Category Archives: Definitions

Dramatica: Our attendance usually runs between 4 and 10, drifting in at various times, with various questions. Have you read the logs or earlier sessions we posted here on AOL?

StarFish76: I use Dramatica all the time. For me it’s just a slow process of coming to an understanding as I use it more and more.

Dramatica: Hiya Skier!

Grn Skier: Evenin’.

Grn Skier: Topic?

Dramatica: Good, Star, then you have something of a grounding in the concepts
and what it’s all about.

StarFish76: Oh yeah…

Dramatica: I usually take a question and then run with it until it or I or
both are quite dead. Skier, you have any questions this week?

Grn Skier: Looking at my notes. Had a busy week with no time to intellectual pleasures.

Dramatica: Oh, BTW, if you are in the L.A. area, don’t forget to visit Screenplay Systems and Dramatica at the Showbiz Expo convention a week from Saturday
on June 10, 11, and 12. We will have our new Writer’s Dream Kit available there for the first time, which include a 60 minute audio tape on Character and another on Plot, as well as the 90 minute Theory Basics audio tape, Plus a one year subscription to our journal, 30 storyforms on disk that can be read in text format, even if you don’t have the Dramatica software and a few other things.

StarFish76: BTW, D, loved your treatise on X-files in the last issue of “Storyforming”.

Dramatica: Ah, yes. The XX and XY Files…I am a big fan of the show (just bought X Files #1 comic book) and I was running around in circles, trying to figure out what it was about the show that made it seem so “odd”. Clearly, something was going on, and Dramatica is pretty good at finding that kind of thing, but it wasn’t in plot, or theme, or genre, like expected, but rather in the mental sex of the two main characters.

StarFish76: Today, I had an interesting thing happen I was developing my
first storyform for a script I was analyzing and when I changed failure to success, it didn’t change the form.

Dramatica: Star, here’s an interesting point about those story engine settings like “success” and “failure”. Because the Dramatica model is dynamic, rather than structural, earlier choices affect relationships to come…As a result, under some conditions, success or failure will be determined by the software based on your earlier choices but in other situations your previous choices still allow for both.

Sometimes, because of the balance in the storyform you have created, even in a finished storyform, success or failure could BOTH work in that given story and is just a matter of the author’s preference, as that choice will not affect any other dramatic relationships. (Hi Sue!)

SueClark1: (hi!)

StarFish76: Are you saying that’s a good thing or bad?

Grn Skier: Star, I keep one file with just the basics filled in. I’ll build
and form to see where it goes. Then go back to the original, i.e. 12 Question, file to make changes.

Dramatica: It is neither good nor bad…the point is, that if Dramatica was structural then every single dramatic appreciation would always be hardwired into certain others, but because it is dynamic which appreciations are connected to which is dependent upon many choices, so in your storyform you created a scenario in which either success or failure could work without affecting the other dramatics. That does not mean it won’t have an impact, but in your story, the only impact is whether or not the audience sees the story as a success or failure, none of the other thematics or character relationships would be changed by that. In other storyforms you may find that success or failure is ABSOLUTELY required to support your thematics and characters. That’s why its hard to predict Dramatica, but why Dramatica can predict stories without being predictable.

SueClark1: Is that your prediction?

Dramatica: Sue, feel free to jump in anytime with a question or comment. Predictably.

SueClark1: I did.

StarFish76: Cool, Thanks.

Dramatica: But I should predicate it on something, I suppose….Do you all know about the Dramatica World Wide Web pages?

StarFish76: Yes.

SueClark1: I think I’ve heard of them, but haven’t been there yet.

StarFish76: I’m not on the web.. yet.

Dramatica: For the record… http://www.well.com/user/dramatic/ NOTE: no “a”, just dramatic.

Grn Skier: I’ve found that once you go too far into storyforming, t’aint easy
to go back.

StarFish76: Who would want to?

Dramatica: That’s more true in the Dramatica Query System than in the Story Engine.

Grn Skier: That’s why I keep a shell version w/ most important questions answered. for each story concept I’m looking at.

Dramatica: The Query system deals with one question at a time…It’s not linear, because you can jump from any question to any other in any order.

StarFish76: You can always clear your story engine and lock some of the items
then make a new save as..

Dramatica: But, with one at a time, you would have to retreat the way you charged in. But in the Story Engine, you have access to many questions at once and therefore can lock any you want and then open up the others as far as they can go without violating what you’ve locked.

Grn Skier: I’m still waiting for that update.

StarFish76: Ditto about the update…

Dramatica: The updates are available as of June 15. You can pick up at the office for free, or we will mail for $9.95 shipping and handling.

Grn Skier: Didn’t mean to imply anything – My Checks already in the mail. I talked via E-Mail to your folks about the update and the new theory manual.

Dramatica: The update requires that you be a registered user, so if you’ve sent in your registration they will be sent out starting June 15, in the order the registrations were received. Skier, the theory book is sold separately. I believe you’ve sent E-mail about that to SSI?

SueClark1: I’ve got a question — I’m just starting and will surely benefit from reading the manual, but…with two main characters, is only one chosen as the protagonist?

StarFish76: TWO Main Characters!??

SueClark1: Well, I suppose one’s more main than the other, but the focus is on two characters, and one’s not …an antagonist.

Dramatica: Go for it, Star…

StarFish76: There should only be 1 POV through whose eyes we see the story,
the landscape

SueClark1: That’s basically how I’ve been working it, but what, in Dramatica terms, do I consider the second…character?

StarFish76: Perhaps obstacle, I’d have to know the story

Grn Skier: Hey we need a little objective/subjective story here – MC vs OC and all that.

Dramatica: Yep.

StarFish76: Indeed!

Dramatica: Sue, are you familiar with To Kill a Mockingbird?

SueClark1: (my rookieness is showing.) No.

StarFish76: No problem, we’re all BITW (babes in the woods).

Grn Skier: Sue this part was the greatest revelation to me – worth the price of the program just to hear this.

SueClark1: I’ve ordered the audio tapes along w/my upgrade, seeking aural
guidance.

Dramatica: Rats. Well, here’s another way to go…First of all, there are two kinds of characters, Objective and Subjective. Imagine there is a huge battle. The audience might watch the battle from the position of a general on a hill in which they see the foot soldier, the horse soldier, the cook, the guy hiding in the bushes…In other words, the general would identify all the players on the field, by their functions, not by their names or personalities. That is how we see Objective Characters in a story. It is where we see a Protagonist and Antagonist or where we see more complex characters that are still defined by their functions in the plot.

A Protagonist is an archetypal character who is the prime mover of the Objective Story. In a sense, they are the one leading the charge. The Antagonist is the chief enemy of the Protagonist. The one who wants to stop the Antagonist. But the audience also gets a second view of the battle, not just the dispassionate view from the outside looking in at the logistics, but also through the eyes of one of the soldiers on the field. That soldier is the Main Character. Through this character, the audience experiences what it is like to actually be IN the battle. Suddenly, they feel the danger, the pain, the sorrow, the joy and triumph.

StarFish76: D, Can’t the protagonist BE the antagonist in some cases?

Dramatica: Well, since a Protagonist is for something, and an Antagonist is
against it, how would such a thing be seen from the outside looking in? The character would stand still like a push-me/pull-you, or a North going Zax and a South going Zax. When seen from the outside such a character could not move in the story.

StarFish76: If the Antagonist moves the story ahead, in a Be-er MC

Dramatica: Well, you’re getting ahead of the game here a bit…

StarFish76: how so?

Dramatica: First of all, the Main Character might be the guy hiding in the bushes, rather than the guy leading the charge, or, they might be the Antagonist, rather than the Protagonist. Main Character is defined by point of view, whereas the Objective characters including Protagonist and Antagonist are defined by their dramatic functions. This is why in many stories the audience empathizes with someone basically on the sidelines not just the guy in the limelight. The concept of a hero REQUIRES that the Protagonist be the Main Character and although that is perfectly fine, it can be very limiting.

Look at Witness. Have you seen Witness?

SueClark1: Yes

StarFish76: Yes

Dramatica: Okay, who’s the Protagonist?

SueClark1: Book.

Dramatica: Right. John Book, the Harrison Ford character. Now, who’s the Main Character?

StarFish76: I thought Book was.

SueClark1: Kelly McGillis.

Dramatica: Right, the Rachel character.

SueClark1: So we’re seeing the story from her POV?

