Suit up: A Guide to the Action World

⤷ action epic

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𝕬𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓 𝕰𝖕𝖎𝖈:
𝕻𝖊𝖗𝖘𝖔𝖓 𝕬𝖌𝖆𝖎𝖓𝖘𝖙 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕾𝖙𝖆𝖙𝖊
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This story has a theme of heroism with grandeur, as the protagonist's success or failure determines the fate of a large group of people. The story often encompasses an extensive backstory and a vast setting.

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A person against the state conflict shows a struggle between a character and larger social forces. The person-against-the-state conflict follows the storyline of an individual or a group fighting (sometimes successfully, sometimes not-so-successfully) against injustices within their society. It's a story of subjugated people confronting their subjugators. While these groups can be political or socioeconomic, they may also be within a family or other smaller social grouping. The characters in a Society story represent aspects of the protagonist.

Kadalasan, ang mga hidwaan laban sa lipunan ay lilitaw kapag ang mga utos ng isang pamayanan ay hindi pinapayagan ang mga pagpipilian ng indibidwal o likas na pagnanasa. This creates a conflict between what a character desires and what society demands or expects.

Exploitation - unfair use of another's work for gain - is a common feature of novels about person vs state conflicts.

Condemnation - disapproval or censure - is another common feature. Society punishes or casts out the individual for 'not playing the game' when society makes the rules.

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1. Give characters clear reasons to oppose their society

Standing out, being punished, disapproved of, shunned - these are not easy paths to take. A character, of course, might wish to offend as many people as possible via their actions and words.

Ngunit ang ibang tauhan ay maaaring nagnanais na mapabilang, bagaman ang pagnanasa ay nagtutulak sa kanila na kumilos laban sa mga hinihingi ng lipunan.

People can break society's dominant codes or rules for many reasons:

• They have desires or characteristics society (or a segment of society) shuns (example: forbidden romantic or physical attractions or personal features)

• They continue a cycle of trauma (halimbawa: isang character ang nakaranas ng isang pag-aabuso at may possibilidad itong ipagpapatuloy niya ang kaharasan sa lipunan)

•  People hold strong personal beliefs, opinions, or values that contradict society's dominant views (example: a pro-abolitionist in a racist town where slavery is common)

From this, we can see that society's dominant views may be ethical or unethical, open-minded or prejudiced. Whatever motivates your character to go against society's demands or views, think about the cause.

For example, perhaps an anti-racist from a privileged group has a personal experience that shows the people's physical appearance doesn't convey innate superiority or inferiority. This leads them to oppose their racist society.

This 'moment of awakening' - of realizing society could very well be deeply wrong - is a key moment in man vs society conflicts. It's the moment the trailblazer or iconoclast realizes their own power to change, or work against, the tide of dominant, habitual thinking or practice.

Ano nga ba ang kaganapan o karanasan na nagdadala sa iyong karakter sa paggising na ito?

2. Show differences between society's antagonists

Sa anumang lipunan, ang ilan ay lalaban upang mapanatili ang tradisyunal na mga paraan ng pagkakita at pagiging malakas kaysa sa iba. Kapag ang lipunan ang pangunahing kalaban, nararamdamang hindi totoo kung ang bawat solong miyembro ng lipunan ay pantay na pagkapoot o kasabwat.

Individual tensions and differences make person vs society conflicts complex and interesting. They show that just because society keeps a traditional practice does not mean everyone is equally invested in (or determined to uphold) said practice.

Pinapayagan nila ang mga kaalyado ng character, kahit na sa kabilang banda ay nakakatugon sila sa oposisyon at poot mula sa karamihan ng mga tirahan.

3. Make the stakes for disobedience high

In a typical person vs society conflict, the stakes are high. When a character takes on an individual opponent, they might stand a good chance of winning. Yet what if your opponent has an entire police force, schooling system, or 'mob justice' brigade ready to do its bidding?

Because of the overwhelming odds of being an individual against many, these conflicts are often especially tense. We wait breathlessly to see what the cost of acting against societal pressures will be. Make sure these costs are believable and loom close.

4. Find person vs self conflicts that complicate person vs society

Opposing your society, as mentioned in point one, often first requires a dawning realization your society is wrong (or that you care about your own goals or desires more than communal pressures).

Yet this process of finding the inner will to fight (or simply shun) broader society often comes with inner conflict.

Halimbawa, maaari nilang makita ang kanilang pagnanasa bilang kahinaan, pagiging makasalanan (kung ang kasanayan ay may relihiyosong pinagmulan), o ibang bagay na ganap na negatibo.

Think about possible internal conflicts that could make it harder for your character to stand up and oppose conventional wisdom, rules, or practices.

5. Decide how man vs state conflicts will resolve

Often person vs society or state conflicts in stories resolves in death or other severe consequences.

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Web Resources:
https://storygrid.com/action-genre/