Subjective Story Domain • [Domain] • the realm in which the Subjective Story takes place; the background against which the relationship between the Main and Obstacle Characters is played • Stories are about meaning. Meaning is created from perspective. Perspective is the relationship between what is being examined and the point of view from where it is seen. Simply put, an author determines the subject matter of a story and how he sees it. This is what becomes the message or meaning of the story. There are four principal points of view which must come into play in all complete stories. They are the Objective, Main Character, Obstacle Character, and Subjective views. The Objective view of a story is the widest view, examining the issues that affect all the characters in the story overall. There are four principal categories of subject matter (called Classes). They are Universe, Mind, Physics and Psychology. In more conversational terms we might think of them as (in the same order) Situation, Attitude, Activity, Manner of Thinking. In reality, they represent external and internal states of affairs and external and internal processes. Anything we might consider as subject matter can be broadly categorized as being an external or internal state or process. When a point of view is attached to the subject matter, the Class of subject matter becomes the Domain or realm in which that point of view does its exploring. So, when the Objective view is associated with a Class, that Class becomes the Objective Story Domain. The Subjective Story Domain examines the issues that affect the relationship between the Main and Obstacle Characters. An SS Domain of Universe means that some fixed external situation is causing troubles for the characters, such as being stuck together as business partners. An SS Domain of Mind means that fixed attitudes are the problem, such as two ministers’ differing attitudes regarding the existence of the soul in genetically engineered fetuses. An SS Domain of Physics means that the two characters’ difficulties arise from an activity, such as a custody battle between parents. And an SS Domain of Psychology means that the way the Main and Obstacle Characters think is the source of problems between them, such as mother and daughter who vie for dominance.

From the Dramatica Dictionary

Subjective Story Direction • [Element] • The direction of response in the subjective story; the apparent remedy for the symptom of the difficulties between the Main Character and The Obstacle Character • Subjective Characters do the best they can to deal with the Subjective Story Problem, but because the Main and Obstacle Characters are all looking at the problem from their subjective points of view, they can’t get enough distance to actually see the problem right away. Instead they focus on the effects of the problem, which is called the Subjective Story Focus, and choose to follow what they feel will be a remedy, which is called the Subjective Story Direction.

From the Dramatica Dictionary

Subjective Story Concern • [Type] • The principal area of concern between the Main Character and the Obstacle Character • The nature of the things which the Main and Obstacle Characters want from their relationship; the Subjective Story Concern describes how the audience sees the concern of the Main and Obstacle character’s relationship with each other being.

From the Dramatica Dictionary

Subjective Story Catalyst • [Variation] • The kind of item which serves to push the Subjective Story forward • The Subjective Story Catalyst is what creates breakthroughs and seems to accelerate the Subjective Story. In both the Objective and Subjective Stories there occur dramatic “log-jams” when things seem to be approaching a halt. This is when the Catalyst is necessary, for its introduction will either solve the puzzle that’s holding things up or else make the puzzle seem suddenly unimportant so the story can continue.

From the Dramatica Dictionary

Subjective Story Benchmark • [Type] • The standard by which growth is measured in the Subjective Story • The Subjective Story Benchmark is the gauge that tells people how far along the Subjective story has progressed. It can’t say how much longer the story may go, but in regards to seeing how far away the concerns are, both the Main and Obstacle Characters, as well as the audience, will look to the Benchmark in order to make any kind of judgment. This Type item describes the nature of the measuring stick which will be used in the Subjective story.

From the Dramatica Dictionary

Subconscious (The Subconscious) •[Type] • dyn.pr. Preconscious<–>Subconscious • basic drives and desires • Subconscious describes the essential feelings that form the foundation of character. These feelings are so basic that a character is often not aware of what they truly are. When the Subconscious is involved, a character is moved right to the fiber of his being. • syn. libido, id, basic motivations, basic drives, anima

