A Dramatica User Asks...
In my Storyform reports in Dramatica Pro, ACT I in the Objective Storyline
says: "The Past is explored in terms of Rationalization, Obligation,
Commitment, and Responsibility." So, here’s the question. The Past is a
Universe Type. Rationalization, Obligation, etc., are Psychology Variations.
Does that mean that I should look at the objective characters’ purposes in
terms of their motivations with regard to the psychology variations?
Purposes and Motivations aren’t really pertinent to the Objective Story’s
Thematic arenas. Rather than looking at what the Characters are doing, keep in
mind that the Objective Throughline represents a point of view for the audience.
From the objective view they will see not only characters, but plot, theme, and
genre as well. Of course, this is most clearly seen in the Storyforming stage,
and from encoding onward, the view may not be as consistent or clear.
So the point is, forget about characters when using this report and consider
the whole point of view. Using the report this way means that the Act itself
centers on an exploration of the Past. In other words, when you are exploring
the grand scheme of the big picture of your story in an arm’s distance sort of
way that gives the audience a change to look at the dynamics involved without
being personally involved, THEN you will be examining the Past, in Act 1.
Another way to say this is that all four throughlines will have an area
around which they center in Act 1. The Past will be one of those four items that
serve as the focus of attention for the audience. In your story, in Act 1, the
Past will be looked at Objectively (or impersonally, though not necessarily
without feeling.)
Now we add in the thematics. What kind of things about the Past will the
audience be looking at? Or, turned around a bit, what measuring sticks will be
used to judge things that happened in the Past? The answer is: Rationalization,
Obligation, Commitment, and Responsibility. These four items describe more
specifically than just the notion of "The Past" the areas of interest
in the Past that Act 1 will explore most closely from an Objective point of
view.
So, look at the wide-ranging plot events, the behaviors that affect or are
exhibited by all your characters, the overall genre of your story as it develops
in Act 1, and then see that from an Objective sense. Your audience will see
these things as all revolving around the Past and being examined in terms of
Rationalization, Obligation, Commitment, and Responsibility.
