Dramatica Software Tips
Introduction to the Dramatica Structure Chart
by Melanie Anne Phillips
Dramatica theory is not just a bunch of words about writing. It is also a very specific
model of the elements that make up all stories and the manner in which they can be
arranged to create each unique story.
Now, most writers are not theorists, and don't want to be. Still, an understanding of
the way stories work can help support a writer's instincts to make sure a flawed structure
won't get in the way of the creativity.
If you own the Dramatica software, you've probably noticed it comes with chart that
looks something like a Rubik's Cube on steroids, or a super-complex 3-D chess board. If
you don't have the software, you can see a representation of it at
http://storymind.com/mental_relativity/model.htm
That chart is a map of the elements that make up stories. If you were to twist it and
turn it like a Rubik's Cube, you would be "winding up" the dramatic tension of
your story.
The Story Engine at the heart of the Dramatica software tracks all of those elements to
make sure no dramatic "rules" are broken. What's a Dramatic Rule? As an analogy,
you can twist and turn a Rubik's Cube, but you can't pluck one of the little cubes out of
it and swap it's position with another little cube. In other words, you can create all
kinds of patterns, but you can't break structure. Similarly in stories, you can create all
kinds of dramatic patterns, but you can't just drop story elements wherever you want -
they have to MOVE into place.
When you answer questions in Dramatica, you are expressing your dramatic intent - the
dramatic pattern you want to create for your audience. That says something about the final
arrangement you want with some of the "colors" in the Rubik's Cube of your
story.
Every time you make a choice, you are saying, "I want my story to look like this,
as opposed to that." You are choosing just as much what you DON'T want in your story
as what you do.
The choices are cumulative - they pile up. The more you make, the more Dramatica's
Story Engine winds up. Your future choices start to become limited, not by arbitrary and
rigid rules, but because you can't do everything at one time in one place. Some choices or
combination of choices simply prevent other options from being possible in that particular
story.
Imagine - what would happen if you put anything you wanted into a story? Then anything
goes. That means there is no good structure or bad structure, in fact there would be no
structure at all.
What is structure? Structure is nothing more than making a point, either logistically
or emotionally or both. Many stories don't need structure because they are not about
making a larger point or having a message, but are designed to be experiences without
specific overall meaning.
That, in fact, is the difference between a Tale and Story. A Tale relates a series of
experiences, a Story brings those experiences together to create an overall meaning. In
other words, each experience is part of an overall pattern that becomes clear by the time
the story is over.
There is nothing better or worse about a Tale compared to a Story, but authors of
Stories take upon themselves a more demanding rigor. When your purpose is to have the sum
of the parts amount to a greater meaning, the Structural Chart and the Story Engine can
ensure that meaning is consistent and does not contradict itself.
Try Dramatica & StoryWeaver Risk
Free*
$179.95
$29.95
*Try either or both for 90 days. Not working for you?
Return for a full refund of your purchase price!
About Dramatica and
StoryWeaver
Hi, I'm Melanie Anne Phillips,
creator of StoryWeaver,
co-creator of Dramatica
and owner of Storymind.com. If you have a moment, I'd like to tell you
about these two story development tools - what each is designed to do, how
each works alone on a different part of story development and how they can be
used together to cover the entire process from concept to completion of your
novel or screenplay.
What They Do
Dramatica is a tool to help you
build a perfect story structure. StoryWeaver is a tool to help you build
your story's world. Dramatica focuses on the underlying logic of your
story, making sure there are no holes or inconsistencies. StoryWeaver
focuses on the creative process, boosting your inspiration and guiding it to add
depth, detail and passion to your story.
How They Do It
Dramatica has the world's only
patented interactive Story Engine™ which cross-references your answers to
questions about your dramatic intent, then finds any weaknesses in your
structure and even suggests the best ways to strengthen them.
StoryWeaver uses a revolutionary new
creative format as you follow more than 200 Story Cards™ step by step through
the story development process. You'll design the people who'll inhabit
your story's world, what happens to them, and what it all means.
How They Work
Together
By itself Dramatic appeals to
structural writers who like to work out all the details of their stories
logically before they write a word. By itself, StoryWeaver appeals to
intuitive writers who like to follow their Muse and develop their stories as
they go.
But, the finished work of a
structural writer can often lack passion, which is where StoryWeaver can help.
And the finished work of an intuitive writer can often lack direction, which is
where Dramatica can help.
So, while each kind of writer will
find one program or the other the most initially appealing, both kinds of
writers can benefit from both programs.
Try Both Programs
Risk Free!
We have a 90
Day Return Policy here at Storymind. Try either or both of these
products and if you aren't completely satisfied we'll cheerfully refund your
purchase price.
Format:
Windows / Mac CD-ROM
