Framing Terminology: Plot-focused and Character-focused

Dramatica’s canonical model is unchanged. What changed is how we present Appreciations so writers can reason about the same structure through language that matches how the story is actually being processed.

For Linear problem-solving stories, traditional Plot-focused terms remain direct and useful. For Holistic problem-solving stories, Character-focused terms often describe the same structural dynamics with more fidelity and less friction.

This is not a new ontology. It is a presentation lens across the same Storyform commitments.

Why we introduced this

Writers were getting stuck on structurally valid stories because the prompt language itself implied the wrong frame. The classic symptom looked like this: a story with strong internal coherence would stall at questions like “What is the Story Goal?” because the narrative movement was being experienced as an intention under pressure, not an external objective race.

The platform now supports both lenses so teams can keep canonical stability while reducing interpretation loss at the point of use.

Appreciation mappings

Canonical key	Plot-focused label	Character-focused label
story_goal	Story Goal	Character Intentions
story_consequence	Story Consequence	Character Repercussions
story_requirements	Story Requirements	Character Adaptations
story_prerequisites	Story Prerequisites	Character Affectations
story_preconditions	Story Preconditions	Character Engagements
story_dividends	Story Dividends	Character Perks
story_costs	Story Costs	Character Pressures
story_forewarnings	Story Forewarnings	Character Forebodings
*_problem	Problem	Dissonance
*_solution	Solution	Relief
*_symptom	Symptom	Friction
*_response	Response	Accommodation

Ending mappings (current active set)

Character-focused ending	Linear comparative
Fulfillment	Triumph (Success/Good)
Satisfaction	Personal Triumph (Failure/Good)
Misery	Personal Tragedy (Success/Bad)
Torment	Tragedy (Failure/Bad)

Train Dreams example

Train Dreams is a clear case where Character-focused framing improves readability without changing structural commitments.

In Plot-focused wording, teams often try to force a single objective “goal” statement. In Character-focused wording, the same structural position reads as Character Intentions: Past and Character Repercussions: Memory, which better matches how the story actually behaves: living with accumulated history, loss, and recollection rather than sprinting toward a singular external objective.

For the full workshop context, see the Dramatica Users Group analysis of Train Dreams.

Operational notes

• Canonical keys remain unchanged in storage and exports.
• Lens selection is presentation-only.
• Auto framing follows MC Problem-Solving style:
  • Linear -> Plot-focused labels
  • Holistic -> Character-focused labels

For user-level controls, see Preferences.