Economic Law of Diminishing Returns: Making A Love Story
by Mendiola Underground Writers' Project

As defined, the Law of Diminishing Returns refers to the law of production stating that the incremental output from successive increases of one input will eventually diminish when other inputs are held constant. Technically, the law is equivalent to saying that the marginal product of the varying input declines after a point.

Step 1:
What if we use this economic law and transform it into an abstract verbal model of development that pertains to a relationship between two people?

In order for a relationship to prosper, elements within a relationship must increase at the same rate. Or else, incremental manifestation from successive increases of one element will eventually diminish when other elements are held constant. Thus, the marginal manifestation of the varying element declines after a point.

Step 2:
Now that there is an existing developmental model, let us identify the elements within a relationship by using individual psychology of Alfred Adler as a template.

First, the body is a major source of inferiority. But through compensation, those who have physical deficiencies may strive hard and develop their bodies to a greater than average extent. Second, will is another name for striving for superiority and actualizing life goals. Third, social relationships are direct expression of social interest and are essential in developing a fulfilling constructive lifestyle. Fourth, disjunctive emotions are intended to bring about a positive change in the life situation of the individual. Conjunctive emotions tend to be socially oriented. Fifth, intellect has two distinctions. Reason is the kind of intelligence, which contains social interest. On the other hand, personal interest is bounded by the individual's goal of personal superiority. Sixth, self is the individual's style of life.


Step 3:
The model serves as the framework for the elements. And the central requirement of model is for these elements to increase at the same rate. Given the framework, the elements and the requirement, in this construction, I am going to use functionalist sentimental romance.

Functionalism as the tone of the romance is concerned with the function of the material rather than the form. It is geared towards the effects of the material towards human actions and activities. Thus, a romantic material tackles a subject in terms of what is about rather than what it is. In this case, I am exploring the socio-economic effect of the material by engaging the audience in a dialectic discussion that examines the connection of human relationships with economic factors.

Sentimentality tries enact sympathy by using packaged emotions. It is understanding the audience's collective experience and using the said experience to deploy a material that deals with romance as a genre. Generally, stereotypical characters are utilized. In this case study, I will use a nerdy economic senior from a wealthy rural clan and a prostitute with a golden heart as the principal characters of the romance.

Romance, structurally, has three parts namely 1) the romantic problem or beginning, 2) romantic process and 3) romantic solution or end. In terms of process, there are two directions namely falling out of love and falling in love. In this material, I will use falling in love as the direction of the process oriented towards the romantic beginning versus the romantic end.

Step 4:
The characters are defined as stereotypes operating in a familiar world. The direction of the process is set and the material will project the beginning and end of a relationship. So what is the story.

In determining the story, I will use the functional and structural approach. Meaning, there is a need to understand the socio-economic function and structure of prostitution. How does demand and supply work in such an underground micro-economy. Within the structure of this micro-economy are functions that sustain it. Sustainability through its functions defines and propagates prostitution as a structure.

Step 5:
The developmental model is set. The elements are enumerated. The features of the romance, characters and story are identified. So what is the premise?

(First draft: 3 sentences)
A senior economic student sets out to prove that prostitution is purely an economic function. He meets a prostitute who becomes the principal subject of his study. He falls in love with the prostitute and begins to question his motivation behind his academic study.

(Second Draft: 2 sentences)
A senior economic student uses a prostitute as subject in order to prove that prostitution is purely an economic function. He falls in love with the prostitute and begins to question the motivation behind his academic study.

(Third draft: one sentence)
A senior economic student falls in love with a prostitute and begins to question his thesis that prostitution is purely an economic function.



(Fourth: refine #1)
The love affair between a senior economic student and a prostitute challenges the thesis that prostitution is purely an economic function.

You can still refine the premise until it achieves this precise collective thought in terms of the emotional and physical narrative thread. If you like, you can practice using this case study.

Step 6

I hope this case study helps you appreciate how the MU scriptwriting method is applied. I am sorry to say that there are nuisances in this method. Deployment of the knowledge is difficult because this method is relatively new. I realized this difficulty when I applied for the first time on a group of students in a free workshop. But I learned a lot from the experience and made the necessary modifications in terms of deployment. Unfortunately, the changes immediate effect is to make the workshop formal; thus, a minimal fee is required. I hope that this demonstration will inspire you to try this new method. Keep on writing comrades, cheers.