In a story, there are different kinds of relationships (Subjective Story Throughlines). You can have relationships that are just starting and those that have been in place for years, relationships that are blossoming, and relationships that are dissolving.

The question is: which one describes the story you are writing?

If you’re writing about a relationship that already exists and survives throughout the course of a story, then that relationship can be said to be a STEADFAST relationship.

Now, that’s a pretty interesting observation - especially when we consider Dynamic Pairs and the relationship between the Subjective Story and the Objective Story. Whether or not a Steadfast Subjective Story implies a Change Objective Story or not, I’m not sure if Chris or Melanie has developed yet, but I’m sure there might be something there…

But to continue with this idea of Steadfast SS - like with a Steadfast Main Character, the Problem in the Subjective Story is seen more as the driver of that relationship than a real problem. And since the relationship thrives till the end, the Solution in that throughline is not employed. There might be glimpses of it - foreshadowing what may come, but that final switch at the end is not thrown.

Our example story of the night was The Incredibles and in that story the SS Problem was Result - Bob and Helen Parr (as MC and IC respectively) are motivated by the results of Bob’s moonlighting (i.e., how his nighttime ventures result in major problems for their family). This problem drives them. If the solution of Process was invoked then there relationship would come to a screeching halt. Without that drive you have nothing.

But that doesn’t happen in The Incredibles. Even at the end of the film you can see Bob and Helen still playfully fighting with each other, motivated by getting just the right “result” with Dash’s race (wanting him to place 2nd).

The point of all this is: you might want to consider what kind of Subjective Story Throughline you are writing - is it a dynamically growing or fading Change relationship, or an absolute resolute Steadfast relationship?

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