Dramatica: It is she who has control of the Subjective Story. Sure, we start with her at her husband’s funeral. The subjective story is set right up with her being approached by potential husband number two and she wants to high tail it out of there to see the world of the English in the hopes that it holds something better. In the end, it is she who must decide to leave or to stay. For Book, it was never really an issue. But he clearly is the Protagonist.

SueClark1: makes sense. This helps, too, getting me started.

Dramatica: Now, who’s the Antagonist?

SueClark1: Glover?

Dramatica: No, he’s just an instrument for the antagonist.

SueClark1: the boss?

Dramatica: It is Book’s boss. He is the one behind it all, and the one trying to stop Book from bringing the witness to testify.

Grn Skier: Is Glover the ‘contagonist’, or is that too much for one
conversation?

Dramatica: (a bit deep for this point, Skier)

Dramatica: Now, back to our example of story as a battle for a moment. In this battle, the audience is perched on the shoulder of the Main Character. The Main Character is advancing through the battle. There are dramatic explosions going off all around them. Suddenly, through the smoke, a shadowy figure appears, blocking the Main Character’s path. It is too murky on the field to see what kind of uniform they are wearing. Is it an enemy trying to steer them into an ambush, or a friend trying to keep them from running into a mine field? The Main Character yells, “get out of my way!” This Obstacle Character yells, “change course, get off this path!” What is the Main Character to do? That is their leap of faith. In a story, the Main Character will have an Obstacle Character who builds for them an alternative world view, an alternative paradigm saying, ‘don’t go about things like you are, but this other way instead.”

SueClark1: Can the obstacle character be the protagonist?

Dramatica: Yes, Sue, they can!

Dramatica: And in fact, that is what happens in Witness! John Book is Rachel’s Obstacle. It is he who forces her to address the essential nature of her drives. So, he is both Protagonist and Obstacle. With a separate Antagonist and a separate Main Which is why he seems so important, even though it is really not his story.

SueClark1: That fits perfectly into what I’m working on.

Grn Skier: Can it be a literal obstacle – like the meteor movies – and earth must avoid collision?

Dramatica: Skier, the function of an Obstacle character is to present an argument built on logic and feeling to, counter the belief system of the Main Character. Now, if you could find a way for a meteor to do that, that’s fine. But in most cases its is easier to have the meteor be the antagonist in an objective story. But, you will find a natural Obstacle character in The Old Man and the Sea.

Grn Skier: Okay – just checking the limits of my own logic.

Dramatica: Now Witness is a bit unusual insofar as that the most common arrangement is to make the Protagonist the main character, and the antagonist also the obstacle. But whenever this happens, it is easy to forget to develop both sides –the Objective function line and the Subjective growth line. In love triangles, it is usually the Protagonist who is Main Character, with a separate Antagonist attacking their logistics and an Obstacle character attacking their heart.

But keep in mind that just because a character is obstacle does not mean they are an enemy. They might be a friend telling a misguided Main Character the real truth of what must be done to avoid ruin. Main Characters can also be Change or Steadfast. Change characters are like Luke Skywalker in Star Wars.

Steadfast characters are like Richard Kimble in The Fugitive. Who is Kimble’s Obstacle? Who changes?

SueClark1: Jones?

StarFish76: Tommy lee Jones.

Dramatica: Girrard. Right. He says at first when told by Kimble that he is innocent,
“I don’t care.” Then later at the end in the police car Kimble says, “I thought you didn’t care?” and Girrard says, “Don’t tell anyone.” But in truth, he really DIDN’T care before but through the steadfastness of Kimble, he is changed. Personally, I like stories that place the Main character anywhere BUT in the Protagonist.

Grn Skier: I loved the way that ‘change’ occurred in that movie; it was a good lesson

Dramatica: Evening, Daisy!

One Daisy: Good Evening

Dramatica: Even with very steadfast characters like James Bond, someone has to change to break the log jam. Clearly Bond is the protagonist in Goldfinger and Goldfinger is the Antagonist. But who is the Obstacle character who changes? Any guesses?

SueClark1: haven’t’ seen it.

Grn Skier: Da Bimbo – I’ve got your tape.

Dramatica: Who changes mind in such a way that Bond is then able to succeed? Pussy Galore.

StarFish76: I haven’t seen it either, The Women Who are after him?

One Daisy: It’s been awhile since I’ve seen it.

Dramatica: She switches the gas to a non-lethal variety and alerts the authorities.
Okay, any more on Main, Obstacle, Protagonist or Antagonist? How about some more questions or comments on theory or software?

SueClark1: That’ll do me for a while.

Grn Skier: I’ve got one on vupoint characters.

Dramatica: Okay, Skier…

Grn Skier: Novels and movies use vupoint differently. In a novel, anyone could be the vp – correct?

Dramatica: Actually, the use it the same, but employ it differently. That’s not trite, it is important.

Grn Skier: Fill us in.

Dramatica: Novels very often accentuate sub-stories much more than motion pictures which are too constrained by time limitations to go all that deeply into them. Whenever you jump from one person’s head to another in a novel, you are actually jumping from one story to another, and landing in the head of the new main character. Such as in The Joy Luck Club

Grn Skier: I was thinking of Dr. Watson for example – clearly an archetypal sidekick.

Dramatica: Watson is a different dramatic technique. Watson functions as a narrator and also a character in the story, much like the situation you find in Glass Menagerie As narrator, Watson is outside of the story in the realm of author and audience watching what is going on from the hill looking in. But he is telling us a story about Dr Watson the character in the story and in that role, he has a dramatic function like any other character, usually as the sidekick, as you said.

Grn Skier: Ah so, me thinks a light came on

Dramatica: Clearly a single body can play multiple roles like narrators that also appear in the story they are telling or Dr. Jeckyl and mister Hyde, Or Sybil.

SueClark1: I’ve got to run…thanks for the help, all.

Dramatica: Niters, Sue!

Dramatica: The key is, they cannot play more than one role at a time, and when they switch roles they effectively become another character for the duration until the switch again. That is how a “one-person show” usually works.

Dramatica: Well, ’tis 7:00, time for me to turn back into a pumpkin…

StarFish76: Thanks D, it’s been real…

Grn Skier: As a narrator they serve as the general on the hill?

Dramatica: As narrator, they tell us what the general is seeing. They are a video tap into the camera photographing the story from the hill.

Grn Skier: Thanks again. Hope to listen in next week (I’ll be TDY but have a
laptop).

Dramatica: See ya next week!

The Dramatica Theory of story was developed by Melanie Anne Phillips and Chris Huntley, and was implemented into software by Chief Software Architect, Stephen Greenfield.

Dramatica Class 19

The following excerpt is taken from

The Dramatica Class Transcripts

Multiple Stories / Sub-Stories

Dramatica Structure: Classes – Universe, Mind, Physics & Psychology

Development of Dramatica Theory – (Mental Relativity)

Throughlines

Tales vs. Stories

Variations, Ranges

Brainstorming Feature

Dramatica : Hiya, Skier!

Grn Skier : Evening Dramatica!

Dramatica : Weren’t scared off last week, eh?

Grn Skier : Any dents in the car yet? No, enjoyed the chat!

Dramatica : Actually, my son didn’t pass the drivers’ test!

Dramatica : He hit a cone in the parking test before he even got to try the driving part. He goes back again next week.

Grn Skier : You’re lucky, but I’m sure he was upset.

Dramatica : That is a word that might palely describe it, yes…Well, any Dramatica questions on theory or software?

Grn Skier : Sure. Tell me about multiple stories. I saw that mentioned in a previous session.

Dramatica : Let me tell you a story… a multiple story…. Okay, here is how that works. When you create a finished written “something” you might find that it contains one or more stories. In Dramatica, we call that finished product a “work”. Now, this Work might be a complete story, a part of a story, an experience or mood piece, OR it might have several independent stories, like meatballs in sauce. The audience eats it up all together and gets a flavor from it, but if you analyze what is going on, you might find that each story works all by itself without impacting the course of the others.

In that case, you will need to deal with each one separately and create a separate storyform for each to understand the mechanisms. There simply is no “logic” to why the audience is affected by juxtaposing more than one story, yet there is a very real impact on feelings. Feelings are what guide us in making choices as we write to pick one storyform over another.

Grn Skier : When not connected – is the intent usually to explore same theme, different outcomes?

Dramatica : That is a common form of connection among stories in the same work, but you also might want to explore a single character in different contexts, so it could be the character that is the common factor, even if that character is played by different players or people. For example, you might want to explore how a particular outlook fares in different kinds of scenarios, each a different story unto itself. And you might have different people of different ages, sexes, etc. play the same “character” (defined by having the same characteristics) in multiple stories in the same “Work”.

