notes on story drivers and character growth
June 16, 2006
Well, here’s something I haven’t done in a year or two…I’m up at dawn with my laptop before me. This is a great feeling - to be able to write and to think before the responsibilities of the day impose their will on me.
Some Dramatica snippets:
When writing Story Drivers based on Decisions, it does not always have to be one concrete single decision. The decision could also be a deliberation - a process - a mulling over what to do.
When thinking of ways to express a Main Character Growth of Start, it might be helpful to think of the Main Character “holding back” - and that this holding back is part of his main problem. In “A Christmas Carol,” Scrooge was not actively aggressive. Rather, it was his hesitancy in helping others that was causing him difficulties.
Contrast this with a MC Growth of Stop where the Main Character needs to hold back. Perfect example would be a compulsive gambler or a self-destructive alcoholic. It’s the fact that these guys don’t keep themselves in check that is causing their problems.