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Dramatica
Dictionary
B
Backstory -- [Storytelling]
-- Although often embellished greatly in the Storytelling, Backstory
is nothing more than a description of how a Main Character's justification
built up over time, leading him to intersect with the story's problem,
or how a story problem developed over time, leading it to intersect with
the Main Character. Backstory outlines the sequence of events and the
combination of forces that make the Main Character the central connecting
point between the Main vs. Impact story problem and Overall (Objective)
story problem. Backstory need not be presented to the audience as it is
not essential to the story's argument about how to or how not to solve
a problem. However, inclusion of Backstory can offer the additional benefits
of showing the audience how to avoid the problem before it becomes a problem.
Sometimes Backstory is presented at the beginning of the work, making
it appear to be part of the story itself into which it can smoothly and
seamlessly segue. More often, Backstory is explored episodically in Flashbacks
or through other forms of revelation. Sometimes the focus of the Storytelling
is on the Backstory itself and the story is told episodically through
flashforwards. Even more complex implementations not only present Backstory
episodically but also out of order, leaving it to the audience to ultimately
put the pieces together and thereby solve a riddle necessary to solving
the problem of the story itself.
Bad -- [Plot
Dynamic] -- The Main Character ultimately fails in resolving his
personal problems -- If at the end of the story the Main character is
still nagged by his personal problem, then the judgment of the story can
be considered bad. Even though the effort to achieve the story's goal
may result in success, this is not necessarily a good thing for the Main
Character. In fact success might be obtained in the objective story even
though the Main Character fails to resolve his personal problems. Conversely,
the effort to achieve the story goal might end in failure, yet with the
Main Character ultimately overcoming his personal problems. Regardless
of whether the objective story ends in Success or Failure, if the Main
Character fails to resolve his personal problems, the outcome is deemed
Bad.
Be-er -- [Character
Dynamic] -- The Main Character prefers to adapt himself to his environment
-- Every Main Character will have a preference to deal with problems by
either physical effort or by mental/emotional effort. When a Main Character
prefers adapting himself to the environment over working directly in the
external environment to resolve problems, he is a Be-er.
Becoming (a.k.a.
Changing One's Nature) -- [Type] -- dyn.pr. Being<-->Becoming
-- transforming one's nature -- Becoming means achieving an identity with
something. This is different from "being" which merely requires
posing as something. To become, one must do more than just pretend to
be by mimicking all the traits of what one wants to become. Rather, one
must also lose all those parts of oneself that are inconsistent with what
one wants to become. "Giving up" a part of oneself is always
the hardest part of becoming and the reason so many characters spend a
lot of time "being" without ever becoming -- syn. embodying,
manifesting, personifying, incarnating, transforming
Being (a.k.a.
Playing a Role) -- [Type] -- dyn.pr. Becoming<-->Being
-- temporarily adopting a lifestyle -- "Being" is an elusive
word, subject to inconsistent common usage. For purposes of story, Being
is meant to describe the condition of existing in a certain manner. This
does not mean that whomever or whatever is being a particular way is truly
of that nature to the core. In fact, it may be put on, as an act or to
deceive. However, as long as there is nothing more or less to the functioning
of person or thing, it can be said to "be" what it appears to
be. Stories often focus on someone ho wants to "be" something
without actually "becoming" it. The important difference is
that to "be" requires that all the elements of what one wants
to be are present in oneself. To "become" requires that there
are no elements in oneself that are not in what one wants to become --
syn. pretending, appearing, acting like, seeming as, fulfilling
a role
Benchmark -- [Type]
-- The indicator of growth, progress, or degree or concern -- The
Benchmark is a measuring stick which is used to judge progress in whichever
throughline it is operating in. In the Overall Story, it is used to see
how close the Overall Story Characters think they are to solving their
problems. It describes where they apply their efforts, and thus is where
they look to see how everything is coming along.
Blind Spot -- [Character
Appreciation] -- The motivations of the Main vs. Impact Characters
which they are unable to see about themselves -- Both the Main Character
and the Impact Character (who stands in the Main Character's path) are
driven by their particular motivations. In a story, each has a prime motivation
that describes the one issue in each that they cannot see in themselves.
It is because they cannot see it in themselves that it works below the
level of their consciousness to motivate them. Because they cannot see
it, it is called a Blind Spot. In a change character, the Blind Spot is
the actual source of the problem common to both the Overall and Main vs.
Impact stories. In a steadfast character, the Blind Spot represents what
drives him to become the agent of the common solution to both the Overall
and Main vs. Impact stories. In either case, although other characters
may see it quite clearly in the Main and Impact Characters, neither Main
nor Impact can see the Blind Spot in themselves.
Both -- [Overview
Appreciation] -- both women and men will tend to empathize with the
main character in this story -- Although there is much common ground in
a story that is appreciated equally by women and men, some dramatic messages
speak to one group more profoundly than the other. One particular area
of difference is the relationship of female and male audience members
to the Main Character. In some stories an audience member will feel Empathy
with the Main Character, as if he/she were standing in the Main Character's
shoes. In other stories, an audience member will feel Sympathy, a less
intense emotional attachment, for the Main Character as if the Main Character
is a close acquaintance. The dynamics that control this for women and
men are quite different. "Both" indicates that, as a result
of this storyform's dynamics, both male and female audience members will
tend to empathize with the Main Character. Neither will sympathize.
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