Grn Skier : e.g. Pursuit, …

Dramatica : By the end of the experience, the audience would know a lot more about that kind of character and have a feeling about them. Evening, T.

TBUDDHIST : Howdy.

Dramatica : Howdy, Mick!

Mickhadick : Hey Mel, et al.

Dramatica : We be here.

Dramatica : Questions?

Mickhadick : Yes.

Dramatica : Oh, did you know that AOL now has a MAC Web browser, by the way?

Grn Skier : What if the two stories interact?

Dramatica : If the two stories interact, it is important to determine if they are connected by storyforming or storytelling. If they have the same people showing up in both stories, but each story is its own argument, then the people may be one type of character in one story and another type of character in the other. You saw this a lot in Hill Street Blues, where many stories were going on with the same people involved but they were a protagonist in one story, an antagonist in another, etc.

Dramatica : But if the storyforms are linked, then one is a “sub-story” of the other. Depending upon how they are linked, you might find them connected only thematically or just in a plot area (making it only a sub-plot) or all down the line where character, plot, theme, and genre ALL impact one story from the other. Determining which is main and which is sub is simply a matter of emphasis by the author, however, even if you balance them it changes nothing except to make the distinction between main and sub obscure, but the point remains that they are two stories connected that impact each other, regardless of what you would call them. The function remains.

Grn Skier : I’m working one with 2 ‘Objective stories’ tied together by the subjective story. I was confuse until I started learning Dramatica.

Dramatica : That is a fine way to go… much more interesting that just a single objective/subjective story. Let me also encourage you all to chat amongst yourselves, if you are so inclined, as I don’t have to hog the show here ya know!

Grn Skier : I need to digest some of you answers – thanks.

Mickhadick : You answered what was going to be my question, as well.

TBUDDHIST : I get mixed up with the four levels; classes, types, etc. Could you help define for me?

Dramatica : Sure, T… If you look at any problem you might see in the real world, and you wanted to classify its nature in the most efficient, broad stroke manner possible, you would find four categories into which the problem and its impact might fall. It might be a situation, It might be an activity, It might be someone’s mind-set (yours included)…or the way someone thinks about something, which is a bit different than mind set because rather than just being a point of view, it is a manner of reacting to things.

TBUDDHIST : More dynamic versus static.

Dramatica : That means that there is an external state and process and an internal state and process. Universe and Physics are the externals. Mind and Psychology are the internals and every problem you can imagine can be classified as either an external or internal state or process. Now, suppose you want to get a little more specific so you want to sub-divide each of these four initial “classes” into four sections each. We call each of those sections a “type” so that there are four types of situations four types of activities four types of mind sets and four types of manners of thinking.

The classes have something of an overview or genre-like impact on your story. The types have more of a methodology or plot like impact on your story. In fact, they describe the types of concerns or activities that your characters will engage in over the course of the story. The way the types work is fractal in nature… One of the types in the Universe (situation) class is “Past”. The type that is in the same position in the Mind class is “Memory”. Memory is to Mind as Past is to Universe. The entire structural side of Dramatica works that way so that Each type is divided into four Variations which are theme-like in nature and each variation is divided into four elements which is where the building blocks of characters come from.

Why only four levels? Because by the time you get down four levels of resolution in a three dimensional consideration you can’t go any farther without losing sight of the top level. Here’s a little exercise to demonstrate that… Imagine some twine. Put a spiral on the twine as you twist it into a piece of twine rope. That is three dimensions (the twist) seen at one level. Now, in your mind, imagine coiling the twine so that you see the spiral along the twine and also at the same time the spiral around the coil.. Now, coil the coil. You can BARELY keep that much in your mind if you try hard. But now, try coiling the coiled coil without losing sight of the twisted twine and you lose it.
That’s the black out point, Three dimensions plus four dimensions, the magic number of 7 which is why the short term memory has been discovered by psychologists: to be 7 + or – 2, (depending on ancillary links) which is also why phone number are 7 digits long.

TBUDDHIST : Right about that.

Dramatica : That is also why a story has only Character, plot, theme, and genre no more. Because they all have to do three dimensional things. And that is why Dramatica does a magic trick, because it deals with all four dimensions AND four dimensions of story because the element of TIME is included, not just the mass, energy, and space of story. Mass, energy and space describe the dramatic potentials, but they don’t say anything about how a story unfolds. To add the unfolding you need to keep track of time, because a slap followed by a scream means something different from a scream followed by a slap. The potentials and the unfolding of a story are intimately inter TWINED to make a bad pun.

Dramatica : How’s that?

Mickhadick : ? for group: anyone worked thru the Dramatica cycle? Story forming–encoding–weaving?

TBUDDHIST : Is a “class” the same as a “domain” ?.

Dramatica : T, no they are different…

Dramatica : The audience observes the story from four points of view I, You, We, and They. I is the view through the eyes of a Main Character, You is the Obstacle Character. We is the passionate personal story between them. They is the Objective Big Picture. The classes are what the audience is looking at the points of view are where they are looking from. When a point of view is matched to what is being looked at it creates a perspective that perspective is the Domain so, when Universe is the Main Character Domain it means the Main Character (I) point of view emanates from a situation or in other words the Main Character is defined by their situation such as they are second in command or black or female or the elephant man whatever, as long as it is an external state that primarily defines where they are coming from. Okay, any comments on that earlier question about using Dramatica?

Mickhadick : I’m curious about a successful approach to doing it. I’m letting the tail wag the dog, I think.

TBUDDHIST : Love it. Keep going. What’s the class for that guy

Grn Skier : I’ve been through forming and telling a couple of times.

TBUDDHIST : Me too, but I’m learning while doing as you can tell.

Mickhadick : I am too, but I’m concerned that I’m looking for a silver bullet with this wonderful tool.

Grn Skier : I think the only silver bullet would be to steal someone else’s work

Grn Skier : I’m learning while learning!

Mickhadick : Did you revisit the form as you wrote the story or just let it go until later?

TBUDDHIST : I have wanted to go back and look at it, especially as my characters take shape.

Grn Skier : I’ve found multiple interactions necessary to get to the write combination for the story in my mind. I do lots of technical writing, but fiction is very difficult. I’m learning lots from Dramatica that is not in the MANY books I’ve studied.

TBUDDHIST : How do you use it for technical writing.

Grn Skier : I don’t. That pays the bills.

TBUDDHIST : Got it.

Mickhadick : I’ve been wondering if it couldn’t be used to develop marketing campaigns.

TBUDDHIST : If they’re creative in nature, like ads, then probably.

Mickhadick : Present a grand argument for a product.

TBUDDHIST : It’s a short story I guess.

Mickhadick : It certainly does wonders for giving concrete terms for the vague ideas in one’s mind. Mel: do you find Dramatica a boon to your writing?

Dramatica : I think Dramatica should be used to tune up your instincts, because we all develop blind spots and fail to see problems with our own work, And if we use it a while, we begin to open our eyes to our natural blind areas. Once we see in there, we can write, it is the seeing that is hard. So, once we are tuned up, I think Dramatica should be put away, until the normal daily experiences create new blind spots and we need to tune up our writer’s instincts again.

Dramatica : Any more topics or questions?

Grn Skier : The documentation talks about using for writing songs – ballads I assume, the idea is logical argument.

Dramatica : Yes, any time communication is attached to a point of view, you are making a statement or an argument.

Dramatica : Statements are “tales”, arguments are “stories” So a ballad is just as good a form for a tale or an argument as any other, and Dramatica would equally apply.

Grn Skier : Dramatica – I E-mailed last week for info. on getting updated Theory manual – no response yet! Help?

Dramatica : Hmmmm… You should have gotten a response. Send E-mail to Mark@screenplay.com He handles that end.

Grn Skier : Thanks

TBUDDHIST : Could you help me with the dif between variations and ranges?

Dramatica : Sure, T…

Dramatica : A variation is just the topic of consideration, such as morality or instinct. As such, it has no context and one variation is as good as another. But in a story, one of those topics will be THE topic of consideration that the story is all about and that will be the “range”. Why do we call it a range? Well, if you look at Domain as a perspective on the problem then Concern is the specific area of concern about the problem and Range is the part of that area of concern in which considerations range. Also, because there are four throughlines each, one of the four points of view each one will have it’s own Domain, Concern, Range, and even Problem. In fact, the four points of view are like four people standing around a bowl of water in which a stick has been partially submerged. The stick appears bent from some angles and straight from others because of refraction but only when all four views are “quadrangulated” can we tell if the stick is really bent or really straight. It is the old three blind men and an elephant only with an objective four views instead of the subjective three. So, each view will see the point of entry the angle above water and the direction relative to the bowl from a different angle.

