How to Fix Your Narrative – Course Syllabus

This extensive free online program is based on a one-day seminar developed by Melanie Anne Phillips, co-creator of the Dramatica Theory of Narrative Structure, creator of StoryWeaver story development software, and founder of the Storymind Foundation: an effort to promote understanding and application of narrative structure in the real world.

 

Under Construction – Links added as online lessons are completed

Introduction

Teaser

            “You and I are both alike”

What’s Happening!!!

            Narrative is happening

            These are the kinds of dramatic elements that make up narrative.

            If a narrative doesn’t have all the important elements, it will fail

            Let’s learn how to recognize and repair flawed narrative elements…

Narrative Problems with Characters

            The most common narrative missteps regarding characters, and how to fix them.

The Main Character & Influence Character

            The passionate core of your story’s message

Main & Influence Characters

            So who ARE these guys?

            Main Character represents a paradigm of belief.

            Influence Character represents an opposing view.

            Between them is your story’s passionate argument.

            The result of this argument is your story’s message.

To Kill A Mockingbird

            4 Principal Characters

                        Main Character

                                    First Person Experience for Audience

                        Influence Character

                                    An alternative life view

                        Protagonist

                                    Prime mover of the effort to achieve the goal

                        Antagonist

                                    Diametrically opposed to Protagonist achieving the goal

Head Line & Heart Line

Heroes and Villains

            The Hero

                        Protagonist

                        Main Character

                        Central Character

                        Good Guy

            The Villain

                        Antagonist

                        Influence Character

                        Second Most Central Character

                        Bad Guy

            Hero and Villain Swap

                        Anti-Heroes

                        Anti-Villains

            Melodrama

                        Head line AND heart line between same characters

                        Power of storytelling masks gaps in arguments

                        Arguments are incomplete

                        Conclusions not supported

            The Dramatic Triangle

                        Can fully separate as in To Kill A Mockingbird

                        Can hinge on one character and split the lines

                        Most common variation (the love interest)

                        Other variations

The Heart Line

            Main Character Resolve

                        The Main Character doesn’t have to change to grow

                        He or she can grow in their resolve

            The influence character pressure the MC to change

                        Key establishing points to reference later.

            Change Characters

                        Establish a belief system

                        Establish illustrations of belief

                        Announce resolve

                        Verify resolve

            Steadfast Characters

                        Establish belief system

                        Establish illustrations of belief

                        Announce resolve

                        Verify resolve

            One Must Change

                        Main or Influence will convince the other to change

                        Change occurs at character climax

                        Success in logistic goal hinges on who changes

                        Message determined by results of change

            A Changing Influence Character

Character Arc

            Character Arc 101

                        The Steady Freddy

                        The Griever

                        The Weaver

                        The Waffler

                        The Exception Maker

                        The Backslider

                        How Change Happens

The Head Line

            Archetypes

                        Origins of Archetypes

                        Each of us has the same complement of basic traits

                        We use them to solve our personal problems

                        When we join in a group, we quickly self-organize

                        As specialists, the group gains depth and focus

            The 8 Archetypes

Protagonist

Initiative

Antagonist

Reticence

Reason

Intellect

Emotion

Passion

Guardian

Prudence

Contagonist

Expediency

Sidekick

Confidence

Skeptic

Doubt

            External / Internal

                        Protagonist

                                    Pursuit/Consider

                        Antagonist

                                    Prevent/Reconsider

                        Reason

                                    Logic/Control

                        Emotion

                                    Feeling/Uncontrolled

                        Guardian

                                    Help/Conscience

                        Contagonist

                                    Hinder/Temptation

                        Sidekick

                                    Support/Faith

                        Skeptic

                                    Oppose/Disbelief

            Star Wars Archetypes

                        Protagonist

                                    Luke Skywalker

                        Antagonist

                                    The Empire

                        Reason

                                    Princess Leia

                        Emotion

                                   Chewbacca

                        Guardian

                                    Obi Wan Kenobi

                        Contagonist

                                    Darth Vader

                        Sidekick

                                    R2D2 & C3PO

                        Skeptic

                                    Han Solo

            Oz Archetypes

                        Protagonist

                        Dorothy

                         Antagonist

                        Wicked Witch

                         Reason

                        Scarecrow

                          Emotion

                        Tin Man

                          Guardian

                        Glinda

                         Contagonist

                        Wizard

                         Sidekick

                                    Toto

                        Skeptic

                                    Lion

            Oz vs. Star Wars

                        Leia- Reason

                                    Logic

                                    Control

                        Scarecrow- Reason

                                    Logic

                                    Uncontrolled

            Oz vs. Star Wars

                        Chewbacca- Emotion

                                    Feeling

                                    Uncontrolled

                        Tin Man- Emotion

                                    Feeling

                                    Controlled

            Oz Element Swap

                        Scarecrow (Reason?)

