Category Archives: Real World Examples

Examples of Main Characters Who “Stop”

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 doctor who always pushes her patients too hard for their own good stops when she becomes ill and is treated the same way; etc.

Stop/Change

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.

Excerpted from
Dramatica Pro Story Development Software

Examples of Main Characters Who “Start”

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.

Excerpted from
Dramatica Pro Story Development Software

Examples of Steadfast Main Characters

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.

Excerpted from
Dramatica Pro Story Development Software

Examples of Main Characters who Change

A Main Character is said to change if, at the end of the story, the Main Character’s basic way of seeing things has altered 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.

Excerpted from
Dramatica Pro Story Development Software

Story Structure in the Real World: Forewarnings of “Progress”

Forewarnings are indicators the consequences are near, imperilling the goal.  In some stories “Progress” itself is used as forewarnings.

Real World Examples:

1. The increasing number of people moving out of Southern California in relation to a real-estate crash

2. Finding a rising number of eraser marks all over the book keeping of a company’s monthly figures

3. A steady and rapid decline in the stock price of a small company

4. The decreasing rate of house painting by a man tired of his marriage, etc.

From the Dramatica Software

Story Structure in the Real World: The Past as a Forewarning

Forewarnings are the dramatic indicators that the story consequence is closing in and the goal is more in peril.  In a given story structure, all the forewarnings will pertain to the same kind of thing, such as cracks forming in a dam.

In some structures, forewarnings pertain to the past:

For example, discovering that the inhabitants of a stone age village that is being excavated died of a mysterious virus; finding love letters written by your spouse before you were married that are addressed to one of your friends with whom your spouse is currently working on a business project; seeing pictures of yourself in a hidden family album that lists you by a different name; learning that, historically, all the women in a family have died of breast cancer, etc.

From the Dramatica Software

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.

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.

From the Dramatica Pro Software