TBUDDHIST : Better to have three blind man than one.

But what if we had three elephants? Or one elephant one horse and one snake? Only having that fourth view the Objective view the seeing man could you pull it all together. Come to think of it, what would you get if you pulled together an elephant, a horse and a snake? Congress, probably!

TBUDDHIST : We don’t need a snake party!

Grn Skier : Like that was a joke – we already have that combination.

TBUDDHIST : Right.

Mickhadick : You’d get a sexy, talkative person that sleeps any place they want!

Dramatica : LOL!

TBUDDHIST : Great.

Mickhadick : And craps up a storm.

Dramatica : Now, now…

Mickhadick : Newt Gingrich in a negligee.

Grn Skier : Sick.

Dramatica : Hmmmm… stagnates the imagination…. Okay, back to story… any last questions?

Mickhadick : Technical question…

Dramatica : Okay, shoot!

Mickhadick : Somewhere it’s mentioned about locking option in the engine. Is there a feature for this in D-pro? or does this just refer to selecting an option.

Dramatica : Yes, there is in D Pro.. which do you have Pro or lite?

Mickhadick : …Lite…

Dramatica : Well in Pro, when you go into the story engine you can click on a little lock symbol next to any term you like and then hit the “clear” button and it will open up all the unlocked choices to as many options as are available, constrained only by the impact of the items you have locked.

Mickhadick : That would be handy…

Dramatica : And if you don’t like the results just hit “revert” and it will go back to what it was then you can try locking different combinations and see what comes up. This way you can play with the storyform and see the impact of character changes on theme, for example, even as you make them. Immediate “what-ifs” for your story’s dramatics.

Grn Skier : When will updates to PRO (from 1.0) be shipped?

Mickhadick : Do you plan any more sales for D Pro?

Dramatica : We have sales here about 2 or 3 times a year, but you can always get the best price in the mail order catalogs such as Mac Zone and PC Zone and Mac Mall and PC Mall. There is also a new product coming out in June… It is called “The Writers Dream Kit” which is very pretentious, but that’s marketing for you, but it has a new Character tape and a plot tape and the revised theory book and a subscription to the newsletter and new storyforms and a bunch of other stuff that is quite a good deal and lots of fun and lots of information. Also, if you are in or coming to L.A. don’t forget to stop by our booth at Showbiz West convention. I believe the second weekend in June. AND we are having our full-weekend seminar here in Burbank on July 8 and 9

Mickhadick : Suggested retail on the Dream Kit? (for my budget).

Dramatica : I’m not sure yet, Mick, but the best sale price is probably around $99, and more when not on sale. But that isn’t my department, and they don’t tell me anything! (wisely!)

Grn Skier : I’m still waiting for my upgrade from 1.0 to PRO, any idea on shipping dates/delays?

Dramatica : Since we put all of our effort into Showbiz West (the big trade show for the year) right after that we will be manufacturing and mailing the updates which should start going out about June 15 or so. And that is an update, not an upgrade.

Grn Skier : Great. Good luck at the show.

Mickhadick : Break a leg.

Dramatica : We are just beginning work on an upgrade which hopefully will include story weaving features so that you can write the actual story while remaining in Dramatica. And make sure all the story appreciations get in where and when they need to. It should include some sort of timeline, using Dramatica’s act order progressions.

TBUDDHIST : That’s a plus.

Grn Skier : Have you thought about adding a scheduling subroutine (e.g. calendar) for planning time sequence event.

Dramatica : Yes, Skier, we have LOADS of wonderful features and its just a matter of how long it takes to implement them, but they will be added as quick as we can make them happen, there is LOTS of demand, and lots of desire here to keep upgrading the product as the theory continues to develop into new areas. And also to provide as useful and friendly a writing environment as we can.

Grn Skier : I’m looking forward to the upgrades. It’s a great learning tool for me!

Dramatica : We are too!

Dramatica : Well, time to run…. I’ll see you next week, and have a great holiday weekend!

TBUDDHIST : Thanks for the class. Really appreciate it.

Mickhadick : Thank you all for your patience, and good night.

Grn Skier : Have a great week!

Dramatica : Niters.

The Dramatica Theory of story was developed by Melanie Anne Phillips and Chris Huntley, and was implemented into software by Chief Software Architect, Stephen Greenfield.

Dramatica Class 18

The following excerpt is taken from

The Dramatica Class Transcripts

Mental Sex

“Rainman”

Obstacle Characters

Dramatica : Evening, Powerz!

Powerz : Hello.

Dramatica : Got some questions on the Dramatica theory or software?

Powerz : Is there still room in your July class?

Dramatica : Yes, we have room available. It is on the weekend of July 8th and 9th, full day sessions each day.

Powerz : Yes, I recently purchased Dramatica Pro and I’m making my way through the material.

Dramatica : What are your initial thoughts? Good things, bad things, or questions?

Powerz : I guess it’s very complex for me and many new terms to learn.

Dramatica : There IS a horrendous learning curve.

Powerz : Everyday I pick up on a concept and it makes more sense.

Dramatica : The saving grace is that everything you learn opens new doors to understanding stories.

Powerz : Yes I have discovered that. I have also downloaded all the previous chat sessions and I have picked up many things there.

Dramatica : Have you checked out our World Wide Web home page? We have some additional information posted there, as well as these logs (the first one is up on the web).

Powerz : No, but I have logged into your First-class BBS.

Dramatica : Great! That is much the same material sans graphics, which are the advantage of the web. Our address is http://www.well.com/user/dramatic We are working right now on a Character audio tape and a Plot audio tape. They should be ready in mid-June.

Dramatica : Evening, Skier!

Grn Skier : Evening, who’s on?

Powerz : What would really help me would be additional examples of stories analyzed by Dramatica.

Dramatica : D Pro ships with about 20, and there are another 10 that are in Stories Volume III which will be available about the same time as the Character and Plot audio tapes.

Dramatica : Hey, Skier, got some questions about the Dramatica theory or software?

Grn Skier : Lots of questions! I’ve had the package about 6 wks. The easy part is over – I’m into subtleties now.

Dramatica : Ah!

Dramatica : What medium to you write in, Powerz?

Powerz : Novels.

Powerz : If we have time tonight, maybe we could take a look at other familiar stories?

Dramatica : Powerz, alas, my expertise is in the theory. My partner, Chris, focuses on analysis. So, I don’t have a lot of examples up my sleeves.

Powerz : What I really meant is that it helps to understand Dramatica theory by looking at familiar examples.

Dramatica : I can certainly answer questions about Dramatica as it relates to novels.

Grn Skier : Let’s talk sex – mental, not cyber. My wife says I don’t understand her – I don’t understand women.

Dramatica : Skier, men and women indeed think differently.

Grn Skier : I’ve read most of the past lessons. When you discussed before, your audience seemed confused too.

Dramatica : Powerz, I can call up some examples for most of the theory points, but you need to specify the points.

Powerz : How about the movie Rainman?

Dramatica : Confused, Skier? On Mental Sex, you mean? Conditions and Requirements, Skier? You mean Pre-conditions?

Grn Skier : Yeap. Example: Difference between Conditions and Requirements. Finish Rainman example 1st.

More on Mental Sex

Dramatica : Okay, Rainman… We usually use that as an example of an ending that is Failure but Good. As opposed to Remains of the Day which is Success, yet Bad. Success/Failure pertains to the achievement of the goal, but Good/Bad pertains to whether or not the Main Character resolves their angst, regardless of success or failure.

Powerz : I’ll tell you what I think I know about Rainman as it relates to Rainman.

Dramatica : Hi, SPS!

SPSman : Howdy

Powerz : The main character is Charlie, the obstacle is Raymond, but who is the antagonist?

Dramatica : Powerz, first of all, Antagonist is an Archetypal character, and I’m not sure you will find archetypal characters in Rainman. Complex characters are built from the same motivations, etc, but they are grouped in different ways. For example, A protagonist, as an archetype is made up partially of Pursuit and Consider. They Pursue the external goal, they Consider the story’s problem. They keep reminding everyone to Consider the problem. The Antagonist, as the diametrically opposed character represents the force to Prevent and to Reconsider. So, you would look to see if one single character in Rainman has both those functions of if one character is the force that urges Charlie to Reconsider and another one is trying to prevent him from what he is trying to accomplish. I haven’t viewed the movie since it came out, so I’d have to review it to offer a determination, but that is what you need to look for.

