Here is an early article about a new aspect of narrative science I was developing. It is based on a previous concept from our Dramatica theory of narrative structure called the Storymind. The Story Mind asserts that every story has a mind of its own, as if it were some sort of mega character with […]
Dramatica is a theory of narrative that has a very specific model – rather like the DNA of narrative psychology. But, the model is just the structural linear side of the theory – a way of visualizing how narrative works from a definitive, almost mechanical perspective, like a Rubik’s Cube of story or a Difference Engine […]
We think in narrative, but think about topics. Narrative is the operating system of our own minds, and we seek to impose that upon every topic we encounter. For if we can, then we have the most touch-points with our own awareness, and see the most we can of what we are exploring, as well […]
As promised to the attendees, here is the outline for the seminar I presented to the Director’s Guild of Canada last Sunday in Vancouver. It was a spectacular session with a packed house of really eager creative industry people, looking for ways to break through creative block, inject life into their stories, and find and […]
By Melanie Anne Phillips There are two story lines in every complete story, and you can either run them in parallel or you can hinge them together to form a dramatic triangle. The first story line is the overall story that follows the effort of the protagonist to achieve a goal in which all the characters […]
Our latest Writing Tips Newsletter is now available! In this issue: Story Structure for Passionate Writers / The Influence Character / Characters: Cogs in the Machine? / The Radical Story Mind / Finding Your Creative Time / Four Throughlines in To Kill A Mockingbird / Finding Inspiration for Your Novel Read it all and subscribe […]
There are four throughlines that must be explored in every story for it to feel to readers or audience that the underlying issues have been fully explored and the message fully supported. Throughline 1: The Objective Story The Objective Story is the big picture – the situations and activities in which all the characters are involved. […]
The protagonist and antagonist may not be who you think they are. For one thing, a protagonist is not necessarily the hero of a story. Structurally speaking, the protagonist is the one who shakes up the status quo – that’s the “pro” part, while the antagonist is the one who tries to stop that effort […]
By Melanie Anne Phillips The compilation video below (used in my class on story structure and complied by Chris Huntley) really illustrates the philosophical conflict between the Main Character and the Influence Character, which is the heart of your story’s message. Once you have viewed the video, note that one says “we’re just alike” and the […]
My response to a Dramatica user who asked about the applicability of the theory for creative interactive fiction narratives: Here’s the gist of using Dramatica for IF (we have made a number of presentations on this to various companies over the years, but never resulting in a contract for consulting, as of yet). At the […]
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