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Written by Melanie Anne Phillips Based on the Dramatica theory of story originally developed by Melanie Anne Phillips and Chris Huntley   Dynamic Pairs and Quads Prologue Before the final version of "Dramatica - a New Theory of Story" there was an earlier draft which contained unfininished concepts and additional theory that was ultimately deemed "too complex".  As a result, this material was never fully developed, was cut from the final version of the book, and has never seen the light of day -- until now!   Recently, a copy of this early draft surfaced in the theory archives.  The following are excerpts from this "lost" text. CAVEAT: Because the text that follows was not fully developed, portions may be incomplete, inaccurate, or actually quite wrong. It is presented as a look into the history of the development of Dramatica and also as a source of additional theory concepts that (with further development) may prove useful. Note: This excerpt errs in describing the Objective Characters as being defined by their relationship to the Protagonist.  In fact, the Objective Characters exhibit their characteristics in relation to the story as a whole.   Dynamic Pairs and Quads   The simplest expression of story dynamics is represented by the Dynamic Pair -- two opposing forces between which an Inequity can be measured -- which forms the basis of conflict. Examples include: Chaos and Order, Logic and Emotion, and Morality and Self-Interest. At the most global level, Mind and Universe form a Dynamic Pair, one being internal, the other being external. The combination of two Dynamic Pairs form the basic building block of the Dramatica Theory -- The Quad. A quad consists for four dramatic units that share a defined relationship with each other. Example: Let’s look at a typical Motivation Quad --     SUPPORT HELP HINDER OPPOSE   Let’s say you have a character in your story who is going to serve the function of Supporting your Main Character’s goal. You can judge how supportive this character is by how her or his actions Help or Hinder the progress of the Main Character towards her or his goal. The more supportive you want this character to be, the more she or he will help the Main Character rather than hindering the Main Character. The way Dramatica represents these relationships it to assign the dramatic units to characters. In Star Wars, Luke’s Objective goal is to become a hero. The Robots Support his quest to become a hero, while Han Opposes his quest because he doesn’t want to come along for the ride. Obi Wan’s guidance Helps Luke’s quest, while Darth Vader’s interference Hinders it. Each of these attitudes illustrates the characters’ Motivations, which will affect their actions during the course of the story.   IN CONCLUSION This brief introduction has touched but lightly upon the most broad and basic tenets that form the Dramatica Theory. The remainder of this book will examine these concepts in ever deepening detail as the chapters progress until all aspects and nuances are fully explored. Please keep in mind that story structure is not the same thing as the talent of storytelling. Dramatica provides a flexible structure that presents both the structure and dynamics of the Story Mind. Dramatica will not make you a more talented storyteller but will keep faulty structure from undermining your creativity. This allows any author to create a flawless structure that has "form without formula." [Lost Theory Book Contents]

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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) More Contact Us - About Us - Lowest Price Guarantee - Shipping - Return Policy - Bonus Package Copyright Melanie Anne Phillips - Owner, Storymind.com, Creator Storyweaver, Co-creator Dramatica