I noticed that in the "fluff" symbolic and introspective play I've been writing (think Meta-War as an actionless play, perhaps) I've been bandying about the Straczynski Questions, but not forthright answering them. The Questions, which can be very deep, are used in the Babylon 5 series and associated works as major symbolic devices. In commentary, Straczynski has said that he also uses the Questions in determining a character's objective and superobjective (using the terms associated with Stanislavski's System of Acting). These are (in order of symbolic usage (which should be obvious, and thus non spoiler)):
- Who are you?
- What do you want?
- Where are you going?
- In whom do you trust?
- For whom do you serve?
These questions continue to affect my own writing. Even if in this particularly play I am working on none of the questions is really given their due, other than perhaps indirectly in the over-symbolism.