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Dramatica Tip of the Month
October 2003

Which "Goal" is the Story Goal?

QUESTION:

When studying "Goal," I came to understand that, for Dramatica software, the story goal could not be the same as the main character's goal.  That made sense, finally!  But then the tutorial went on to say that "Dramatica software insists that the "Objective Story's Chief Concern" also be the "Story's Goal" (even though this does not have to be te case in Dramatica theory).  OK, I believe it.  But then...
   
If I write a story whose protagonist is not an archetype but is a "complex character," is he still an "objective character"; and if so, does that make his goal the goal of the "objective story?"
 
Please forgive the ignorance.  I think I'm brain dead after so much studying of this difficult theory!!!  Please respond and save me from discouragement meltdown.

ANSWER:

Each of the four throughlines has a Concern. Concerns can look an awful lot like a Goal, especially if it is a very specific concern. Therefore, the MC can seem to have a "goal" that is his own personal goal, the IC a different "goal," etc.

The Overall Story Concern will double for the Story Goal. The Story Goal is the thing that everyone in the Overall Story is, to varying degrees, for or against. So you are right in seeing the objective characters relating to the Story Goal, and certainly to the Objective Story throughline's "goal."

Here's one caveat that I believe is worth mentioning. Each grand argument story has four throughilnes, and each throughline has a Concern which is similar to a "goal." Some authors prefer to emphasize one or more throughlines over the others. For example, "Hamlet" emphasizes the Main Character throughline, while "48 Hrs." emphasizes the Subjective Story (MC/IC) throughline. Though the OS Goal is the same as the Story Goal, it may not appear to be the most important "goal" of the story because of the degree of emphasis or de-emphasis the author chooses to use when storyweaving the pieces together.

And "yes," the protagonist is an objective (Overall Story) character whose is concerned with the OS Story goal.