Monthly Archives: March 2010

The Subjective Story Domain

The Subjective Story Domain is the realm of the story’s Passionate Argument. This is where the author creates meaning for the audience’s emotional appraisal of a story’s message. The primary focus is on the relationship between the Main and Obstacle Characters. Since the Main and Obstacle Characters are, by definition, at odds with one another, the Subjective Story Domain forms the background against which the battle between them is fought. As a result, choosing a Class as the Subjective Story Domain affects how a story feels to an audience.

From the Dramatica Theory Book

“Physics” as the Obstacle Character Domain

In Dramatica Story Theory, a Physics Domain Obstacle Character will be a person whose actions in the areas of Learning, Understanding, Doing, or Obtaining (the four Physics Types) make a case against the Main Character’s point of view. At the end of such a story, the audience will not have experienced what it feels like to engage in these activities, but will know a lot about what impact these activities have.

From the Dramatica Theory Book

The Obstacle Character Domain

It is important to be clear about the difference between the Main Character and the Obstacle Character. The audience looks through the Main Character’s eyes, and through them looks at the Obstacle Character. Through the Main Character, we feel what it is like to be in a particular predicament. With the Obstacle Character we see an external view of what someone else looks like in the same predicament. Since we cannot really climb into and become this character, we can only judge him by how he affects the characters and events around him.

As an example, if a Main Character were physcially challenged, during the duration of the story the audience members would also feel physically challenged, suffering the problems this creates as if it were a problem in their own lives. If the Obstacle Character were physically challenged, the audience would examine the problem from the outside, learning more about the difficulties logistically, not experientially. The focus would be on how this physical challenge impacts others. “Impact” is the key word to keep in mind when examining the story’s problem in the Obstacle Character Domain.

From the Dramatica Theory Book

“Psychology” as the Main Character Domain

In Dramatica Story Theory, a Main Character Domain of Psychology indicates an individual who is best described by how he thinks. This could be a flighty person, someone who jumps to conclusions, or even a calculating, manipulative person. In each of these scenarios, the opinions the Main Character holds are not what sets him apart, but rather the kinds of mental processes he goes through. Though there may be many Objective Characters who represent manners of thinking, only the Main Character will provide the audience with the experience of thinking that way.

From the Dramatia Theory Book

“Physics” as the Main Character Domain

In Dramatica Story Theory, a “Physics” Main Character is a person of action. For example, he might be doing something just to do it, or he might be trying to obtain or achieve something. Other activities of a Physics Main Character might be learning or seeking to understand something. At first learning and understanding might seem too internal to be Physics, but consider that these activities are applied externally. Learning is gathering information about something and understanding is seeking the meaning of something. This is quite different than coming up with original thought which would be internal.

From the Dramatica Theory Book

“Mind” as the Main Character Domain

In Dramatica Story Theory, a “Mind” Main Character will be defined as holding onto a fixed attitude. Such a character might be suffering from a prejudice, haunted by a suppressed memory, or unable to shake a crush on the kid down the street. In each case, it is a fixed state of mind that causes the Main Character’s difficulties.

From the Dramatica Theory Book

“Universe” as the Main Character Domain

In Dramatica Story Theory, “Universe” is a Class of situations. A Universe Main Character finds himself in a situation. The situation in question can be a social status issue, such as being a certain race or gender or being queen or king. It could be a predicament such as being a rock star, or it could be a physical condition such as having an extremely large nose or exceptional beauty. Each of these illustrations shows a Main Character as being defined by the situation in which he is found.

From the Dramatica Theory Book