From the Dramatica Dictionary

Strategy • [Variation] • dyn.pr. Analysis<–>Strategy • a plan to achieve one’s purpose or a plan of response • The specific plan or series of interconnected plans that are intended to produce a desired result is called a Strategy. The sophistication of a strategy can range from complex to non-existent (if a character prefers to wing it). Sometimes a strategy is on the mark, other times it is completely inappropriate to its intended purpose. Either way, for the audience to appreciate its apt or inept construction, the plan must be spelled out in full. In storytelling, Strategy can define limits and draw out parameters for a story. This is a useful variation to use for connecting theme to plot. • syn. scheme, tactic, plan, ploy, decided approach

From the Dramatica Dictionary

Storyweaving • [Dramatica Term] • The process of unfolding a story’s dramatic structure over time • There are four stages in the process of communication from author to audience. They are: Storyforming, Storyencoding, Storyweaving, and Storyreception. Storyforming establishes the underlying dramatic structure of a story. Storyencoding turns raw story points into specific scenarios, events, and dialog. Storyweaving determines how the encoded story points will be revealed or unfolded to the audience. Storyreception refines the story to tailor it for a specific audience. Storyweaving has two aspects: Exposition and Expression. Exposition determines how information about the story will be doled out to the audience. Expression implements the Exposition in specific words, events, dialog, music, visuals, etc. When approaching Storyweaving it helps to know in advance what the story is about. Otherwise, one is trying to arrive at a consistency in presentation at the same time one is trying to determine what, in fact, ought to be presented. The Exposition aspect takes stock of all the story points and information that must be conveyed to the audience, including progressions of events which must occur in a particular order for the story to make logistic sense. Then, a plan for revealing this information is worked out so that some story points are presented directly, others are doled out over the course of the story, others are hidden, and still others are designed to first mislead the audience and then expose the fact of the matter. The Expression aspect is the most creative part of authorship. It is here that a novelist writes the actual chapters, or a Playwright pens the specific dialog. Even when the manner in which Exposition is to occur is known, the means of Expression has yet to be determined. For example, if the Exposition plan has been to reveal an important event in the backstory through a flashback, an author might choose to Express that event and the manner in which the flashback occurs in any number of ways. Collectively, Exposition and Expression translate what a story is about into the linear progression of how the story unfolds and is revealed through Storyweaving.

From the Dramatica Dictionary

Storytelling • [Dramatica Term] • The process of communicating a story’s dramatic structure through the developing and unfolding of symbols, events, and scenarios • We’ve all heard good jokes told poorly. We’ve all hear terrible jokes told well. When a good joke is told well, everything works together. When a bad joke is told poorly, nothing can save it. Part of what makes up a story is the underlying dramatic structure. Another part is the manner in which that structure is expressed. In a sense, Structure represents the Craft of writing, and Storytelling represents the Art. The structure itself is always invisible in the story, for it is the conceptual framework connecting all the dramatic potentials. What is visible is the embodiment of that structure in scenarios, events, and symbols, which collectively constitute the Storytelling. Storytelling, therefore, must do two jobs: entertain the audience through clever presentation and be focused enough to accurately convey the underlying structure.

From the Dramatica Dictionary

Storyreception • [Dramatica Term] • The process of tailoring the telling of a story to a specific audience • Every culture and sub-culture has its own lingo, taboos, and givens. As a result, most stories do not play the same for one kind of audience as for another. Storyreception seeks to anticipate and take into account the nature of the target audience to tailor the story so that it is received as intended. Although we all have the capacity to feel the same emotions and make the same logistic connections, our particular sub-culture may shy away from certain emotions, or brand a particular kind of reasoning as inappropriate. Further, just because we may empathize with the same emotions doesn’t mean we all feel as deeply, or if we see logical connections that we all grasp them as quickly. Especially when writing for audiences such as children, it is important to consider depth and speed as well as buzzwords and popular symbols. Often we can take advantage of cultural symbols to express mountains of sense and oceans of mood with a single story point. Other time we must develop an inordinate amount of media real estate to get across the most simple experiences, if they fall outside familiar cultural bounds for out audience. The important point for an author is to determine the target audience and make sure to be or become familiar enough with that audience to take cultural expectations and taboos into account. For an enlightened audience, the task is to recognize that other ingrained cultural imperatives exist, and to seek to appreciate a story in the context in which it was created.

From the Dramatica Dictionary