Re: Deals

[Chris Crawford <chriscrawford@wave.net>]

Deal-making goes much deeper than the explicit kind of deal-making that I am
creating for the Erasmatron. It is one of the most important sources of
conflict in stories. After all, you can't rely on Good versus Evil as your
sole source of conflict. In a great many stories, the conflict is between
two actors who are both good. How can an author contrive conflict between
two supposedly good actors? Through dealmaking with unanticipated factors.

Example: Romantic comedy, guy says to gal, "I'll pick you up at 8:00".
That's a deal. It's full text is "I'll arrive at your door at 8:00, and in
return you will be all dressed and ready to go at 8:00". A simple deal. Gal
agrees. But just as she emerges from the shower at 7:30, the phone rings --
it's her sister who is terribly upset about something. Time passes as gal
tries to help her sister, realizing that she's running out of time. At 7:50
she finally terminates the conversation and then frantically rushes about
getting dressed. At 8:00 guy rings her doorbell, and she's not ready yet.
Guy is miffed because she broke the deal. Gal feels justified because she
had to help her sister. Ergo, conflict between two good people each pursuing
honorable goals. 

This basic scheme (vaguely stated deal, unanticipated interference, sense of
betrayal) can be spun off in a million different directions and variations.
Close examination will reveal a great many such deals playing a significant
role in the development of many stories.

The deal system I am now contemplating for the Erasmatron does not enable
such vaguely stated deals, but I think it's a step along the path to such
deals.

Chris