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Sections in Lesson Nine |
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Sections in Lesson Nine |
Continuing with our brief exploration of all the features available through the Dramatica Desktop, in this lesson we'll take a look at Dramatica's Dictionary tool - a complete compendium of the dramatic terminology used throughout the software.
Play Video on the Dictionary Feature
A Rose by Any Other Definition
There are words and there are meanings. In casual conversation, different words are often used interchangeably to mean the same thing. For example, one author might refer to his Main Character and another author might talk about her Central Character. Both authors could be describing the most important characters in their respective stories - the characters around whom their stories seem to revolve. Yet, they each use a different term to describe the same dramatic function. Conversely, if you ask a hundred authors to describe what a Main Character or a Central Character really is, you'll probably end up with a hundred different definitions.
Although there are strict definitions in regard to the theory behind many fields of art, such as with music theory, many of the practitioners of any art form know nothing of the theory behind it. They create by the seat of their pants, relying solely on the Muse. So too, in regard the craft of writing itself, the working writer often uses terms conversationally, with a general sense of what is meant, and no need for anything more specific, as long as he or she gets the point across. Ironic it is, that those whose trade deals in words treat their principal commodity with such cavalier nonchalance.
Regardless of the common tendency to bandy about definitions with reckless abandon, Dramatica cannot afford that luxury. In order to function, the Story Engine depends upon very precise relationships among story points. Since these story points must be represented by words and definitions, they in turn must be absolutely specific.
If the definitions were more loosely drawn, they would leave room for interpretation. Under such circumstances, every dramatic choice made by an author in Dramatica might inject an element of error. After several choices the error would be cumulative, and the resulting Storyform might very well be warped and twisted from the author's actual intent. Therefore, we spent months fine tuning the definitions presented by the Dramatica Dictionary until they absolutely reflected the dramatic qualities their parent words represented.
Over the years, we have heard many complaints that Dramatica's terminology is too obtuse, or that it defines common terms in uncommon ways. And most of all, it has been suggested with great vigor that due to all the definitions the learning curve is too high.
To those who bemoan these problems, I say "Right on!" I agree with you! Dramatica is hard to learn, it is a real stickler for definitions, and it very narrowly describes common terms. Problem is, there is just no other way that would allow the Story Engine to accurately convey an author's dramatic concepts into an interactive and predictive map of a story's structure.
If you see a term that is defined differently that you use it, we aren't suggesting you change your usage - just that you add our definition to your vocabulary as well. At best, you'll find that a more precise language of dramatics helps you clarify your own intent. And at worst, it provides a new way of looking at old concepts that may freshen up your dramatic dialect.
The dictionary itself, is a very simple tool to use. First of all, you can leave it open all the time, if you like, so that you can refer to it from any other place in the software. You can search for definitions by organizing the words according to category, alphabetically, or using the "Lookup" box.
The definition box can also be customized to include any combination of a short definition, long definition, opposite dramatic dynamic (called a Dynamic Pair), Synonyms, and dramatic classification.
Interestingly, the dictionary contains such a wealth of information and a preponderance of new perspectives that it can serve as quite an education in the nature of storytelling, just by randomly reading through it.
Copyright 2003 Melanie Anne Phillips
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