
“This is where the JUSTIFICATION process begins and where DRAMATICA fits in”.
The Dramatica model isn’t showing you the inequity, the model is showing you the mind’s problem-solving process.
With ‘no longer needing to be around SADIE TEAK’ as a problem, MITCH automatically creates a solution: Mitch abstains from entering the bookstore.
Now Mitch has a Problem (not wanting to be around Sadie Teak, anymore) and a Solution (abstaining from entering the bookstore, anymore).
But what if MITCH wants - or has to go the bookstore, but doesn’t want to be around SadieTeak, anymore?
Well then, Mitch makes abstaining from entering the bookstore anymore a Problem by hiding that First Problem of not wanting to be around SADIE TEAK anymore.
Mitch has justified or hidden away that Problem and created a new Problem.
Now Mitch is looking for a Solution for a Solution.
This repeats until eventually Mitch gets to the 4th level of Justification (fully justified) where Mitch is looking for a Solution for a Solution for a Solution; this is where most stories begin and where Mitch can find himself lost as to why He does the things he does.
Mitch is lost because he has TOTALLY forgotten his original motivation for why he behaves the way he does.
Sounds like a justified Main Character, right?
This story process (or storyform) depicts the process of tearing those justifications down, at least in a story that features a Main Character with a Changed Resolve.
The next step in the cycle is where you’ll find Steadfast Main Characters; their stories tell the process of building justifications up.
The storyform isn’t about an inequity, but rather the mind’s process of problem-solving or justifying a problem that came from an inequity between things.
Greg, should I continue or am I going wrong? Emm.
1 Like
I think you’re probably reciting it all correctly, but with all the need and desire and no longer needing the desire, it got a bit tough to read through. But I think this is something I can give you a visual for.
(D) Mitch has a desire to be around Sadie
(A) Mitch has the ability to be around Sadie
Visually, that looks like this:
(D) <—> (A)
Those two align. You can tell because the arrows overlap and point to the other. There’s no inequity there. But if something changes and Mitch no longer has the ability to be around Sadie.
(D) Mitch has a desire to be around Sadie
(A) Mitch does not have the ability to be around Sadie
Visually, that looks like this:
(D) —>
<— (A)
They no longer match up. They are imbalanced, an inequity. Mitch has a desire, but not the ability to fulfill it. That’s the inequity, but it hasn’t been made a problem yet because the space between Mitch’s desire and his ability has not been shown to create any conflict.
1 Like
Ok. First off, your new avatar is intimidating. Secondly, your right about the difficulty to read. Howwver, it was to help me keep focused.
But as you say, “The inequity hasn’t been made a problem yet because the space between Mitch’s desire and his ability has not been shown to create any conflict”.
This is what I have to identify and show, yes?
1 Like
Yes. The processes on the Dramatica table on their own are just processes. To have a problem to solve, and thus a story to tell, you need to show how these processes are creating conflict.
1 Like
(Talking of Ability and Desire) I watched this busker, the other day, in Liverpool city centre. He had the rock star look, shoulder length shabby hair, the suade bomber jacket with fur collar, skinny faded jeans and beat-up acoustic guitar riddled with stickers, scratch marks and signatures. But what he didn’t have was the raw ingrediant; the most important and that which cannot ever be taught - (inate talent) the ability to sing and play the guitar. Yes, he had all the DESIRE, bless him, but none of the ABILITY, poor f…r!
2 Likes
It could be great if we can have a story example here to dissect the “Dramatica For Screenwriters” techniques.
4 Likes
“It could be great if we can have a story example here to dissect the
“Dramatica For Screenwriters” techniques.” I would relish this too,
Armando.
1 Like
Hello Greg, hope the muse has been good to you! This is what I have so far:
ME Resolve: Change;
MC Growth: Stop; Mitch has to stop doing what he’s doing, if he wants to get his life back.
MC Approach: Male;
MC ProbSolve: Be-er;
MC judgement: Good. By having no choice but to keep away from Sadie and the shop, Mitch is able to get his life back on traxk, and overcome his need to be around her.
OS Outcome: Mitch fails to become Sadie’a friend.
OS Limit: Optionlock – by asking the security guards to remove Mitch from the store, Sadie is letting Mitch know that his attempts to strike up a friendship with her is not welcome. Mitch has finally got his answer, if he continues, he will be stepping into a different phase - stalking Sadie.
OS Driver: Decision - At the begining of the story, Mitch is already decided to stay away from Sadie’s shop, but At the invite of a work colleague, Mitch sees Sadie perform in a duo at the Cavern Club, and this rekindles his desire to be her friend. He decides to break his abstenence and enter the bookstore again, opening himself up to more grief.
Final OS Driver: Decision - Micth accidentally boards the same bus into.the city as Sadie, and during this he re-evaluates the past events and comes to the conclusion that Sadie will welcome his offer of friendship, so he decides to write a letter explaining everything, but when he gives it to her, she is disturbed by him and has him escorted out of the shop.
1 Like
These sound like Action Drivers to me – if he hadn’t happened to see Sadie perform at the Cavern Club, his desire wouldn’t have been rekindled. If he hadn’t happened to board the same bus as her, he wouldn’t have written the letter.
I feel like you might be mixing up the throughlines here. Based on your previous posts, isn’t the Goal something like, getting over dependencies? It should involve everyone in some way.
2 Likes
Hey Emm, If you could come up with a premise it sounds like Armando might look at it with you. I would highly suggest trying that route.
I don’t remember all the details, but I would suggest coming up with a good idea of what each throughline is about. For instance, you have OS Goal being that Mitch fails to become Sadie’s friend. That could be something everyone is concerned with, but isn’t that more of an RS thing?
1 Like
Thanks, Greg, and good luck with your own work. Emm.
Thanx, mlucas, I’ll consider this suggestion and work on it. Emm.
Hello Armando, can you pleade explain to me, when Dramatica talks of space, as in the space between desire and ability, what is “the space”? What does the space represent? - or - What represents the space? For instance, could the space between desire and ability be reprsented by the age gap bewteen an older man and a younger woman? or am I swimming with no trunks on, here? Do you see what i’m trying to get at here? I need to understand what is meant by “the space”! Can you give me another way, or word, or phrase to explain what the software is asking of me; but worderd in plain english, without the jargon. In lay persons terms?
Sorry, I took so long to respond. Can you give me more context? What specific paragraphs about “space” are you talking?
In the Dramatica algorithm there is a parallel to physics items. Situations, Fixed Ideas, Action and Attitudes or Knowledge, Thought, Ability and Desire are equivalents to Mass, Energy, Space and Time.
However, I think I have the feeling that your question is about something else. Please let me know.
3 Likes