The 12 Essential Questions
every writer should be able to answer

Overview

by Melanie Anne Phillips

There are 12 Essential Questions every author should be able to answer regarding his or her story. This is part one of an exploration into the meaning of and best way to answer these questions. The questions are divided into three areas - Character, Plot, and Theme.

Character Questions:

1. Main Character Resolve - Change or Steadfast
2. Main Character Growth - Start or Stop
3. Main Character Approach - Do-er or Be-er
4. Main Character Mental Sex - Male of Female

Plot Questions:

5. Story Driver - Action or Decision
6. Story Limit - Timelock or Optionlock
7. Story Outcome - Success or Failure
8. Story Judgment - Good or Bad

Theme Questions:

9. Domain - four options: Universe, Physics, Mind, or Psychology
10. Concern - a choice of four depending upon Domain
11. Range (Issue) - a choice of four depending upon Concern
12. Problem - a choice of four depending upon Range (Issue)

Why 12 questions? Imagine the structure of a story as the network of girders that form the structure of a skyscraper. Every place two or more girders connect to form an intersection is a key stress point in the structure. In stories, every place two or more dramatic forces converge is a key story point.

If you want to know something about the shape of the overall building, the four most important points are the four corners. Once those are determined, everything else falls within that perimeter.

Character, Plot, and Theme are like three different buildings in a story - three different kinds of structures. The best way to get a handle on the overall shape of each is to lock down the four corners.

By answering the 12 Essential Questions, you determine the basic shape of each of the three areas within which all other story point must fall, to which all other story points must conform. It is like determining the background or playing field against which all story elements must be played.

What about Genre? Genre is like a fourth building in the story. It provides the fourth corner in the complete structure. In fact, it determines how the other three buildings (Character, Plot, and Theme) will relate to one another.

Why aren't there four more questions for Genre, making it 16 Essential Questions? Because Genre is not an actual structure like the other three areas, but is a description of how the other three relate to one another. It is more like a city in the sky.

Genre is determined by how you TELL the story, the other three describe the story that is to be told. As a result, Genre is dependent on the talent, inspiration, and mystical artistry of the author. That is why no computer will ever write a story as meaningful as a person can. In contrast, to think that stories are ALL art and nothing definitive and mechanical exists is to jump to the opposite extreme.

Until Dramatica, the art of storytelling was generally thought of as being inseparably intertwined with the substance of story structure. As a result, authors often created beautiful expressions of faulty structures.

By answering the 12 Essential Questions in Dramatica, authors can gain a sound understanding of the structural imperatives they have determined for their stories. Then, using that Storyform structure as a canvas and palette, they can draw their respective muses to express the intangible essence of the human heart in a meaningful and understandable form.

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

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