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As we discovered in the first lesson, the name Dramatica really stands for two things: a theory of story structure and a software product that implements the theory as a tool for story development. In the previous lesson, we looked at the heart of the Dramatica software, the Story Engine, which cross-references an authors dramatic choices to predict what must also be in that particular structure. But how does the Story Engine know how to do this? Because it operates according to rules of structure drawn from the Dramatica Theory.
You don't have to learn a lot of theory to use the Dramatica software, but you will need to deal with a few essential concepts that lay the foundation of everything Dramatica does, and what is asks of you.
In this lesson, we'll cover the key features of the theory and describe how they shape the Dramatica story development system.
Video Clip Introduction (Excerpted from the Dramatica Software Companion)
At the heart of the Dramatica Theory is a concept called the Story Mind. In a nutshell, Dramatica sees every story as having a mind of its own - its own personality and its own psychology. A story's personality is developed through the author's storytelling style, but its psychology is determined by the story's structure.
From this point of view, every dramatic element in story represents an aspect of the human mind. Characters, plot, theme, and genre, for example, are key facets of the Story Mind. Characters represent our conflicting drives. Plot describes our problem solving techniques. Theme explores our troubled value standards. And genre outlines the Story Mind's overall attitude and outlook.
Audio Clip on The Story Mind (Excerpted from Writing with the Story Mind)
There are eight archetypes in Dramatica, each of which can be broken down into a number of specific traits or elements that can be distributed among any number of characters. So, you might stick with the basic eight, or use the sixty-four elements in other combinations. You can also have fewer than eight characters by doubling up on the complement of traits.
The Dramatica theory also supports characters with no traits at all, being simply window-dressing or comic relief, for example.
Video Clip on Characters (Excerpted from 20 Hour Writing Course)
In Dramatica you'll find that plot is more than just a series of events. First of all, Dramatic separates the order in which events happen in the story from the order in which they are unfolded or revealed to the audience or reader. In addition, there are Signposts and Journeys, which outline the overall kind of material being explored act by act.
Video Clip on Plot (Excerpted from 20 Hour Writing Course)
Theme goes beyond subject matter and deals more with perspective. Perspective is not only what the audience or reader is supposed to look at, but also depends on how you want them to see it. In other words, theme Dramatica-style involves positioning the audience or reader in relationship to the issues.
Video Clip on Theme (Excerpted from 20 Hour Writing Course)
In traditional approaches to story, genre is seen as a shopping list of dramatic elements, settings, styles, subject matter, and technique. Dramatica takes a more structural tack, dividing the structure into four parts representing the external and internal states and processes of the story.
For example, a story focusing on people trapped in a mine is about an external state, or in other words, a fixed situation. In contrast, a story centered on a character who gets into trouble because he can't make up his mind is about an internal process gone wrong.
Video Clip on Genre (Excerpted from 20 Hour Writing Course)
In fact, all four parts of the structure need to be explored in every complete story. The real key is, who does the exploring. One part will be explored by all the characters as they travel through the story. One part will be personally explored only by the Main Character. (This exploration will develop the Main Character's personal conflicts.) The third part delves into the inner workings of the character who is the Main Character's foil - an Obstacle or Impact Character who tries to change the Main Character's attitude, world view, or moral outlook. The final part is the ground over which the Main Character and Impact Character argue.
In Dramatica you'll decide which part of your structure is explored by which of these four throughlines and, in so doing, you will position your audience in relationship to the story as a whole, determining how the story will feel.
Of course, theory is not of much use to a writer unless he or she can put it to work. And, in fact, that is why the Dramatica software was created in the first place. But, no matter how complete a theory may be, if the learning curve is too high, the information will be more of an obstacle than an aide, as it will stand between the author and his or her purpose, rather than bolstering it.
That is why the Dramatica software never puts the theory in your face. Rather, it asks you questions and provides tools that, while built on the theory, are focused on the development of your story. And yet, theory help is always available by the push of a button on every question, in the included theory book (in the Help area), and in a dictionary of dramatic terminology and concepts.
In summary, Dramatica is designed to take you step by step through every story point, great and small, with a minimum of preliminary theory, but an unlimited opportunity to study dramatic theory should you choose to enhance your understanding.
Copyright 2003 Melanie Anne Phillips
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