I always run into this... whenever a character (be it Main or Impact) has a Fixed Attitude throughline, I wind up picking the element that represents that attitude as their Problem, and that requires them by definition to be steadfast. For example, if I decide that my character's fixed attitude is that they are relentlessly logical, I pick Logic as his problem, and then he can't swap it for Feeling or he won't have a Fixed Attitude. Is this correct?

asked 06 Oct '11, 21:48

ScreenwritingScreenwriter's gravatar image

Screenwritin...
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edited 07 Oct '11, 00:32

Jim%20Hull's gravatar image

Jim Hull ♦♦
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Short answer: No.

EXPLANATION:

This is a common problem when looking at any choices for a story point, and that problem is forgetting the story point itself. Fixed Attitude is a structural item in the Dramatica story structure. It's inherent meaning is fixation, bias, preconception, etc. So, taken alone it will always mean those things.

However, you also have designated that it is the Throughline you are interested in, which limits that character to the Main Character or the Impact Character. This throughline gives the context within which we examine the MC or IC at its largest structural story point -- the Class or Domain.

Your question goes on further to say that your character is "relentlessly logical." So, how does being relentlessly logical relate to Fixed Attitude?

Since Fixed Attitude has more to do with WHAT someone thinks than HOW someone thinks, let's examine "relentlessly logical" in that context. How might that be 'encoded' into a fixed attitude? How about these examples:

  • Believing logic is the only valuable way to settle problems
  • Being fixated on one particular flaw in logic
  • Believing nothing is important unless it can be explained logically
  • Being biased against illogical people

...and so on.

The key is to use Logic as the SUBJECT MATTER that is explored in terms of a MC's or IC's Fixed Attitude. So, those examples would be best expressed for a Main Character as:

  • The Main Character believes logic is the only valuable way to settle problems
  • The Main Character is fixated on one particular flaw in logic
  • The Main Character believes nothing is important unless it can be explained logically
  • The Main Character is biased against illogical people

A WORD ABOUT LOGIC:

Logic is not inherently problematic, even if it is the subject matter being explored. So you may explore Logic without choosing the structural element "Logic" as the problem in your story. The MC Problem could end up being:

  • Pursue: The Pursuit of Logic creates trouble for the MC
  • Feeling: Having a Feeling for Logic creates trouble for the MC
  • Trust: Trusting in Logic creates trouble for the MC
  • Faith: Having Faith in Logic creates trouble for the MC
  • Order: The Ordered nature of Logic creates trouble for the MC
  • Accurate: The Accuracy of Logic creates trouble for the MC
  • Inertia: The Inertia of Logic creates trouble for the MC

Etc. EVERY element is open to you to be the MC Problem when your subject matter is Logic.


ADDENDUM:

To put it all together, examples of a CHANGE Main Character (Bob) in the Fixed Attitude domain might look like any one of these:

  • Bob believes logic is the only valuable way to settle his problems (MC Domain of Fixed Attitude), even though the pursuit of logic creates trouble for him (MC Problem of Pursue), and he only finds personal relief when he changes to avoiding logic all together (MC Solution of Avoid/Prevent).
  • Bob is fixated on one particular flaw in logic (MC Domain of Fixed Attitude), even though trusting in logic creates trouble for him (MC Problem of Trust), and he only finds personal relief when he changes to testing logic rigorously (MC Solution of Test).
  • Bob believes nothing is important unless it can be explained logically (MC Domain of Fixed Attitude), even though having faith in logic creates trouble for him (MC Problem of Faith), and he only finds personal relief when he changes to disbelieving the need for logic all together (MC Solution of Disbelief).
  • Bob is biased against illogical people (MC Domain of Fixed Attitude), even though the ordered nature of logic creates trouble for him (MC Problem of Order), and he only finds personal relief when he changes to embrace the randomness of chaos (MC Solution of Chaos).

Note that I chose to use the subject matter of Logic at both the throughline level and the problem level. They need not be the same, but it makes for a more consistent argument.

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answered 07 Oct '11, 14:20

Chris%20Huntley's gravatar image

Chris Huntley
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edited 07 Oct '11, 19:00

Excellent and insightful as always, Chris.

But again I come back to that line from the definition of "Fixed Attitude" in the software: "the attitude is fixed, meaning that it is accepted as a given and not reevaluated". In each of the Bob examples above, the fixed attitude is reevaluated at the end. Am I misinterpreting that part of the definition?

(07 Oct '11, 20:44) Screenwritin...
2

Part of a change character's change is to adopt the paradigm of the steadfast character, which includes the domain. See Jim Hull's answer. That said, once the adoption occurs the MC throughline is officially over -- even though it may take a writer time to spin that part of the story out.

(08 Oct '11, 00:18) Chris Huntley

I don't think this is correct.

A character's steadfastness is determined by how they are at the end of the story. They can have a fixed attitude the whole time -- while dealing with the symptom -- and at the end, realize their methods are going to lead to failure and change! (Or, believe that their FA is going to lead to failure, change and be making a mistake.)

I don't think your question is much different from asking if a Steadfast Situation character must remain in their situation -- or they wouldn't be steadfast. But to draw from an old favorite -- The Fugitive -- I believe he is Steadfast (maintains he is innocent) and gets out of his situation (being accused of murder).

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answered 06 Oct '11, 22:32

MWollaeger's gravatar image

MWollaeger
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accept rate: 16%

My question specifically comes from this portion of the definition of "Fixed Attitude": "the attitude is fixed, meaning that it is accepted as a given and not reevaluated". Doesn't that mean that the attitude can not change, even at the end?

(06 Oct '11, 22:56) Screenwritin...

The only thing I would add here is that Kimball is a Physics Main Character. There's a lot of back and forth about this storyform, but I think the best combination of thematics has Kimball in Physics and the Overall Story in Situation.

(07 Oct '11, 00:40) Jim Hull ♦♦

The Domain of a Main Character determines where the source of their problem is -- that's all. Part of the fallout from a Change Main Character is that they move away from that problem. In the case of a Change Main Character in the Fixed Attitude Domain, their change usually draws them into the Situation or Universe Domain. In Casablanca Rick changes from a guy with a bad attitude to someone willing to "stick their neck out" for someone else -- in effect, putting himself into a bad situation (on the run with Renault). Same sort of dynamic can be found in Unforgiven, yet with far more depressing results. William Munny starts out as a man with a strong opinion of who he is (and isn't). By the end, he has murdered the Town Sheriff and countless others in order to claim revenge on the death of his friend. Like Rick, he is now a man on the run -- a Situation character -- and any sequel would likely feature him in this Domain.

I'm not sure if this is a hard and fast rule, but it should help explain how a Fixed Attitude Main Character changes.

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answered 07 Oct '11, 00:30

Jim%20Hull's gravatar image

Jim Hull ♦♦
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Asked: 06 Oct '11, 21:48

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Last updated: 08 Oct '11, 00:18

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