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Dramatica Tip of the Month
April 2005

Unique Ability & Critical Flaw

Question: For a story with a failed story goal (OS outcome of failure), is the MC's unique ability the thing that causes the failure?

And what about stories where the MC is not the protagonist--not even remotely driving the story? Does this quote from
the dramatica software still apply???

Every Main Character has a special strength, even if she is not aware of it herself. Without such a strength, there would be no compelling reason why the story revolved around this particular character as Main instead of any other. With a Unique Ability, the Main Character becomes an essential participant in the story, as well as holding the ultimate key to resolving the story's difficulties.

Answer: The MC Critical Flaw is the quality that undermines the MC's Unique Ability.  In Success stories, the MC Unique Ability is more effective than the MC Critical Flaw.  In Failure stories, the MC Critical Flaw is more effective than the MC Unique Ability and therefore scuttles the MC's ability to help achieve the Story Goal.

The MC holds the key to achieving the Story Goal, but does not have to be the one to use it.  You can easily imagine Dr, Watson (often the MC and almost ALWAYS the MC in the novels) making a casual observation or discovery which Sherlock Holmes (the protagonist) seizes upon and uses to solve the mystery.  Since MCs are often Protagonists, it seems as though the MC Unique Ability is tied to the Protagonist.  This is not the case and only appears to be connected because of the MC/Protagonist storytelling convention.

 

 

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Based on theories and materials developed by Melanie Anne Phillips and Chris Huntley
Dramatica is a registered trademark of Screenplay Systems Incorporated. Patent #5,734,916; #6,105,046