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

Index of Dramatica Theory Materials

Storymind.com is pleased to present this collection of materials about the Dramatica Theory of Story. We hope you find it both useful and through-provoking.

This information is divided into three sections:

The Dramatica Theory
A complete exploration of the theory in every detail

Historic Documents
The development of Dramatica from the beginning

Speculations
Dramatica applied to psychology, physics, religion and more

The Dramatica Theory

Dramatica Theory Book Online
Free online edition of the 400+ page book, Dramatica: A New theory of Story, in which Melanie Anne Phillips & Chris Huntley originally documented their work.

Dramatica Dictionary
Official definitions of all terms in the Dramatica theory and software.

Dramatica Writing Tips
Useful and informative articles on how to approach and employ both the Dramatica Theory and Software.

Constructive Criticisms
Practical illustrations of how applying the Dramatica theory could have made some well-known successful story's even better!

Dramatica Q & A
Answers to questions from users of the Dramatica Theory and Software.

Instant Dramatica
Even more directly practical essays on using Dramatica for real-world writing situations and problems provided by noted screenwriter Armando Saldaņa Mora.

Historic Documents

Dramatica - The Lost Theory Book
Early attempts to document the theory, including many unfinished conjectures and false starts.

Dramatica Development Archives
Early documents created during the development of the foundations of Dramatica.  Often later discarded, they show the roots of the thinking that ultimately evolved into the theory as it stands today.

Speculations

Deep Theory
Transcript of a class on the outer fringes of Dramatica Theory I taught as part of a now-defunct Dramatica Certification course.

Dramatica Math
A mathematician takes a stab at describing the Dramatica model in terms of dimensional distortions.

Mental Relativity
An exploration of the theory of psychology modeling which grew out of the development of Dramatica.

Dramatica I Ching
Several of our users have noticed a similarity between the character grid in Dramatica and the elements of the traditional I Ching.  Though unintentional, perhaps all models that look deeply into the mind will resemble each other.

Our Most Popular Products

StoryWeaver Story Development Software

By far, our most popular product, outselling all of our other products combined!  StoryWeaver takes you step by step through the entire process--from initial inspiration to completed novel or screenplay.  At just $29.95, StoryWeaver is affordable for any writer.  (Details)


Movie Magic Screenwriter

is one of two industry standard word processing screenplay formatters, the other being Final Draft.  Each of these programs offers a complete suite of screenwriting tools to make your next script a breeze to write.  (Details


Dramatica Pro

Unlike any other story development product, Dramatica Pro uses a patented Story Engine to interactively help you build a structure, find and fix dramatica holes and inconsistencies.  (Details)


20 Hour Writing Course on CD ROM

This intense program features 20 hours of video documenting the entire college-level course in creative writing given by Melanie Anne Phillips, creator of StoryWeaver and co-creator of Dramatica.  Just $19.95  (Details)

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