Monthly Archives: June 2011

Are You Writing a Story or a Tale?

Posted on June 30, 2011 by Melanie Anne Phillips

When an author tells a tale, he simply describes a series of events that both makes sense and feels right. As long as there are no breaks in the logic and no mis-steps in the emotional progression, the structure of … Continue reading →

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The Master Storyteller – Tickling Your Muse

Posted on June 28, 2011 by Melanie Anne Phillips

The concept behind this method of finding inspiration is quite simple, really: It is easier to come up with many ideas than it is to come up with one idea. Now that may sound counter-intuitive, but consider this… When you … Continue reading →

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A Bug in Writer’s DreamKit? (Say it ain’t so!)

Posted on June 28, 2011 by Melanie Anne Phillips

A Dramatica Writer’s DreamKit user recently contacted me to say that she had encountered a bug in the software.  First, when she created a character and assigned it a role as a particular archetype (such as Reason), and then reassigned … Continue reading →

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The Passionate Side of Story Structure

Posted on June 27, 2011 by Melanie Anne Phillips

We all know that a story needs a sound structure. But no one reads a book or goes to a movie to enjoy a good structure. And no author writes because he or she is driven to create a great … Continue reading →

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Cliches, Dead Words, and Overused Phrases

Posted on June 24, 2011 by Melanie Anne Phillips

Contributed by Teresa Darnold  A character can be seen as being more thoughtful or more creative if they say things that are inventive and unique. Phrases that the reader has never heard or read before will seem new and fresh … Continue reading →

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The Master Storyteller: Create a Story “Focus”

Posted on June 21, 2011 by Melanie Anne Phillips

If the Story’s underlying or central problem is seen as a disease, the solution would be the cure. The “Focus”, however, would be the principal symptom. Since the symptoms of a disease are often more apparent than the disease itself, … Continue reading →

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Four Facets of the Story Mind

Posted on June 20, 2011 by Melanie Anne Phillips

One of the unique concepts that sets Dramatica apart from all other theories is the assertion that every complete story is a model of the mind’s problem solving process. This Story Mind does not work like a computer, performing one … Continue reading →

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