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

3 STORYFORMING

Storyforming:

Developing a story’s underlying skeleton of structure and dynamics.

The Eight Essential Questions

Main Character Dynamics

• Main Character Resolve: Change or Steadfast

Will the Main Character ultimately hold onto his original motivation or exchange it for a new motivation*

* Video Clips: Examples of Change Main Characters: Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, Judah Rosenthal in Crimes and Misdemeanors, Luke in Star Wars.

* Video Clips: Examples of Steadfast Main Characters: Dr. Richard Kimble in The Fugitive, James Bond in Goldfinger (Pussy Galore is the Obstacle Character).

• Main Character Direction: Stop or Start

Will the direction of the Main Character’s growth be toward something starting or toward something stopping*

* Video Clip: Example of Stop Main Character: Dr. Richard Kimble in The Fugitive.

* Video Clip: Example of Start Main Character: Scrooge in A Christmas Carol.

• Main Character Approach: Do-er or Be-er

How does the Main Character prefer to solve his problems, through external work or through internal work*

* Video Clip: Example of Do-er Main Character: Harry in Dirty Harry.

* Video Clip: Example of Be-er Main Character: William Munny in Unforgiven.

• Main Character Mental Sex: Male or Female

Does the Main Character fundamentally tend to see things linearly or holistically*

* Video Clips: Example of Male and Female Mental Sex swap: Agents Mulder and Scully in The X Files.

* Video Clips: Example of Female Mental Sex Main Character: Jack Ryan in The Hunt for Red October.

Plot Dynamics

• Story Work: Action or Decision

Which takes precedence over the other in driving the plot, do Actions drive decisions or do Decisions drive actions*

* Video Clips: Example of Action driven stories: Jaws, Star Wars.

* Video Clip: Example of Decision driven stories: The Godfather.
driven stories: The Godfather.

• Story Limit: Timelock or Optionlock

What brings your story to a climax, running out of time or running out of options*

* Video Clips: Example of Timelock stories: 48 Hrs., High Noon.

* Video Clip: Example of Optionlock stories: The Verdict.
stories: The Verdict.

• Outcome: Success or Failure

Is the Story Goal reached or not*

Success or Failure
Is the Story Goal reached or not*

• Judgment: Good or Bad

Does the Main Character work out his angst or not*

	Outcome: Success	Outcome: Failure
Judgment: Good	Triumph	Personal Triumph
Judgment: Bad	Personal Tragedy	Tragedy

* Video Clip: Example of Failure/Bad stories: Hamlet.

* Video Clips: Example of Success/Bad stories: Remains of the Day, The Silence of the Lambs.

* Video Clip: Example of Failure/Good stories: Rain Man.

* Video Clip: Example of Success/Good stories: Star Wars.

Back to the Dramatica Weekend Workshop
Table of Contents

[dramatica/dramatica_footer.htm]

Resources