As I mentioned, Chris, the co-creator of the theory focuses on the analysis and examples, whereas I deal in the theory almost exclusively.

Powerz : Thank you … I understand.

Dramatica : The point being that every aspect of character should be in EVERY fully developed story. But how they are grouped into characters is open to many variations When all like traits are grouped into a single “player” that player becomes an archetype. Just like grouping all the elements in a “family” in the periodic table of elements. There are the noble gasses, the rare earths, etc. Mix and match to bring in traits from other families into a single character and the audience cannot “assume” or predict how the character will respond until they see it happen. They must learn about the character trait by trait, but with Archetypes as soon as the audience is aware the character is being drawn as an archetype they will assume they are archetypal in all ways unless shown otherwise.

Dramatica : Since the Archetypes encompass as many traits as complex characters, the advantage to this is that the audience will fill in parts of the characters without the author having to take the screen time or pages to do it. This can open up more time or space to develop other aspects of the story more fully such as plot or theme so, Archetypes are a kind of shorthand for authors who aren’t focused on Characters compared to plot, theme, or genre.

Dramatica : Evening, WMcR!

WMcR 2 : Hi Dramatica!

Dramatica : More questions? Theory or software?

SPSman : ?

Dramatica : Yes, SPS?

Dramatica : (Oh, and please feel free to talk amongst yourselves!)

SPSman : Can there be more than one obstacle character in a story or can the obstacle character be a situation?

Dramatica : There can be more than one Obstacle Character, but not more that one Obstacle argument. The Obstacle argument is the alternative paradigm that the Main Character is forced to consider that would change their essential nature if they adopted it. So, there can be a “hand off” from one character to another in presenting that message, but there will be only one message.

Grn Skier : In your audio tape to said Women set conditions, Men set Requirements – examples of definitions might help.

SPSman : So the Obstacle Argument can be “carried out” by more than one character?

Dramatica : Yes, SPS, like in Line of Fire where Clint’s “girlfriend” at first is the Obstacle until the villain takes over that role. That happens at the moment Clint is hanging from the building with the gun in his mouth. After that hand off, the girlfriend becomes nothing more than a sidekick having shed her role as obstacle. Also, you might have a group of characters all representing the same point of view at the same
time who would be a “collective” obstacle character.

SPSman : In Dramatica Lite (which I have), how can one use the “obstacle character” development section for more than one character?

Dramatica : Skier, on Mental Sex…

Dramatica : Yes, SPS, such as a mob, a committee, etc. They can act as a single character D because they have a single dramatic impact that is identical among them.

SPSman : Thanks, that makes sense.

WMcR 2 : <–also interested to know examples in “mental sex.”

Dramatica : Okay, wait about 30 seconds while I get some material to refer to on Mental Sex….

Grn Skier : Just to pass the 30 sec.-I really like Dramatica – answered more Ques than shelf full of WD books.

WMcR 2 : <–singing jeopardy theme to self.

Dramatica : Okay, first I’ll give you some of the quotes from the article that appeared in our first edition of Storyforming, the Dramatica Journal… We all can feel a difference between the way men and women think. There has raged a great argument as to whether it was due to nature or nurture. Of late, scientists have been running brain scans that indicate a difference in the way men and women process data, but it still has not answered the nature or nurture issue… I’ll give you Dramatica’s take on that, right after I give some examples of male and female Mental Sex characters
Dramatica : and a description of how they differ.

Dramatica : First of all, Ripley, the Sigourney Weaver character in the original Alien was Male mental sex. The part was originally written for a man, and they simply changed the gender references. BUT she uses the same problem solving techniques which have a distinctive male quality to them. That is why it seems so out of place near the end when she goes back for the cat, Jonesey. A man might go back but it would be because he had made a commitment previously, or because he had expressed a SPECIFIC emotional attachment. Without the attachment being expressed, there is nothing to indicate that she is THAT attached.

Grn Skier : I understand cat reference, but I would have tried too. Not like it was a dog or anything.

Dramatica : For a woman, this kind of expression comes from her body English, but since the character was male mental sex, it seemed inappropriate without a set up. In the X files agent Mulder is Female Mental sex Scully is male mental sex Alec Baldwin’s character, Jack Ryan in Red October is female mental sex as can clearly be seen in the scene with the generals in the war room. They are all making logical assessments and he is connecting unconnected information intuitively.

WMcR 2 : Politics aside, can you give examples of diff between motivation (“female”) vs. purposes (“male”) etc? Also diff between fulfillment and satisfaction?

Dramatica : Tom Wingo (Nick Nolte) in Prince of Tides is also Female Mental sex which is why many men had trouble relating to him but women just said, “I know what he’s going through!” Female mental sex looks at motivations… Male looks at purposes… Where male tries to gather evidence, female tries to see connections. Female concentrates on Why and When male on How and What. Okay, I’ll pause for a moment, because there are some side questions to address…

Grn Skier : Those examples help, I never thought intuition was purely female or logic purely male. thought I understand them as stereotypes.

WMcR 2 : What is the diff between motivation and purpose in this theory?

Dramatica : First of all, Dramatica sees these as Tendencies, NOT binary black and white differences. The way we become male and female at a mental sex level happens before birth. In the 12th to 14th week of pregnancy, there is a wash of hormones over the brain of the developing fetus if the was is testosterone, it triggers the seratonin family of neurotransmitters. There is a direct connection between the two. Seratonin transmitters are exciters which causes the neurology to be more stimulated for about a two week period in relation to the biochemistry. If estrogen is the principal hormone wash, it triggers an increase in the Dopamine family of neurotransmitters Dopamines are inhibitors on the neurology which suppresses it a bit, allowing the biochemistry to come more to the forefront. The biochemistry is where out emotional sense grows from and the neurology is where our analytical skill comes from.

Dramatica : But after two weeks, regardless of which wash you get, it recedes, leaving a different “dynamic” in the mind one that favors analysis FIRST, the other that favors intuition FIRST. We all have both, but one will be called on first, even before our consciousness gets involved, and the other will get the data second hand which leads men to have TENDENCY to be more clear on logic with less effort,

WMcR 2 : I think I’m looking for more of a definitional diff between some of the terms…

Dramatica : and women more clear on emotions with less effort. But that is just the “pre-conscious” and there are three other levels of the mind: sub-conscious, memory, and consciousness. They are influenced by (respectively) the sum total of one’s experience, specific training, and conscious choice. So, a woman may be female mental sex, but through her upbringing, training, and choice, may think 3/4 analytically, and the reverse for men is true. As a result, although 1/4 of what we are is an influence we can’t get rid of the other 3/4 can lead us to be more like the opposite sex

Dramatica : All in all, you can’t cut open a brain and see it, or even check it in the biochemistry, because it is just a dynamic set up before birth in a two week period as the foundation of self-awareness and then it recedes like an ocean wave leaving nothing but its influence in how we approach problem solving.

Dramatica : Now there was a question on the difference between Motivation and Purpose… Suppose we have a character and someone asks us, “what is his motivation? We might say “He wants to be President!” Actually, being president is a Purpose! His motivation is that he had no power as a child or any one of a number of things that drive him to be president. So, many motivations might lead to the same purpose, just as many purposes might fulfill a single motivation. So men have a tendency to look at what somebody is after, whereas women have a tendency to look first at why they are trying to get what they are after.

TBUDDHIST : So is motivation sub-conscious and purpose conscious?

Dramatica : That too differs between men and women, TBUD. Which are in the conscious mind and which are subconscious depends on the Mental Sex of the thinker.

TBUDDHIST : Interesting.

Grn Skier : Sorry to ask for the basics. Us Male mental sex types are like the old dog and new tricks.

Dramatica : No prob, Skier, this is my favorite part of the theory.

WMcR 2 : Same q regarding conditions/requirements, fulfillment/satisfaction, hold/pull it all together.

