Read the Science Fiction Thriller

From the founder of Storymind

Man Made follows a mysterious force as it sweeps around the globe erasing anything man made - from buildings, vehicles, and technology to medicines, clothing, and dental work.

Governments stagger under the panic, religions are at a loss for an explanation, scientists strive for any means to stop or divert the phenomenon, and the world’s population from families to individuals struggle to prepare for The Event, which will drive humanity back beyond the stone age.

The Event is coming.

Are you prepared?

Copyright Melanie Anne Phillips

Free Writing Resources

This FREE 113 part video program is presented by Dramatica Theory co-creator Melanie Anne Phillips.  It is our most complete course in story structure and covers characters, plot, theme, genre, story forming, story encoding, story weaving and reception.

You’ll learn about the nature of story structure and how to employ it build your story on a solid dramatic foundation or to tweak an existing story to make it more powerful and effective.

Scroll down for the complete course or sample
each class directly below to see what it is all about

Complete Course

Class One - The Story Mind

1. Introducing the Story Mind

2. A Tale is a Statement

3. A Story is an Argument

4. The Dramatica Chart

5. Dramatica & Short Stories

6. Audience Reach

7. Story Structure vs. Storytelling

8. Writing Remakes

9. The Story Mind (Revisited)

10. The Four Throughlines (Part One)

11. The Four Throughlines (Part Two)

12. Bad Story Structure is No Joke

13. Story Perspective

14. The Story in Our Minds

Class Two - Characters

15. Introduction to Characters

16. Dramatica Theory Overview

17. Hero is a Four Letter Word

18. Characters in "To Kill A Mockingbird"

19. Characters vs. Players

20. The 8 Character Archetypes (Part One)

21. Objective & Subjective Characters

22. The 8 Character Archetypes (Part Two)

23. The 8 Character Archetypes (Part Three)

24. Character Hand-Offs

25. Subjective & Objective Characters

26. Protagonist & Antagonist Archetypes

27. Reason & Emotion Archetypes

28. Sidekick & Skeptic Archetypes

29. Guardian & Contagonist Archetypes

30. Uses of Archetypal Characters

31. Archetypes in "Star Wars"

32. Archetypes in “Wizard of Oz”

33. Character Dimensions

34. Character Relationships (Part One)

35. Character Relationships (Part Two)

Class Three - Storyforming

36. Introduction to Storyforming

37. 8 Essential Writing Questions

38. Character Resolve - Change or Steadfast (Part One)

39. Character Resolve - Change or Steadfast (Part Two)

40. Character Growth - Start or Stop

41. Character Approach - Do-er or Be-er

42. Character Mental Sex - Male or Female

43. Dramatica Terminology

44. Story Driver - Action or Decision

45. Story Dynamics in "Jaws"

46. Story Limit - Time Lock or Option Lock

47. Empathy, Sympathy & Mental Sex

48. Story Outcome and Judgment

Class Four - Theme

49. Introduction to Theme

50. Theme and the Dramatica Chart

51. Motivations, Evaluations, Methods & Purposes

52. Levels of the Story Mind

53. The Four Points of View

54. The Four Throughlines

55. Story Perspective

56. The Four Story Domains

57. Story Domain Examples

58. The Four Story Concerns

59. The Four Story Issues

60. The Four Story Problems

61. Story Issues & Arguments

62. Introduction to Premise

63. Signposts & Journeys

64. The 28 "Magic" Scenes (Part One)

65. The 28 "Magic" Scenes (Part Two)

66. The 28 "Magic" Scenes (Part Three)

67. The 28 "Magic" Scenes (Part Four)

68. The Thematic Conclusion

69. From Premise to Conclusion

70. How to Write Theme

Class Five - Story Encoding

71. Introduction to Encoding

72. Structural Story Points

73. Advanced Story Points

74. Encoding Domains & Concerns

75. Encoding Issues & Problems

76. Encoding in "The Fugitive" (Part One)

77. Encoding in "The Fugitive" (Part Two)

78. How to Break Structure

Class Six - Plot

79. Introduction to Plot

80. Static vs. Progressive Plot Points

81. Goals & Consequences

82. Requirements & Forewarnings

83. Dividends, Costs, Prerequisites & Preconditions

84. The Story Goal

85. Plot Points and the Dramatica Chart

86. Progressive Plot Points

87. The Magic Number Seven

88. Act Progressions

89. The Structure of Act Progression

90. The 28 "Magic" Scenes Revisited

91. Multi Appreciation Moments

Class Seven - Storyweaving

92. Introduction to Storyweaving

93. Exposition

94. Expectation

95. Context

96. Interpretation

Class Eight - Genre

97. Introduction to Genre

98. The Four Modes of Expression

99. The Genre Chart (Part One)

100. The Genre Chart (Part Two)

101. The Genre Chart (Part Three)

102. The Genre Chart (Part Four)

103. The Genre Chart (Part Five)

Class Nine - Story Reception

104. Introduction to Reception

105. Author as Audience

106. Who Are You Writing For?

107. Writing For Disposable Tribes

108. Writing for Ethnic Groups, Women, Men & Children

109. Bias & Propaganda

110. Reception of Characters, Plot, Theme & Genre

111. Audience Expectations

112. Subplots

113. Hidden Meanings in "Citizen Kane"