Work • [Variation] • dyn.pr. Attempt<–>Work • applying oneself to something known to be within one’s ability • When a task lies within one’s known abilities, effort applied to the task is Work. There are no surprises; no short-comings. But has one accurately judged both one’s abilities and the demands of the task? If not, perhaps the task is not achievable or of a size that one must increase one’s abilities before undertaking it. • syn. appropriate undertaking, suitable task, manageable labor, a performable activity

From the Dramatica Dictionary

Wisdom • [Variation] • dyn.pr. Enlightenment<–>Wisdom • understanding how to apply Knowledge • Wisdom is the meaning of what is known. A Character may be aware of facts but unless he sees the pattern that organizes those facts, the knowledge alone may be useless. Wisdom, therefore, does not describe just being aware of something but understanding how many bits of knowledge fit together .• syn. mental mastery, integrated understanding, seasoned understanding, comprehension, astute cogency

From the Dramatica Dictionary

Willing • [Overview Appreciation] • The Main Character willingly participates in the effort to find a solution to the story problem • Willing describes a Main Character who is self-motivated to find a solution to the story’s problem. Even if the going is tough, he requires no outside encouragement or compulsion to keep up the effort.

From the Dramatica Dictionary

Variation • [Structural Term] • The 64 items that can be employed in a story’s thematic arguments • The variations describe the thematic message and the development of that message in the story. Variations are measuring sticks by which the author wishes his message to be evaluated. It is the discrepancy between opposing ways of evaluating the meaning of the story that creates the thematic statement as to which is the best way or that one way is no better or worse than another. There are 64 Variations in the Dramatica structure, 16 to each Class.

From the Dramatica Dictionary

Value • [Variation] • dyn.pr. Worth<–>Value • the objective usefulness or desirability of something in general • Value is a good indicator by which to predict its import to others. However, no one really thinks completely objectively so there is always a degree of personal preference included in a determination of Value. Difficulties arise when a character neglects the personal worth someone else may or may not find in something of specific value. For example, a Boss may find it of no direct Value, but placing a candy bar on each employees desk for them to find in the morning can have a lot of worth to the employee. Indirectly, then, Value is returned to the Boss in the form of a better day’s work. But seeing the indirect Value is difficult from the subjective view. Learning to see items and actions not just for their intrinsic Value, but for their conditional Value is a strong thematic message. • syn. utility, objective appraisal, general usefulness

From the Dramatica Dictionary

Unwilling • [Overview Appreciation] • The Main Character unwillingly participates in the effort to find a solution to the story problem • Unwilling describes a Main Character who would prefer not to become involved in either the problem or the search for a solution. As a result, some sort of leverage must be applied to “force” him to join the quest. Once the Main Character is enticed or coerced into beginning the journey toward a solution, he requires outside encouragement or compulsion to keep up the effort.

From the Dramatica Dictionary

Unproven • [Element] • dyn.pr. Proven<–>Unproven • a conjecture that has not been tested • Unproven describes an understanding suspected to be true but not substantiated enough to call it fact. The character representing Unproven will not accept anything as fact just because the theory has worked so far. No matter how many times or how many ways evidence builds to support the contention, Unproven will not be satisfied until the conclusion is absolutely drawn in hard data not just road tests. This keeps the character representing Unproven from jumping to conclusions, but makes him less able to accept the obvious conclusion unless it is directly observed in a way that is not open to alternative interpretation. • syn. unverified, unconfirmed, unestablished, undemonstrated, untried

From the Dramatica Dictionary

Universe • [Class] • dyn.pr. Mind<–>Universe • a situation or environment • The Universe Class is where any fixed state of affairs is explored, such as an institution, system, or situation that remains stable and unchanging. The point may be to show that the system is good, bad, or neutral, but the focus must be on the system not on how the system is changing. • syn. a situation, a set of circumstances, state of affairs, predicament, environment, milieu

From the Dramatica Dictionary

Unique Ability • [Variation] • The item that makes the Main Character uniquely able to determine the Objective Story’s outcome; the item that makes the Obstacle Character uniquely able to pressure the Main Character’s to Change • Just as a requirement defines the specific nature of things needed to achieve a particular goal, Unique Ability defines the specific quality needed to meet the requirement. Unique Ability is another way in which the Main Character is identified as the intersecting point between the Subjective and Objective stories as it is only he who ultimately has what it takes to meet the test of the requirement and thereby achieve the goal. The Unique Ability need not be anything extraordinary but must be the one crucial quality required that is shared by no one else. Frequently, the Unique Ability is in keeping with the Main Character’s position or profession, however it can be much more interesting to assign an incongruous Unique Ability. In either approach, it is essential to illustrate the existence of the Unique Ability in the Main Character several times throughout the story, even if it is not employed until the climax. In this way, it becomes integrated into the nature of the Main Character and does not seem conveniently tacked on when it is ultimately needed. Also, the Unique Ability can be extremely mundane. The key is that the ability does not have to be unique by nature, but just possessed uniquely in that specific story by the Main Character. Clever storytelling may arrange the climax of the story so that some completely ordinary and insignificant Unique ability makes the difference in the outcome of a cosmic struggle.

From the Dramatica Dictionary

Understanding • [Type] • dyn.pr. Learning<–>Understanding • appreciating the meaning of something • Understanding is different from knowledge. From knowledge one gets awareness, from Understanding one gets meaning. To obtain meaning requires not only knowing the substance of its nature but the context of its essence. In other words, one must not only define what something is but how it fits into the larger picture as well. To this end, Reason describes the function and Emotion defines the purpose. So Understanding is not just an intellectual pursuit but requires an empathy with the meaning as well. It is useful to note that many Eastern and ancient philosophies define Understanding as “becoming one with” that which is being considered. Until one joins his subject in unity, he cannot understand it. • syn. comprehending, grasping, appreciating, obtaining meaning, acquiring meaning

From the Dramatica Dictionary