Dramatica : WM… When men and women look at the same thing, they will be seeing it from a different direction, but if they look in the same direction they will see different things. So, when we pick words like fulfillment and satisfaction we can run into that problem in our definitions… But what we mean is, that women will FIRST seek what makes them feel at one with their situation whereas men will first seek what makes their situation properly arranged. One focuses on the appraisal the other on what is appraised. If a woman works all her life to try and find satisfaction, at the end of her career she will feel like she has achieved nothing if there is no fulfillment. But if a man seeks fulfillment and does not achieve satisfaction he will feel he has not completed his work. Tendencies only, remember! 3/4 of what we are might be trained to the opposite.

Dramatica : Hi Ben!

Wolfman188 : Hi

Dramatica : Another question before out time runs out?

Wolfman188 : Sorry, I’m (habitually) late!

Grn Skier : Before we break, tell how to get newsletter and access to BBS Info not in my pkg.

Dramatica : Okay, you have the Dramatica or Dramatica Pro, Skier?

Grn Skier : I’ve order upgrade to Pro. Will it include updated Theory manual? Have 1.0.

Dramatica : No, Skier, the update is just the software, the revised manual is separate at $29.95. For the newsletter or the First Class BBS software, either call Mark at 818 843-6557, EXT 532, or E-mail Dramatica@screenplay.com.

TBUDDHIST : Can a character approach some situations via female and some via a male approach?

Dramatica : Yes, TBUD, but when it comes to the story’s problem that sits in their heart of hearts, they will only resolve THAT one if they take the approach appropriate to their mental sex.

TBUDDHIST : Thanks

WMcR 2 : So many questions, so little time! –studying book and newsletter even as we type!

Dramatica : Yes, WM! We developed 24 hours of class material, which we presented here for about a year, and are hoping to soon do for the UCLA extension program. We also have our July 8 and 9 all weekend seminar, here in Burbank CA.

WMcR 2 : How about a NYC program?

Dramatica : Down the line we’ll get to NYC, WM,: but we are still growing our road show. A reminder to check out our World Wide Web page at http://www.well.com/user/dramatic (no A on dramatic)

WMcR 2 : You’ll be welcomed here with opened lap-tops!

Dramatica : Quite an offer, WM!

WMcR 2 : LOL!

Dramatica : And also look for all these AOL class logs in the Writer’s Club area, file library, non-fiction. there are about 15 up there now!

WMcR 2 : When will most recent logs be posted?

Dramatica : We will post the last couple early next week, and that will get us up to date. We clean them up first so they read in paragraphs, MUCH easier to use! Okay, time for me to go home to my son, the birthday boy (he’s sixteen tomorrow) Monday he gets his license!!!!

Grn Skier : Thanks, Glad to join session, hope to keep at it. Lots more ques.

SPSman : Thanks, Melanie.

Dramatica : So, I’ll see you all next week, same Dramatica time, same Dramatica channel!

Grn Skier : Good Luck and say nite to the cats. Nite all.

SPSman : Youet! :

WMcR 2 : Happy B-day to your son!

Powerz : Thanks ….

Dramatica : Niters!

The Dramatica Theory of story was developed by Melanie Anne Phillips and Chris Huntley, and was implemented into software by Chief Software Architect, Stephen Greenfield.

Dramatica Class 17

The following excerpt is taken from

The Dramatica Class Transcripts

Genre & Storyforming

Genre Grid/Chart: Comedy, Information, Drama, & Entertainment

World Wide Web – Dramatica’s Home Page

Dramatica : Evening, Mick!

Mickhadick : Hey Mel

Dramatica : Feeling creative tonight?

Mickhadick : No, I just talk to you.

Dramatica : That’s creative!

Mickhadick : Tell me about the genre approach to storyforming. I have D-lite, and assume it’s available in Pro. Just give me a taste. I’ve seen it in the advertising, but no explanation at all.

Dramatica : Okay… it’s a BIG subject…

Mickhadick : Give me a quick and dirty example, if you will By the way, do have some of this text canned, and just cut and paste?

Dramatica : (No canned text, it’s all “live”). Okay, does your story take place as a situation being explored or an activity going on.

Mickhadick : Situation.

Dramatica : Making the choice that your story’s problems stem from a situation, rather than an activity gone bad, or someone’s bad attitude, or even the way someone goes about solving problems, has already had an impact on your story at the genre level. Genre is a “resolution” of story, it is the largest resolution, that has its impact in how the audience will define the overall “feel” of the story. In a sense, it is the story’s personality. But it is made up of several things.

Mickhadick : And Genre impacts the throughlines?

Dramatica : Partially, but that is only at the storyforming stage. There are three other stages.

Dramatica : Hiya, Ben!

Wolfman188 : Hi.

Mickhadick : First name basis?

Dramatica : A completed story will have four stages of communication from the author to audience. Storyforming, which describes the original idea or feeling, story Encoding, which describes the images and scenarios and symbols used to convey that original idea. Story Weaving, which is the manner in which the author lets the cat out of the bag.

Story Weaving is the part of the creation process usually thought of as the actual “writing”. This is where you determine how to go about exposition, do you tell the audience everything at once, dole it out slowly, or fool them into buying into things that are not what they seem. Then there is the fourth stage of communication, Story Reception, which describes what the audience is bringing to the story in terms of foreknowledge, expectations, givens, and preconceptions.

Dramatica : Hi Delta!

Wolfman188 : Any chance you’ll record the “weekend” lectures and offer audio tapes? I can’t attend.

Dramatica : Ben, yes, we are intending to record the sessions on both audio and video.

Dramatica : Now all four stages of communication show up in the finished work, so when you go to the video store to rent a movie, you’ll see genres that reflect all four stages. Westerns are genre by setting, Buddy pictures are genre by character relationship Horror stories are genre by reception. This is fine for getting the overall feel you want to view… But it is not very good to write from. The reason is, that a particular feel can be created MANY different ways.

So although genre tells you what you want to end up with, it says nothing about how to get there. Fortunately, Dramatica theory is able to separate the four stages and give some guidelines for constructing the different overall feels.

Mickhadick : ?

Dramatica : Yes, Mick?

Mickhadick : So Genre doesn’t impact the 12 essential questions.

Dramatica : If anything, it’s the other way around…

Mickhadick : Okay.

Dramatica : The 12 essential questions shape the storyform, which will effect genre at that stage of communication. Now, there is a nifty tie-in between the sterile storyform, and the ultimate reception and you can create a chart from this that will not only make it much easier to choose your domains for your objective story and Main Character, but will also help you predict the effect you will have on your audience.

First, grab a paper to make a grid on. (upon which to make a grid) proper grammar, doncha know! Now, the grid will be a 4 by 4 grid, creating 16 squares.

Wolfman188 : I ought to be angry with you! I’m rewriting my 94’s novel & D makes it’s a lot more work!!!

Mickhadick : You talk like a surfer girl.

Dramatica : Never been surfing, but have been tanning…

Mickhadick : Great, she’s wrinkled!

Dramatica : Not hardly… You can see for yourself by checking out my WWW home page. http://www.well.com/user/melanie/

Mickhadick : Seriously?

Dramatica : Sure! I even have an audio hello. AND information about Mental Relativity, the psychology behind Dramatica, AND a link to Dramatica’s home page, AND original poems, stories, etc.: Now, ‘nuf ’bout me… Back to work!

Mickhadick : 16 squares…

Dramatica : Yep.

Dramatica : Along the left hand side, from top to bottom, label… Information, Drama, Comedy, Entertainment. Along the top from left to right label… Universe, Physics, Mind, Psychology. This grid forms an intersection between the sterile or “raw” storyform and the experiences the audience will have from your story. Let’s start with comedy which is easy to get a grip on. Each square on the grid will describe a different “genre”, Dramatica style. Starting at the intersection of Universe and Comedy. Universe means, “a situation” so, you can write in that square Situation Comedy, Physics is an activity so, you get a Physical Comedy (such as slapstick). Next, you have comedy of the mind which is a “fixed attitude”

Wolfman188 : Just went to the web and asked for hhtp://www.well.com/user/melanie = not recoverable.

Dramatica : Hmmm…. must be a problem on the web, it was fine this morning… try putting an extra / after melanie…

Wolfman188 : I’m doing some beta testing for AOL — might be my “fancy” software, too.

Dramatica : Comedies of fixed attitudes, ok. are usually called “Comedies of Manners”. So, on the chart, we can see the four principal kinds of comedies we are familiar with, by adding Psychology, which is “a manner of thinking” and creates a “Comedy of Errors”. Now, the same thing can be done for drama…

Mickhadick : This all fits in almost too nicely….

Dramatica : Universe = and Exploration Drama… Which is when a serious situation exists and is expored. Drama and Physics = Action Drama. Drama/Mind = Bias Drama, such as a story about prejudice, fixations, or pre-conceptions.

