A Writer Comments
I don't know what version I have since it has no numbers I can locate
on the packaging, but I got it in the last 60 days. And, I may abandon it in the next 60.
Writing for an audience means communicating with that audience and your view apparently
dismisses that from what you say about your material. I think I see the problem. You are
under the mistaken illusion that academically accurate must be boring and
incomprehensible. As a former college instructor I understand the concept. Ah, well,
perhaps another day and another way. Have a good.
Melanie Replies
First of all, we get a whole range of comments. One professor wrote us to say that
"The first four pages [of the theory book] may be the most elegant and insightful
description of what stories are ever written." So, I have to feel that the truth of
the matter falls somewhere between your comments and his.
The bottom line is: if it works for you, use it. If it doesn't, don't. I can tell you
haven't read the theory book from your last comment. You indicate that we dismiss the
notion that writing means communicating. In fact, things are quite to the contrary.
As the theory book says, Dramatica is not really so much a theory of story as a theory
of communication. To communicate one must go through four distinct stages. First, one must
have something to communicate - feelings, points of view, whatever. But it must be
understood by the author, in order for communication to occur.
Certainly, one can create a story without knowing what it means, but this is more like
creating inkblots and letting the audience decide what it sees in them.
We call the first stage of communication, Storyforming, because it involves, simply,
forming the story to be communicated.
Stage two is Storyencoding. In this stage, the concepts or feelings to be communicated
must be symbolized - turned into items that can be transmitted through a medium, be it
words, sentences, and paragraphs in a book or scenes, sequences, and acts in a motion
picture.
We cannot communicate mind to mind - not yet, anyway. So, instead we must symbolize
what we have in mind so that information can be sent across the medium.
Stage three is called Storyweaving. Once you have the data packets (symbols) you
created in Storyencoding, you need to deliver them through exposition. For example, a
storyforming concept might be that the goal is "obtaining" something. Possession
is the key to this example story. Obtaining what? That is determined in
Storyencoding. In
this example, it could be obtaining stolen diamonds, someone's love, or a diploma. Now to
Storyweave this... Do we tell the audience what the goal is right up front, or let them
figure it out by the actions and behaviors of the characters? Our choice entirely how we
weave (or expose) the information. Do we mislead them into thinking the goal is one thing,
only to bring them to understand in a moment of inspiration that it was really always
something else? Our choice.
But once we have completed Storyweaving, we must go on to stage four - Reception.
Reception is where the audience becomes the author of the work (as they interpret it).
Just as with the inkblots, the audience may see things that weren't intended or not see
things that were - both consciously and subconsciously. Once must know one's audience to
communicate effectively both feelings and logistic arguments.
Clearly, an audience is not a unified whole. There will be a range of responses to
one's work as each individual audience member brings his or her personal experience to
bear in the Story Reception process.
That is what happens with our theory book as well. Some just don't get it, and others
think it is the most insightful and elegant work. Most fall somewhere in the middle,
finding it a useful tool when one needs that kind of tool, while still holding onto their
other tools when those seem more appropriate.
We believe in communication so much, in fact, that our book is divided into two primary
sections - the Elements of Structure and the Art of Storytelling. And the Storytelling
section has four chapters - Storyforming, Storyencoding, Storyweaving, and Reception.
Clearly, the statement that we dismiss the need for communication is not based on
anything we have purported, and I honestly don't understand how you could have arrived at
that conclusion.
Nonetheless, thank you for your comments, and best of luck in your writing endeavors.
Melanie
