Category Archives: Real World Examples

Change & Steadfast Characters in the Real World

In Dramatica theory, characters can grow by changing or by growing in their resolve to remain steadfast.  But how does that translate to the real world?  Here are some examples:

Change:

At the end of the story, the Main Character’s basic way of seeing things has changed from what it was at the beginning of the story. For example, a stubborn bounty hunter, who sees every criminal as “guilty,” changes to realize this isn’t true for every criminal and decides that he is chasing an innocent man; a woman who has always put her job before her family changes, and puts her family first by adapting her schedule so she can spend more time with her husband, even though it will mean missing a promotion; etc.

Steadfast:

At the end of the story, the Main Character’s basic way of seeing things has remained the same as it was at the beginning of the story. For example, a man wrongly accused of murdering his wife remains steadfast in his pursuit of the real killer believing this will eventually solve his problems; Despite all attempts to convert her, a woman remains true to her faith in her religion believing her God will protect her; etc.

Start and Stop Characters in the Real World

In Dramatica theory, characters can grow by starting a new behavior/attitude or stopping an old one.  But how does that translate to the real world?  Here are some examples:

Start as the Growth  —  The direction of the Main Character’s growth is toward starting something.  The issue of Resolve (Change/Steadfast) has an impact on how to evaluate Growth (Start/Stop), so we’ve included examples which reflect these different contexts.  For example:

Start/Steadfast:  a business man refuses a generous offer to buy his business, holding out in the belief that his son will eventually start taking an interest in running it; etc.

Start/Change:  believing that her lack of confidence is keeping her stuck in a lousy job, a woman starts demanding more of her employees; etc.

Stop as the Growth  —  The direction of the Main Character’s growth is toward stopping something.  The issue of Resolve (Change/Steadfast) has an impact on how to evaluate Growth (Start/Stop), so we’ve included examples which reflect these different contexts.  For example:

Stop/Steadfast:  a radical activist believes she must remain tied to the gates of a nuclear plant so that her example will cause the employees to shut down the plant; etc.

Stop/Change:  For example, a doctor who always pushes her patients too hard for their own good stops when she becomes ill and is treated the same way; etc.

Ideas for Stories Concerned with Understanding

Understanding as the Concern — All the objective characters are concerned with understanding something.

For example, the meaning of life, the social behavior of a wild species, the evolution of a disease, an ancient hieroglyphic language.

Exploring the process of finding meaning of something will illustrate Understanding as an Objective Story Concern.

Excerpted from
Dramatica Story Development Software

Ideas for Stories Concerned with the Present

The Present as the Concern — All the objective characters are concerned with the The Present; with the way things stand as of now.

For example, a kingdom is ruled by a boy king with no experience; a group of people locked inside an elevator; army generals fighting a war with heavy casualties take honest account of how their troops are outnumbered; a team of reporters caught in a foreign country that has just turned hostile to the U.S., etc.

Exploring the characters’ present status will illustrate it as an Objective Story Concern.

Excerpted from
Dramatica Story Development Software

Story Ideas Concerning “The Future”

The Future as the Concern — All the objective characters are concerned with the future.

For example, a country that is about to dismantle its system of apartheid; a football team preparing for its first season without their star quarterback; a company that has just sunk all of its money into a risky investment; a police squad that has just had their hands tied by new laws protecting the rights of the accused; an employee’s pool deciding what to do if they win the lottery; bridesmaids are concerned with their own potential for companionship in their later years, etc.

Exploring the process of dealing with will happen or what will be will illustrate the The Future as an Objective Story Concern.

Excerpted from
Dramatica Story Development Software

Story Ideas Concerning “Progress”

Progress as the Concern — All of the objective characters are concerned with determining how things are evolving.

For example, whether or not the number of people purchasing new cars per year is increasing; if medical conditions for unwed teenage mothers are improving; if DUI related accidents are becoming less often fatal; passing milestones in a race, etc. Exploring how things are going will illustrate progress as an objective story concern.

Excerpted from
Dramatica Story Development Software

Ideas for Stories Concerned with “The Past”

The Past as the Concern — All the objective characters are concerned with the past.

For example, an unsolved murder for which new evidence comes to light, a great-grandmother whose diary has just been discovered, a “skeleton in the closet” of a famous family, the story behind a buried treasure, etc. Exploring what has already happened will illustrate The Past as an Objective Story Concern.

Excerpted from
Dramatica Story Development Software

Story Structure: Examples of “Mind” Stories

Mind as the Objective Story Domain — All of the objective characters are concerned with a fixed aspect of the mind. For example, a community’s firm belief in the occult; a family’s commitment to the memory of its ancestors (ancestor worship); TV addiction; a culture’s fixation on celebrities; a Martian’s prejudice against humans; unthinking responses to the conditions of war; essential desires and drives, etc.

Excerpted from
Dramatica Story Development Software

Story Structure: Examples of “Psychology” Stories

Psychology as the Objective Story Domain — All of the objective characters are concerned with a mental process or manner of thinking. For example, curing a mental illness; determining why someone’s relationships always fail; figuring out how to build a better software program for writers; becoming a new person; being more responsible to the environment; working through childhood trauma; mass manipulation through propaganda; a group of young people coming of age; a team’s creative effort to work out an idea; people pretending to be things they are not, etc.

Excerpted from
Dramatica Story Development Software

Story Strucutre: Examples of “Physics” Stories

Physics as the Objective Story Domain — All of the objective characters are concerned with an activity or endeavor. For example, searching for lost treasure; engaging in a sport; exercising as a way of life; self-flagellation; taking part in a cattle drive; learning about DNA; obtaining secret plans; understanding messages from space, etc.

Excerpted from
Dramatica Story Development Software