Wolfman188 : Same Web message with note that the area is “under construction” & “try later”.

Dramatica : Sorry, Ben, try again later, I’ve reached it from AOL, Prodigy, and Netcruiser.

Wolfman188 : Gotta go. Don’t mean to interrupt. Thanks, Ben.

Dramatica : Niters Ben!

Dramatica : Finally, Drama Psychology creates “Growth Dramas”. Growth Dramas are where characters come to terms with serious problems. Now, Information…. This does not just mean documentaries, but any story in which the audience becomes educated, such as Andromeda Strain… Info/Universe = What something is… That is what is conveyed, a description of something. Info/Physics is “How it Works. Info/Mind = What it Means (to the audience), Info/Psychology is Why it’s Important (to the audience personally).

You can see a lot of propaganda works in this area. Finally, we have the entertainment line… Ent/Universe = Entertainment through atomosphere.(Hi Rosharn!) Entertainment/Physics = Entertainment through thrills. Ent/Mind = An Entertaining concept (or “high” concept). Ent/Psychology = Entertianment through twists. Rosh, we have just created a genre chart Dramatica style, and are just about to describe how to use it.

Rosharn1 : Hi, M’lady. This is your heretical student Jack. Thought I’d drop in — quiet here tonight.

Dramatica : Hiya, Jack! Nice to see you here.. Okay, now to use this chart… All it tells us so far, are what the categories are that we have to work with. AND these are only the basic categories. Now, remember that in Dramatica theory there are four throughlines, Main Character (“I”),Obstacle Character (“you”), Subjective Story (“we”)
Dramatica : and Objective Story (“they”).

Mickhadick : Another 3D chart?

Dramatica : (no, not 3-D, so it will be easy to draw…)

Dramatica : Each of these throughlines is a different perspective or “take” on every story that an audience will want in order to examine the story’s message from all angles. Now, using the chart you have created look at the comedy line… When you are storyforming, you will assign each of the four throughlines to one of the different classes along the top. For example, Universe might be the Objective story, meaning that the aspect of the problem that affects everyone has to do with a situation.

The Main Character might be Physics, meaning they are a person of action, and so on. If you were to place all four throughlines in the comedy line each perspective would be placed in one of the columns. And what you would have would be a movie that was all laughs without any serious moments, no information to speak of, and nothing entertaining other than the laughs.

Mickhadick : Marx brothers.

Dramatica : Such stories quickly become one-liners Just as would a Drama that was all seriousness. If we assigned our four throughlines all to Drama we would cover the whole spectrum of drama, but leave no room for comic relief. Now, that gives us “breadth” to our story (from left to right) but does not give us “depth” (which would read from top to bottom). So, to create more depth, we make one or more of the four throughlines not in the same row. Depending upon which “class” (universe, mind, etc) we have chosen for a throughline. that will determine the kinds of comedy, drama, etc. open to that throughline.

So, if the situation was serious objectively. That would be Objective story in the Universe/Drama square. Then, the Main Character could be Physics, for example, but they are very funny, and fall into comedy in Physical Comedy. The Subjective story (relationships) might be Mind and be a “high” concept in Entertainment. and finally, the Obstacle character would be Phsychology in this example, and to fashion the most “depth” to our story we would put them in information which would make them the explainer of the story. Now, if story’s were static, we could just plug our choices into the grid, and that would be that… But stories EVOLVES and UNFOLD and as a result, they are in a constant state of flux. The part that won’t change is what class the throughline is in. That remains the same from the beginning to the end, so a Physics Main Character will remain a Physics Main Character throughout the story.

BUT they may be entertaining at one moment, and drift into drama at another. In fact, if you looked at each class as a “needle” on a seismograph, and you pulled the story’s timeline through the grid from left to right, you would see the “position” of the Main Character would rise and fall up and down in their column but always staying in their class. As long as the character moves from one area to the next, their “growth” will not miss any steps but if they jump too far up or down they will miss steps, and not react like humans do, when they change emotions an outlook. That is the problem with “Hudson Hawke” The character jumps too far too fast. Okay, questions on that?

Mickhadick : So going from square to adjacent square is important? Is that what you mean by jumping?

Dramatica : Up and down on the chart, for example, if you took away the lines between comedy and drama erased them off the chart you would see that comedy is not a single defined item but a place on the spectrum and it moves smoothly from comedy to drama.

Rosharn1 : Have you figured out any sequences of human emotion, such as Janos Egri’s progressions?

Dramatica : A character and an objective story will do the same. Dramatica doesn’t see any sequence as any more real than the next, as long as it doesn’t “leap” to conclusions. When we change, we can only change so far at one time. It takes people a while to move from one emotion to the next, one outlook to the next.

Rosharn1 : And a unit of change might be ???

Dramatica : The smallest unit of change we can make, is to move from one perspective to the next (I to You to We to They, back to I). The maximum we can make at one time is to jump to a whole new set of I, You, We, and They, so that none of them are taken in the same context or are applied to the same thing. If we try to jump from I to You and also jump from one consideration to a completely different one we become disoriented and so does our audience.

So, if you made a cylindar out of your chart. from top to bottom so that Information connected with Entertainment you would have the full spectrum, and every jump a character or story makes must be “plottable” as an unbroken line moving around the cylindar in its consistent class.

Mickhadick : So you can jump from info to entertainment (wrapping around)?

Dramatica : Yes. Those two are “akin”. You’ll find, though, that when it comes to the Main Character, the chart will be differently arrange for men and women in the audience. Male and Female Main Characters would see the chart differently, and therefore would take different paths to be consistent. But THAT is WAY too much for tonight, and we are also out of time!

Dramatica : Don’t forget to vist our Dramatica Home Page on the web at http://www.well.com/dramatic/ : I thank you. This was very helpful!

Mickhadick

Dramatica : Okay, I’ll see ya next week! Same Dramatica time. Same Dramatica station.

The Dramatica Theory of story was developed by Melanie Anne Phillips and Chris Huntley, and was implemented into software by Chief Software Architect, Stephen Greenfield.

Dramatica Class 16

The following excerpt is taken from

The Dramatica Class Transcripts

Dramatica on World Wide Web

Overview of Dramatica Theory

Different Views of Story — 4 Throughlines

Plot, Signposts, Storypoints

Story Engine – How the Software Works

Differences Between Lite and Pro.

Dramatica : Evening, SPS!

SPSman : Howdy

Dramatica : Got some questions about the theory or software?

SPSman : Yes, everything

Dramatica : Then the answer is “42″.

SPSman : But what’s the question?

Dramatica : Okay, shoot. What’s first on the list?

SPSman : Can you give me an overview of the theory?

Dramatica : Sure. First, how much do you know about Dramatica to start with?

SPSman : Only what I read in the brief blurb in the Mac Zone catalog, which is not much.

Dramatica : Okay, then I’ll give you a bit off the top… Also, let me give you our World Wide Web address… : Sounds good!

SPSman

Dramatica : http://www.well.com/user/dramatic. At that address we have listed information about both the theory and software. It’s already pretty extensive, including an overview of the theory, and we will be adding to that regularly as well. Now, for an overview.

SPSman : I won’t have Web access until AOL gets its one on-line, but that should be soon.

Dramatica : AOL has a WEB browser for Windows right now! Are you Mac or Windows?

SPSman : I got a Mac.

Dramatica : Then, alas, they have left you out in the cold for now…

SPSman : LOL

Dramatica : Okay, overview of the theory… Dramatica Theory sees every complete story as an analogy of the mind’s problem solving process. Characters, Plot, Theme, and Genre are seen as the thoughts and considerations of this mind as it tries to find a solution. These thoughts are made tangible, so that the audience can look into its own problem solving techniques in story-specific contexts and perhaps gain the value of experiences they haven’t had to earn the hard way for themselves. Hello, Mick!

Mickhadick : Hello all.

Dramatica : Just giving an overview of the theory for SPS. Characters are seen as the Motivations of the Story Mind, Plot, the Methodologies, Theme, the value standards of the Story Mind, and Genre, the nature of the Story Mind’s purpose. It turns out, that this model of the mind that is found underneath all complete stories has all the same pieces in every story just arranged differently. But the ways in which they can be arranged do have rules. Overall, it is sort of like a Rubik’s Cube, with a limited number of pieces, yet the cube creates 40 trillion, trillion combinations. Still, on a Rubik’s cube corner pieces are always corners, edge pieces always on the edge, etc. The model of Dramatica at the heart of the software, is a cross between a Rubik’s cube of story and a Periodic Table of Story Elements. And just like the cube, it can create many different stories, out of a limited number of pieces and also makes sure the “rules” aren’t violated.

