Search Store About Us Price Beating Shipping Info Return Policy Contact Us


Storymind.com Writing Tips & Writing Software
 

Screenwriting Software

Novel Writing Software - Story Development Software

Books and Videos on Writing

Writing with the Story Mind<br>1 hour audio program
Dramatica &
Accessories


Writing Tools

 
Novel Writing
Screenwriting
Learn the Craft
 


Our Bestseller!

StoryWeaver

Write Your Novel
or Screenplay
Step by Step
 

  
$29.95
 

 


12 Hour
Writing Course

  
Learn Story Structure
 
PE03328A.gif (2743 bytes)
  
$19.95

 


Writer's DreamKit

Essential Structure
 
Dramatica Writers DreamKit 4.0
  
$49.95
 

 


Dramatica
 
Perfect Structure
 
Dramatica Pro 4.0<br>Plus FREE Bonus!
  
$179.95
 


 

Top Articles
 
Be a Storyweaver
NOT a Story Mechanic!
 
How to Create
Great Characters!


A Novelist's
Bag of Tricks

A Screenwriter's
Bag of Tricks

Character Arc 101

Heroes and Villains

Avoiding the
Genre Trap

Creating Characters from Plot

Browse All Articles
 

 

Top Classes
 
Progressive Plot Points
 
Audience "Reach"

A Story is an Argument

Dramatica Theory

The Story Mind

Time Locks and
Option Locks

The Four Throughlines Part One

The Four Throughlines Part Two

Browse All Classes
 

 

Top Downloads

StoryWeaver Demo
 
Dramatica Demo

Movie Magic Demo

Power Structure Demo

Dramatica
Theory Book

Dramatica
Comic Book

Dramatica
Structure Chart

Browse All Downloads
 

Subscribe to Storymind Writing Tips Newsletter

 

The Lost Theory Book .JPG (27012 bytes)

Written by
Melanie Anne Phillips

Based on the Dramatica theory of story
originally developed by 
Melanie Anne Phillips
and Chris Huntley

 

Problems & Dilemmas

 

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 Mind and Universe almost as if they were points of view, rather than the areas which are observed.  In actuality, it is the combination of a point of view with an area under observation which creates perspective - the foundation of dramatic meaning.

 

Problems

Without a problem, the Dramatica Model, like the mind it represents, is at rest or Neutral. All of the pieces within the model are balanced and no dramatic potential exists. But when a problem is introduced, that equilibrium becomes unbalanced. We call that imbalance an Inequity. An inequity provides the impetus to drive the story forward and causes the Story Mind to start the problem solving process.

 

Work Stories and Dilemma Stories

In Dramatica, we differentiate between solvable and unsolvable problems. The solvable problem is, simply, a problem, whereas an unsolvable problem is called a Dilemma. In stories, as in life, we cannot tell at the beginning whether a problem is solvable or not because we cannot know the future. Only by going through the process of problem solving can we discover if the problem can be solved at all.

If the Problem CAN be solved, though the effort may be difficult or dangerous, and in the end we DO succeed by working at it, we have a Work Story. But if the Problem CAN’T be solved, in the case of a Dilemma, once everything possible has been tried and the Problem still remains, we have a Dilemma Story.

 

Mind and Universe

At the most basic level, all problems are the result of inequities between Mind (ourselves) and Universe (the environment). When Mind and Universe are in balance, they are in Equity and there is neither a problem nor a story. When the Mind and Universe are out of balance, and Inequity exists between them, there is a problem and a story to be told about solving that problem.

Example: Jane wants a new leather jacket that costs $300.00. She does not have $300.00 to buy the jacket. We can see the Inequity by comparing the state of Jane's Mind (her desire for the new jacket) to the state of the Universe (not having the jacket).

 

Note that the problem is not caused solely by Jane's desire for a jacket, nor by the physical situation of not having one, but only because Mind and Universe are unbalanced. In truth, the problem is not with one or the other, but between the two.

There are two ways to remove the Inequity and resolve the problem. If we change Jane's Mind and remove her desire for the new jacket -- no more problem. If we change the Universe and supply Jane with the new jacket by either giving her the jacket or the money to buy it -- no more problem. Both solutions balance the Inequity.

 

Subjective and Objective Views

From an outside or objective point of view, one solution is as good as another. Objectively, it doesn't matter if Jane changes her Mind or the Universe changes its configuration so long as the inequity is removed.

However, from an inside or subjective point of view, it may matter a great deal to Jane if she has to change her Mind or the Universe around her to remove the Inequity. Therefore, the subjective point of view differs from the objective point of view in that personal biases affect the evaluation of the problem and the solution. Though objectively the solutions have equal weight, subjectively one solution may appear to be better than another.

Stories are useful to us as an audience because they provide both the Subjective view of the problem and the Objective view of the solution that we cannot see in real life. It is this Objective view that shows us important information outside our own limited perspective, providing a sense of the big picture and thereby helping us to learn how to handle similar problems in our own lives.

If the Subjective view is seen as the perspective of the soldier in the trenches, the Objective view would be the perspective of the General watching the engagement from a hill above the field of battle. When we see things Objectively, we are looking at the Characters as various people doing various things. When we are watching the story Subjectively, we actually stand in the shoes of a Character as if the story were happening to us.

A story provides both of these views interwoven throughout its unfolding. This is accomplished by having a cast of Objective Characters, and also special Subjective Characters. The Objective Characters serve as metaphors for specific methods of dealing with problems. The Subjective Characters serve as metaphors for THE specific method of dealing with problems that is crucial to the particular problem of that story.

[Lost Theory Book Contents]

 

 

 

 

 
 

Writing Tips

 
Articles
Classes
Downloads
 

Top Articles
 
Be a Storyweaver
NOT a Story Mechanic!
 
How to Create
Great Characters!


A Novelist's
Bag of Tricks

A Screenwriter's
Bag of Tricks

Character Arc 101

Heroes and Villains

Avoiding the
Genre Trap

Creating Characters from Plot

Browse All Articles
 

 

Top Classes
 
Progressive Plot Points
 
Audience "Reach"

A Story is an Argument

Dramatica Theory

The Story Mind

Time Locks and
Option Locks

The Four Throughlines Part One

The Four Throughlines Part Two

Browse All Classes
 

 

Top Downloads

StoryWeaver Demo
 
Dramatica Demo

Movie Magic Demo

Power Structure Demo

Dramatica
Theory Book

Dramatica
Comic Book

Dramatica
Structure Chart

Browse All Downloads
 

 


Our Bestseller!

StoryWeaver

Write Your Novel
or Screenplay
Step by Step
 

  
$29.95
 

 


12 Hour
Writing Course

  
Learn Story Structure
 
PE03328A.gif (2743 bytes)
  
$19.95

 


Writer's DreamKit

Essential Structure
 
Dramatica Writers DreamKit 4.0
  
$49.95
 

 


Dramatica
 
Perfect Structure
 
Dramatica Pro 4.0<br>Plus FREE Bonus!
  
$179.95
 


 
Subscribe to Storymind Writing Tips Newsletter

Contact Us - About Us - Lowest Price Guarantee - Shipping - Return Policy - Bonus Package

Copyright Melanie Anne Phillips - Owner, Storymind.com, Creator Storyweaver, Co-creator Dramatica