Dramatica
Dictionary
O
Obligation -- [Variation]
-- dyn.pr. Rationalization<-->Obligation -- accepting
a task or situation in exchange for someone's potential favors -- Obligation
is a mental trick we play when we accept a poor situation now in the hopes
it will lead to a better one later. If we do not feel Obligated, we know
we are really in control of the situation since we can leave at any time.
However, we would then lose any chance of a reward at the end and even
risk consequences that might befall us as a result of leaving. But by
focusing on the hope of a reward and protection from consequences, our
current suffering can be tolerated and we feel we have no choice but to
stick it out. The problem is that as long as we continue to feel we have
no choice, the suffering can increase way beyond any realistic hope of
recouping and yet we "must" stay. -- syn. agreement,
pledge, contract, accepted compulsion, emotional contract
Objective Story
Throughline -- (See Overall Story Throughline)
Obstacle Character
-- (See Impact Character)
Obtaining
-- [Type] -- dyn.pr. Doing<-->Obtaining -- achieving
or possessing something -- Obtaining includes not only that which is possessed
but also that which is achieved. For example, one might obtain a law degree
or the love of a parent. One can also obtain a condition, such as obtaining
a smoothly operating political system. Whether it refers to a mental or
physical state or process, obtaining describes the concept of attaining
-- syn. controlling for oneself, possessing, having, keeping.
Openness -- [Variation]
-- dyn.pr. Preconception<-->Openness -- willingness
to re-evaluate -- Openness simply means entertaining alternatives. When
a character's pre-conceptions come into conflict with new information,
if he is open, he will not be biased or blind to it. He puts openness
above holding on to a point of view. Of course, this can easily be carried
to extremes, when someone seems to have no opinion at all and just goes
with whatever anyone else says. Some degree of pre-conception is necessary
to benefit from the value of one's own experience. -- syn. broad
mindedness, tolerancy, willingness to reevaluate, receptiveness
Oppose -- [Element]
-- dyn.pr. Support<-->Oppose -- an indirect detraction
from another's effort -- The Oppose characteristic causes a character
to speak out against any effort, although he does not actively engage
in preventing it. As in "the Loyal Opposition," an opposing
view can be useful in seeing the negative side of an endeavor. However
it can also wear thin really fast with the constant nag, nag, nag. --
syn. object to, speak out against, argue against, protest, dispute,
show disapproval of, detract from
Optionlock -- [Plot
Dynamic] -- the story climax occurs because all other options have
been exhausted -- If not for the story being forced to a climax, it might
continue forever. When a story is brought to a conclusion because the
characters run out of options, it is said to contain a Optionlock. As
an analogy, one might think of a story as the process of examining rooms
in a mansion to find a solution to the story's problem. Each room in the
mansion will contain a clue to the actual location of the solution. In
an optionlock, the Overall Story Characters might be told they can examine
any five rooms they want, but only five. They must pick the five rooms
ahead of time. They can take as long as they like to search each one and
go thoroughly examine four of the rooms. After getting through their fourth
pick they are given a choice: based on the clues they have found so far,
do they wish to stick with their original fifth room or pick another room
instead out of all that remain? Either choice may lead to success or failure,
but because running out of options forced the choice it is an Optionlock
story. This choice represents the Optionlock which brings the story to
a close and forces such appreciations as Main Character Resolve (Change
or Steadfast), Outcome (Success or Failure), and Judgment (Good or Bad).
Order -- [Element]
-- dyn.pr. Chaos<-->Order -- an arrangement in which
patterns are seen -- The character containing the Order characteristic
is concerned with keeping things organized. Change is not a problem as
long as it is orderly. However, sometimes you can't get there from here
and the whole system has to be blown apart to rebuild from the ground
up. Sometimes a little chaos needs to reign so that a log jam can be broken
or a process speeded up. The character representing Order is an organization
fiend. -- syn. structure, patterned arrangement, organization,
patterned formation, formation, configuration, patterned sequence
Outcome -- [Plot
Dynamic] -- an assessment of how things ended up -- When one
is creating a story, one must consider how it all comes out. This will
not just be a description of the situation but also of what potentials
remain and how they have changed over the course of the story. Often,
an author may wish to show the Outcome of a dramatic movement at the beginning
or middle rather than the end. In this way the audience will focus more
on how that eventuality came to be rather than trying to figure out what
is going to happen.
Overall (Objective)
Story Benchmark -- [Type] -- The standard by which
progress is measured in the Overall Story -- The Overall Story Benchmark
is the gauge that tells people how far along the story has progressed.
It can't say how much longer the story may go, but in regards to seeing
how far away the goal is, both the Overall Story Characters and the audience
will look to the benchmark in order to make any kind of judgment. This
Type item describes the nature of the measuring stick which will be used
in the story.
Overall (Objective)
Story Catalyst -- [Variation] -- The item whose presence
always pushes the Overall Story forward -- The Overall Story Catalyst
is what creates breakthroughs and seems to accelerate the development
of the Overall Story. In both the Overall and Main vs. Impact Stories
there occur dramatic "log-jams" when things seem to be approaching
a halt. This is when the Catalyst is necessary, for its introduction will
either solve the puzzle that's holding things up or else make the puzzle
seem suddenly unimportant so the story can continue.
Overall (Objective)
Story Concern -- [Type] -- The area of concern in the
overall story -- see Concern.