                                    Logic

                                    Uncontrolled

                        Tin Man (Emotion?)

                                    Feeling

                                    Controlled

            Complex Characters & Relationships

                        Complex Characters

                                    Structural Relationships

                                    Character Relationships

                        Four-Dimensional Characters

                                    Motivations

                                    Methodologies

                                    Purposes

                                    Evaluations

            Summing Up Characters

                        Head Line characters involved in the goal

                        Heart Line characters involved in the message

                        Head Line determines if your story will make sense

                        Heart Line determines if your story will have meaning

Intermission

 

 

Narrative Problems with Plot

What Is Plot?

Definitions of Plot

What happens in a story

Storytelling vs. Story Structure

The order of story-affecting events

Exposition Order vs. Narrative Order (Flashbacks)

Any sequential narrative elements

Characters, theme, and Genre

The logistics of the narrative

Plot Points (Goal, etc.)

Plot Progression (Acts, etc.)

Plot Points

Goal

The Single Goal

The Collective Goal

The Hidden Goal

Clearly Define!

Consequences

What happens if the goal fails

What already exists that remains if goal fails

Situation or Condition

Specific or General, but clearly defined

Requirements

Conditions that must be met for goal to be achieved

Shopping List Requirements

Sequential Requirements

Substitutes

Forewarnings

Indicators the Consequence is closing in

Forewarnings of Degree

Forewarnings of Steps

Critical Mass clearly stated

Four Modifiers

Dividends

Costs

Prerequisites

Preconditions

Additional Plot Points

Catalyst

Inhibitor

Benchmark

Plot Progression

Hero’s Journey

It works! (But is only one path)

It is a formula for a particular kind of story

Many different formulas

Seeking form without formula

Wheels Within Wheels

Acts

Sequences

Scenes

Beats

Acts

Dramatica Matrix

Dramatica Matrix

Four Signposts – IC

Influence Character Signposts

Signposts & Journeys

Four Throughlines

Main Character (I)

Influence Character (You)

Passionate Story (We)

Logistic Story (They)

Four Throughlines

Act Structure

Act Structure

Sequences

Scenes

Beats

Narrative Problems with Theme

What Is Theme?

Aspects of Theme

Topic

Message

Premise

Lajos Egri

Premise

Greed leads to self-destruction

Great for classifying a story’s message

Lousy as a starting point for writing

Fraught with narrative problems

Thematic Conflict

Greed leads to self-destruction

Greed

Greed vs. Generosity

Scenes featuring Greed, Scenes featuring Generosity

Thematic Argument

Leads to…

Relative value – levels of degree

Once per act

Never compare directly

Thematic Conclusion

Total of all relative values

Author’s Confirmation

Less of two evils

Greater of two goods

Equal

Narrative Problems with Genre

What Is Genre?

Genre and Structure

Genre is most broad stroke structural aspect

Genre structure sets perspective for story

Positions your audience in their experience

Attaches point of view to structural elements

Dramatica Chart

Dramatica Chart

Dramatica Chart

Classes – Internal/External

Classes

Points of View

Main Character (I)

Influence Character (You)

Subjective Story (We)

Objective Story (They)

Situation in 4 Domains

Narrative Problems with Story Dynamics

The 8 Essential Questions

Main Character Resolve

Change or Steadfast?

Shift one’s viewpoint or stay the course

Leap of Faith or Creep of Faith

Influence character will do the opposite

Main Character Resolve

Main Character Growth

Start or Stop?

Hole in Heart / Chip on Shoulder

Grow into something or out of something

Waiting for something to start or stop

Main Character Growth

Main Character Approach

Do-er or Be-er?

Preference, not an absolute

Go with the flow

Fish out of water

Main Character Approach

MC Problem Solving Technique

Linear or Holistic?

Basic level below conscious consideration

Don’t shift techniques!

Appropriate behavior

Main Character Problem Solving

Story Limit

Time Lock or Action Lock?

State it when the quest begins.

Don’t violate the lock!

Can have smaller locks within overall story.

Story Limit

Story Driver

Action Drive or Decision Driven

Causal Relationship

Independent of amount of action or decision

Book Ends

Story Driver

Story Outcome

Was the goal achieved or not?

Independent of emotional conclusion

Independent of outcome for protagonist

Can have degrees of accomplishment

Story Judgment

Is the mood of the story better or worse?

Independent of success or failure

Transmitted particularly through Main Character

Can have degrees of positive or negative flavor

Story Outcome and Judgment

Course Wrap Up