Monday, February 21, 2011

Dramatic Re-Purposing

I've re-purposed the terms I've set down specifically with respect to building a dramatic narrative, re-defining them as follows:

Divergent Choice = Dramatic Choice
Non-Divergent Choice = Constructive Choice

Both are organized under "Priority."

Direct and Indirect remain as before. Both are organized under "Logic."

Rational/Personal/Practical/Moral are now organized under "Dramatic Impact." Rational/Personal is in the "Minor" or "Immediate" subcategory, concerned primarily with immediate decisions and problems, Practical/Moral is under the "Major" or "Long-Term" subcategory, concerned with overarching issues across the entire game, whether they be major thematic choices or metagame elements.

The most radical change is in the way I view divergence, as I'm now defining it specifically within the context of its purpose in building up to a dramatic turn; IE, a dramatic choice. This means of examining these types of choices, I think, is more effective than the utilitarian/psychiatric method I outlined before as they're defined in terms that are there specifically for writers to understand.

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