Overall (Objective)
Story Consequence -- [Type] -- The area that best describes
the result of failing to achieve the goal -- see Consequence.
Overall (Objective)
Story Costs -- [Type] -- The area that best describes the costs
incurred while trying to achieve the goal -- see Costs.
Overall (Objective)
Story Dividends -- [Type] -- The area that best describes the
dividends accrued while trying to achieve the goal -- see Dividends.
Overall (Objective)
Story Domain -- [Class] -- The portion of a story's
argument developed from an Overall Story point of view -- There are four
principal points of view which must come into play in all complete stories.
They are the Overall Story, Main Character, Impact Character, and Main
vs. Impact views. In practice, each of the four points of view is like
a different camera angle on the same unfolding events. The Overall view
of a story is the widest, examining the issues that affect all the characters
in the story overall. The Overall view is not unlike that of a general
on a hill watching a battle. From that vantage point, the general can
observe the larger strategies and see how the forces involved ebb and
flow. On the downside, the soldiers cannot be identified as individuals,
but only by their functions in the battle as a whole. Similarly, an audience
needs to get a sense of the bigger picture - the story-wide view that
shows how all of the characters and dramatic forces fit into the grand
scheme. From this angle, characters are identified by their dramatic functions,
such as Protagonist and Antagonist. The Overall Story, then, is a description
of the interactions of the characters and events in a story seen with
a wide angle view from the outside looking in. For the audience it provides,
scope, context, foundation, and background.
Overall (Objective)
Story Forewarnings -- [Type] -- The area that best describes
the imminent approach of the story consequences -- see Forewarnings.
Overall (Objective)
Story Goal -- [Type] -- The common goal of the overall story
characters -- see Goal.
Overall (Objective)
Story Inhibitor -- [Variation] -- The item that impedes
the objective story's progress -- The Overall Story Inhibitor is what
prevents a story from just rushing full speed to the solution. It is like
a brake mechanism which can be applied as the author pleases. The introduction
of this item will always slow the progress of the story and it works as
the antidote to the Overall Story Catalyst.
Overall (Objective)
Story Preconditions -- [Type] -- The area that best describes
the conditions imposed on meeting the story's requirements -- see Preconditions.
Overall (Objective)
Story Prerequisites -- [Type] -- The area that best describes
what is needed to meet the story requirements -- see Prerequisites.
Overall (Objective)
Story Problem -- [Element] -- The source of the overall
story's problems -- see Problem
Overall (Objective)
Story Issue -- [Variation] -- The overall story's thematic
focus -- see Issue
Overall (Objective)
Story Requirements -- [Type] -- The area that best describes
the requirements that must be met prior to achieving the goal -- see
Requirements.
Overall (Objective)
Story Response -- [Element] -- The direction of efforts
in the overall story -- see Response.
Overall (Objective)
Story Solution -- [Element] -- The solution to the
overall story's problems -- see Solution
Overall (Objective)
Story Symptom -- [Element] -- Where attention is focused
in the Overall story -- see Symptom.
Overall (Objective)
Story Throughline -- The plot as it concerns the story goal -- The
Overall Story Line is a distinct act by act sequence of events that involves
all of the Overall Throughline Story Points and none of the Main vs. Impact
Throughline Story Points. It represents the dispassionate argument of
the story, emphasizing events and relationships in a purely cause and
effect way. This is not to say that it has nothing to do with the meaning
of a story, only that it is not the WHOLE story. Meaning in stories comes
from comparing the Overall view of a story with the Main vs. Impact view
that comes from within the story.
Overall (Objective)
Story Type Order -- [Plot Structure] -- the kind of activity
employed to arrive at a solution to the overall story's problem, act by
act -- As the Overall Story progresses act by act, it covers the Overall
Story Perspective (the Perspective created by matching the Overall Story
Domain with one of the four Classes) Type by Type around the quad of Types
which it contains. These four explorations make up the four acts and describe
the kinds of things that will have to happen in order to arrive face to
face with the Overall Story Problem.
Overall Story versus
Main/Impact Character Perspectives -- In Dramatica, we can examine
a story from the outside as a dispassionate observer, noting the relationship
of Character to Plot to theme. We can also examine a story from the inside,
by stepping into the shoes of the Main Character to discover how things
look to him. In the first case, we see the story like a general watching
a battle from atop a hill. We are concerned with the outcome, but not
actually involved. This is the Overall Story perspective. In the second
case, we see the story from the point of view of a Main Character. This
is more like the view of a soldier in the trenches. We are watching the
same battle, but this time we are personally involved. This is the Main
Character perspective. An audience is provided access to both Overall
Story and Main Character views by the author. When the audience is only
shown information that the Main Character also receives, it is in the
Main Character perspective. When the audience receives additional information
that the Main Character does not receive, it is in the Overall perspective.
The dramatic potentials of a story are largely created by the differential
between the Overall and Main Character perspectives (though the Main vs.
Impact Story and Impact Character perspectives are equally essential in
telling a complete Grand Argument Story). At appropriate times, Dramatica
aids the author in focusing his attention on the perspective that will
most effectively support his dramatic intentions.
Overview Appreciations
-- Story points items relating to the widest appreciation of your
entire story, including the Character and Plot Dynamics which describe
its dramatic mechanism and basic feel are called Overview Appreciations.
For example, Essence, Nature, Reach, Apparent or Actual Dilemma stories,
etc.
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