Excelente! It would be great if you could add to it as far as how that concern influences or challenges the people around him. Not super important in this exercise, but probably helpful for others and for later if we were to actually ever write this thing.
But we can continue and if you come up with something feel free to add it in here and i’ll add it to the master doc.
@Prish your turn!
I just have to say and share, “This was so 60’s.” I could buy into that Sebastian started it all. HaHa
Would this work?
Relationship Problem: Constantly Examining Oneself for Something
Both Marybeth and Sebastian check themselves out to see if they have developed telepathy, yet.
I thought I could add to it, coordinating it with benchmarks, etc. Would that work?
Not really. I’m not sure where “developing telepathy” comes from. In addition, the Relationship Problem would be something that Marybeth and Sebastian are not aware of. How about this - instead of working out the particulars of their Problem - do you see their relationship as something that is growing or something that is dissolving?
This isn’t part of the storyform but it could help steer questions and thoughts regarding the Relationship Throughline.
Ok, I’ll mull this over for a few hours.
It says “constantly examining oneself for something”, so what could the “something” be, meaning what is allowed?
Since this is a Start story, I see the Relationship growing.
more later
Something could be
attraction
repulsion
Think Buffy and Spike
colds
jealousy
acquitting oneself well in an argument
too much or not enough money
visions (with the whole fortune-telling thing)
am I what this person needs?
Do any of those give you some ideas?
Relationship Problem: Constantly Examining Oneself for Something.
Marybeth and Sebastian never have enough money, but they are too proud to let each other know.
The Start dynamic has nothing to do with the Relationship Story so you really can’t use that as a basis for determining whether or not the Relationship grows or decays. You can have a story with a Main Character Growth of Start with a Decaying relationship just as much as you can have a Main Character Growth of Stop with a Growing relationship.
The “something” or “someone” or “particular group” referred to in the gists can be substituted for whatever storytelling you want to apply. Because Dramatica can’t tell what your subject matter is or what your genre is (in the classic sense), the decision was made to keep the gists as general as possible.
I’m not sure how the two of them not having money but are too proud to let the other know would be anything to do with constantly examining oneself for something.
Let’s put it this way – Marybeth and Sebastian have known each for awhile now. Somewhere, not too long ago, one or the other got on the other’s nerves for constantly examining oneself for something–pock marks, validation for their efforts, etc. It keeps them from getting together and falling in love. OR it could be they’re both so busy locked in their own worlds searching for their own purpose that they ignore the other or don’t participate in what could be a very synergistic relationship.
Either way you need to address this as a PROBLEM between the two characters. You also have to show how this problem presents itself in the story. WHY is it a problem? Too many times people think they can just write “Marybeth and Sebastian constantly examine the hours that they slept the night before” and think that’s all they have to do for a story. It needs to create a PROBLEM. It needs to motivate some resolution.
ok, thinking this over…
This whole exercise constantly reminds me about how truly amazing it is when an author is able to put all these pieces together and create an experience (with or without Dramatica), whether it’s on screen or in written form.
Robbing from Jim’s suggestions above:
Perhaps Marybeth “gets on [Sebastian’s] nerves for constantly examining” her fitness to do a lead animator’s work — she’s anxious, but he’s already quite sure she’s “the best artist they could ever hope to have!”
Meanwhile, Sebastian gets on Marybeth’s nerves because he’s “so busy locked in [his] own [activist] world, [always] searching” for “what else can I do to help my people?” So he misses romantic opportunities she was hoping for, and she misses the deep loyalty and tenderness he feels about her and her abilities. But their simultaneous self-examining “keeps them from getting together and falling in love.”
Can we interweave the Relationship Problem like that, Jim?
I would go for this suggestion by keypayton if Jim ok’s it.
On the other hand, they could get on each others’ nerves while working part-time in a Broadway play. Acting is a signpost 2, so it is in the storyform.
I like both @keypayton. Is there any way to combine the two into a nice little 3-4 sentence paragraph?
Relationship Problem: Constantly Examining Oneself for Something
Marybeth gets on Sebastian’s nerves for constantly questioning her fitness to do a lead animator’s work — she’s anxious, while he takes for granted that she’s “the best artist they could ever hope to have!” And Sebastian-the-activist gets on Marybeth’s nerves, because he’s always searching for “what else can I do to help my people?” So he misses romance opportunities she hopes for, and she misses his loyalty and tenderness toward her. Their simultaneous self-examining keeps them from getting romance started.
a report on the lost city of Atlantis for you to enjoy while we wait.
Coolness.
Bud did I miss something? Didn’t @jhull give that the seal of approval and it’s now @jamjam1794 turn? Or am I out to lunch, again.
Dear jassnip: I was just helping Prish figure her Relationship Story Problem out, at JHull’s instigation. I’m pretty sure you are right about it being jamjam1794’s turn again.