circle or a coil

May 30, 2005

So the MC is at this final moment and can’t tell (because he’s inside the story, remember that’s what makes him the MC - that perspective of I) whether he has just gone full circle or if he has risen to a higher level.

If you can imagine yourself as the MC you might ask yourself “Am I right back where I started and things are worse?” (circle) or “Have things really changed but they only appear to be the same because of my limited perspective from within the story?” (coil).

Because if you take that coil path you’re not really in the same place, but from within the story (imagine looking down at the coil) it appears that you are in the same place. But as that MC you can’t step outside and really see what is going on. But as Authors we can and we know what path our MC has taken.

A Change MC will be the one at a different place - the path of the coil. A Steadfast MC will be the one that comes back to where they started - the path of the circle - and will say, “I’m sticking with what I started.”

The coil or the circle is a really cool visual and instinctively I can tell that the concept is right - but for writing - what does it mean when the MC has come back around full circle? I’ll try and tackle that tomorrow!