Throughline Separation

questions
#1

I’m pretty new to Dramatica, to the point where I think I’ve gotten to the “I almost feel like I know what I’m doing, so I probably actually know nothing” stage. I’ve spent a decent amount of time scouring topics here which has helped immensely. I’m sure my question has been answered somewhere, but it’s so easy to get lost in a long thread that I needed to ask. That’s my long-winded way of preapologizing for what I’m sure is a repeated question.

Anyway… I think I have a good feel for the OS, MC, and IC throughlines, but I’m having a problem with the RS. I’ve picked up that new thinking says that RS is not MCvIC like the program says. So, the RS doesn’t actually need the IC in it. But can the IC influence the RS via the MC? (As a side question, does this still work if we flip the MC and IC? Can the RS be a relationship to the IC and not MC? I ask because I’m still not 100% sure which of my characters I want as the MC.)

Here’s what I’m thinking:
Something needs to be found (OS:Physics/Obtaining). The IC is the OS Protagonist. Initially the IC doesn’t even know there is anything that needs to be found, but meets the MC because of an unusual situation she’s going through (IC:Universe/Future). The IC influences the MC into overcoming her negative attitude (MC:Mind/Subconscious) that is causing the MC’s relationship with her significant other (not the IC) to stagnate (RS:Psychology/Becoming). That change also causes the MC to help the IC find the information needed to solve the OS problem, which ends up being a function of the IC’s situation.

Yes, I left a lot out but that’s the high-level concept. Does that work? Or are my throughlines too closely related? Or, if I’m completely off-base, please let me know. It seems like understanding this stuff takes a lot of “one step forward, two steps back.”

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#2

If you re-read your “what I’m thinking” paragraph from the point-of-view of the Author (rather than the characters), you’ll see that you have your IC and MC flipped.

You’ve written the IC as if she was a Main Character.

Perspectives first, characters second.

The IC influences a negative attitude (Mind)

The MC has a problem with her significant other (Universe)

The IC and/or MC has no influence whatsoever on the RS. You can make all kinds of connections after the fact (through projection), but they don’t actually connect to one another. (What I see is totally different than what WE see)

Oh, and welcome!

#3

BTW, I did this same thing with Ex Machina (after 2 decades with Dramatica…) - you can read about it here: Ex-Machina: The Narrative Code Hidden within the Machine

#4

Thanks for answering. Every time I think I figure something out, I figure out I have something else wrong.

I’m wondering if my problem is that I’m just thinking about this wrong. I came up with this idea before finding Dramatica. That’s how I ended up here. I had this story idea but it felt like it was missing something. As I read more about the theory, I figured out that all I had was an OS. I was missing the rest. So I’m trying to retrofit a story that I’ve been fighting with which is probably not the best way to learn this stuff.

This is interesting. Like I said, I was having a hard problem identifying my MC, so I guess I did realize that something was off. Maybe I’m just looking at this the wrong way.

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#5

[quote=“jhull, post:3, topic:2940, full:true”]
BTW, I did this same thing with Ex Machina (after 2 decades with Dramatica…) - you can read about it here: [Ex-Machina: The Narrative Code Hidden within the Machine][/quote]

This paragraph said so much to me:

But it’s not her Past, or her Predictions, or her Desires that these story points reflect. To think so would be to inaccurately use Dramatica’s story points for storytelling. Instead, they identify why she has influence over Caleb. In fact, for most of these story points these points of narrative find themselves attached to her, not coming from her.

I think that’s something I still haven’t wrapped my head around. The IC only exists in as much as it influences the MC. Everything else that character (player?) does is separate and done as an objective character and not the IC. Right?

#6

Absolutely! If they have personal issues that you want to explore then that’s another story…