Dramatica Weekend Workshop Syllabus

Dramatica &
Accessories

Software

StoryWeaver

$29.95

A step by step approach to story development, from concept to completed story for your novel or screenplay. More than 200 interactive Story Cards guide you through the entire process.

Details and Demo

Dramatica

$149.95

The most powerful story structuring software available, Dramatica is driven by a patented "Story Engine" that cross-references your dramatic choices to ensure a perfect structure.

Details and Demo

Movie Magic Screenwriter

$149.95

The most advanced screenwriting software available, Movie Magic is deemed a "preferred file format" by the Writer's Guild. An industry standard, MMS is used by professionals and studios around the world.

Details and Demo

Throughline Index Cards

$9.95

Interactive index cards - Name them, add notes, titles, colors, click and drag to re-arrange, adjust font, save, export and print. An essential tool for every writer.

Details

Academic Discounts
on Select Products

Are you a student, teacher, or academic staffer? Get the very best price on select products with these manufacturer sponsored academic discounts!

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Dramatica Weekend Workshop Syllabus

1 Introduction and Overview

Story Structure v. Storytelling

* Video Clip: Cyrano De Bergerac/Roxanne comparison
The Elements of Structure

The Four Aspects of Structure

• Character: as elements of structure, characters represent the different attitudes and approaches that might be applied to resolve a story’s problem.

• Theme: the perspectives compared in a story to create its message.

• Plot: the sequence behind any progressive aspect of story.

• Genre: the broadest way of classifying a story according to its overall feel.

The Art of Storytelling

The Four Stages of Communication

• Storyforming: a story’s underlying skeleton of structure and dynamics.

• Storyencoding: the specific symbols chosen to represent a story’s argument.

• Storyweaving: the order and emphasis used in presenting a story to an audience.

• Reception: how the audience interprets a finished story.

Dramatica Foundations

There are a few fundamental concepts that should be introduced first. These are:

1. The Story Mind: A story is an analogy to a single human mind trying to resolve an inequity. Characters enact the motivations of the story mind. Plot documents the problem-solving methods employed by the story mind. Theme examines by what standards values are determined in the story mind. Finally, genre establishes the story mind’s overall attitude that influences the characters, plot, and theme.

2. The Grand Argument Story: A grand argument story must consider all points of view of a problem and provide the most appropriate solution to solve it. Dramatica explores four perspectives to present all sides of the issues. They are the Objective Story throughline, Subjective Story throughline, Main Character throughline, and Obstacle Character throughline.

3. Objective Story Throughline: The objective story throughline represents the dispassionate argument of the story, emphasizing events and relationships in a cause and effect way. Characters in the objective story are either archetypal or complex.

4. Main Character Throughline: The main character is the conduit through whom the audience experiences the story subjectively.

5. Obstacle Character Throughline: To completely explore the issue at the heart of a story, an obstacle character must present an alternative approach to that pursued by the main character. The obstacle character throughline is the advocate of this alternative path and the manner in which its impact on the main character develops.

6. Subjective Story Throughline: The subjective story throughline is the passionate argument of a story carried out by the two subjective characters--the main and obstacle characters. The examination of their internal states and the articulation of the story’s passionate argument makes up the subjective story throughline.

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