As an author, figuring out whether or not your Main Character is a Change or Steadfast character comes down to a single question:
Is the Main Character going to go along the path they originally chose at the beginning of the story or not?
They’ve grown throughout the story so that now they can recognize the four elements in their quad (a potential Problem, a potential Solution, a potential Symptom, and a potential Response). At the beginning of the story they are initially blind to all in the quad except the Symptom. But now, at the climax of the story they can distinguish between a Symptom and a Problem - the only question for the MC is which one is which? Which is the Symptom and which is the Problem?
If they go with the Symptom and employ the Response then they are a Steadfast character. If they go with the Problem and employ the Solution then they are a Change character.
The question is - if the MC has grown to a point where he is aware of all 4 elements, then why would he still be at a loss for which is the Problem and which is the Symptom?
Chris?!
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1 Chris Huntley // May 27, 2005 at 10:59 am
At the end of the story, the MC finally can tell the difference between the problem and symptom, but doesn’t know which is which. He’s most concerned about removing the conflict and the angst it creates. However, WHICH of the two will do it? That’s the Change/Steadfast question.
Here’s why he can’t see it. There are some instances where treating the symptoms is not enough and a solution to the problem MUST be found (e.g. if you’re poisoned, you can treat the symptoms but you’ll die unless you get an antidote). Other times, there IS no solution, no cure, to the problem and the only way to survive is to treat the symptoms (e.g. there’s no cure for AIDS, but it’s the symptoms that kill you so you must treat them to survive).
Changing or remaining Steadfast does not insure personal “success” (MC Judgment: Good or Bad). That’s why the MC doesn’t know which way to go even after he has all the pieces layed out before him. That’s also why it requires a conscious or unconscious “leap of faith” to go one way or the other. It’s impossible to say what the outcome will be from inside the MC’s perspective. Only after the story ends can an MC look back and see if it was the right choice.
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