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!

Details

Dramatica Weekend Workshop Syllabus

9 STORY RECEPTION

Definition of Reception:

Reception describes how a story’s impact is changed due to personality of the audience

Communication or Collaboration*

Audience as author

Author as audience

Who is your audience*

Writing for oneself

Writing for “the world”

Writing for a definable group

Modern Groups as Disposable Tribes

What binds a group*

The “captive” audience

Is it symbolic or nonsense*

Cultural specificity

Romeo and Juliet/West Side Story

Cyrano de Bergerac/Roxanne

Demographics

The ethnic audience

Political Correctness

Ethnicentricity

Ethnic portability

Age groups

Children’s stories

Men’s and Women’s stories

Mental Sex, Limit, and “Positioning”

Sub-cultures

Author’s Intent

Stated Agenda	Hidden Agenda
Educate	Bias
Persuade	Pander
Provoke	Incite
Manipulate	Propagandize

Reception of Character

Stereotypes vs. Archetypes

Known actor

Typecasting

* Video Clip: Typecasting: Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Terminator.

Cross-typing

* Video Clip: Cross-typing: Arnold Schwarzenegger in Junior.

Reception of Theme

Favored standards of evaluation

Cultural blind spots

* Video Clip: Cultural blind spots: The Big Chill.

Reception of Plot

Favored archetypal plots

Newsworthy event - TV movies

* Video Clip: Newsworthy event: Alive.

Reception of Genre

Genre: a mixed bag

Sociopolitical taboos

* Video Clip: Sociopolitical taboos: Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?

Audience Expectations

“Generations”

* Video Clip: Audience expectations: Star Trek Generations.

Multi-story Works

Substories

Subplots et al

* Video Clip: Substories: Han Solo in Star Wars.

Parallel stories with collective impact

Parallel stories with independent impact

Propaganda

Thelma & Louise

* Video Clip: Propaganda: Thelma and Louise.

Closed and Open stories

* Video Clip: The meaning of “Rosebud”: Citizen Kane.

Back to the Dramatica Weekend Workshop
Table of Contents

[dramatica/dramatica_footer.htm]

Resources