SPSman : Interesting. But they can be different colors.

Mickhadick : ?

Dramatica : Yes, Mick?

Mickhadick : Do you think this story theory is at a steady state? And will it evolve, as story telling has evolved over the centuries?

Dramatica : Let me put it this way… Suppose you take any concept and outline it with just four points that are the major touch points around it. If you only had four points you wouldn’t see the shape of what you were surrounding very clearly even though those four points were exactly where they should be… Now, if you add more points to create a tighter framework around the concept (or object) you get a more accurate idea of the shape of the thing. Dramatica is a model of psychology that has established a number of points around the way the mind solves problems or creates justifications. We believe we have outlined those processes all the way around for the first time.

But even so, the framework is still a lattice work and as time progresses, more points will be added in between these initial anchor points, yet these anchor points will never have to be shifted, for they are drawn in just the right places. So, yes there is more to learn, but it will be additions, not changes that we expect.

Mickhadick : Do you have an idea of how long this psychology has been the way things are?

Dramatica : Well, Dramatica theory sees any mind that can differentiate between space and time as following the same model, just to differing degrees of resolution.

SPSman : ?

Dramatica : Yes, SPS?

SPSman : Does this theory have correlatives in the field of literary theory?

Dramatica : Dramatica is a theory of story, not a theory of screenplay, as such, it is equally applicable to novels, short stories, plays, teleplays, song ballads, four panel cartoons, etc. Just as a mind cannot jump from one feeling to another, or from one conclusion to another, without intermediate steps, Stories will not work that skip the in-betweens. That appears as plot holes or inconsistent characters. It is that concept that the model uses to make sure all the right pieces go in the right places.

But because it is non-linear you can start any place you wish, there is no set path of questions but you may begin anywhere in character, plot, theme or genre, and jump around as much as you like, while you fashion your “storyform”.

Mickhadick : So when a Greek drama drops a god on the stage with a crane, they’re covering a plot hole?

SPSman : I love the non-linear approach!

HConnor : Have a question..

Dramatica : Hi HConnor!

HConnor : Hello out there in Dramaticaland.

Dramatica : Only if the god is a square peg.

SPSman : LOL, Mick.

Mickhadick : HConnor has a ?

SPSman : ?

Dramatica : Yes, HConnor, if you have a ? Or, SPS, if not.

HConnor : Question: in the plot reference printout I’d like someone to explain difference between an analytic vs. a passionate evaluation of a question. Is that clear enough?

Dramatica : Sure… here goes… When an audience views a story… there are four perspectives they will look to take. The first is an overview, kind of like the view of a general on a hill watching a battle., This is the Objective or analytic view of the story’s
progression and meaning, and from this view, the characters are seen from the outside looking in. It is the “They” perspective to the audience, and just as soldiers on a field might be seen by their function, the foot soldier, the grenadier, etc., dramatic characters from this view are seen by their dramatic functions, such as Protagonist and Antagonist.

But there is a second view, when the audience is afforded the opportunity to zoom down into the body of one of the characters one of the soldiers on the field and to look through their eyes and see the story’s “battle” from a personal perspective. This is the view through the eyes of the Main Character. It is the “I” perspective for the audience. But there are two views left! The Main Character moves through the battle, not as sure of the overview as the general, but more aware of the personal meaning and details of their particular area. And the Main Character comes across a soldier standing in their path. The MC can’t see whether this other soldier is a friend or foe because the smoke of all the dramatic explosions has fogged up the field; so, the Main Character shouts, “get out of my way!” and the other character yells back, “change course!” The MC is not sure if this “Obstacle Character” is a foe trying to lure them into ambush or a friend trying to keep them from running into a mine field.

Eventually, either the MC will change course, or the OC will get out of the way. The OC is the third perspective for the audience the “You” perspective and the personal skirmish between the MC and the OC is the Passionate argument, the Subjective storyline also the “We” perspective. When you hear in a story one character say to another, “we are both alike, you and I” or “We are just two sides of the same coin” You can be sure you are hearing a passionate argument between a Main and Obstacle character.

Mickhadick : Or watching a B-movie.

Dramatica : Another good clue! That thrashes that!

Mickhadick : ?

Dramatica : Yes, Mick?

Mickhadick : Now that I’ve interrupted… There are 24 plot points, right?

Dramatica : And thank heavens you did, my fingers are bloody stumps!

Mickhadick : Four story lines to be woven together.. and six …

Dramatica : Nope, not 24… I’ll explain if you like…

Mickhadick : Okay, go ahead please.

Dramatica : Well, first, have you seen the structural side of Dramatica — the structure map? : Yes.

Mickhadick

Dramatica : Okay, then you have seen how it is three dimensional and is made of a series of progressively more detailed “quads” of dramatic elements..

Mickhadick : Okay. With you. (I’m using D-lite, by the way).

HConnor : help!! Like an unexpected complication in a scene, I lost power on my computer just as you were finishing explanation of passionate argument … could you recap briefly?

Dramatica : Sorry, H, I am keeping a log, I’ll get it to you later, but have to go on now…

Mickhadick : Melanie doesn’t really exist, but is only a cyborg.

Dramatica : These quads all have, of course, four dramatic items in them. Each will represent a pathway of four “signposts” or dramatic “storypoints” that will be touched on over the course of the story. But because they are “nested” three dimensionally, there are wheels within wheels…Looking at plot as linear, is a mistake, and that’s why 24 plot points does not do the whole job… Plot is not separate from theme and character but they are nested within each other so as one wheel turns just like gears on a ten speed bike, its going to have a gear ratio effect on the other two elements of the drama… you can’t change plot without affecting both character and theme for example.

So, Any kind of progression, be it character growth, thematic argument, genre development or plot progression will be affected by and affect the others. Each progressive movement then, would be seen as a different “step” or plot point. They ALL have to be there to keep this model of the mind from “slipping gears” but some are such subtle movements that they are so detailed they get lost in the “noise” level of a story, and do not need to be fully developed, especially if a story has limited its scope or depth in one area, say theme, to allow more time to explore another, such as plot. Whew!

SPSman : ?

Dramatica : Yep?

Dramatica : Hi, Attract! Welcome!

Attract863 : Thank you…Melanie?

Dramatica : Yes, ’tis me, Attract.

SPSman : How does the software actually work? : Very well, thank you.

Dramatica

SPSman : When I sit down at the keyboard and run the program what happens?

HConnor : I have a complaint about Dramatica…

Dramatica : Okay, SPS, Dramatica : here’s what happens… Then, complaint… In the software, is a model of this analogy of the mind built upon the relationships outlined by the Dramatica Theory. The model is called “The Story Engine”. The story engine needs input to know how all the gears will be arranged for the kind of story machine you are trying to “write”. Because a story IS a machine… it doesn’t just sit there, you prime it and then it runs until it builds something… it builds the ideas and feelings you wanted to communicate.

HConnor : I appreciate that Dramatica is very good at setting up plot, theme, genre, and characters I like the user interface I like the division between story forming and story telling … But I’ll be darned if I can get the thing to actually WRITE the whole story!

Dramatica : (HConnor, if we ever build one that DOES write for you, shoot us, then destroy it!)

Dramatica : So, Dramatica asks you via multiple choice questions.. “do you want this piece here or there in your story” and it asks you by knowing what affect your choice will have on the final impact on your audience. So it presents the impact to you and says “choose this impact or that impact” and when you choose, Dramatica does the mechanical work of putting the right pieces in the right places to do that.

HConnor : SPSMAN: from an uninterested third party, just buy it.

Dramatica : As you answer more questions eventually you may ask Dramatica to build something that requires parts already used elsewhere. and so the software “grays out” choices that are no longer available because they would violate your own mechanism. Everything is available for the first question and then, as you choose your priorities by moving through the questions in any order you like and make the dramatic choices you want Dramatica will narrow the remaining viable choices until you have nothing left to build with.

SPSman : Fascinating.

Dramatica : Then, you have constructed the engine of your story, which we call a storyform. But that’s not all! Once you’ve built the engine it has to run! So, Dramatica runs the engine for you and then plots out what kinds of things will be happening act by act as the steps or signposts along the journey from your set up to your intended impact at the end. That creates a road map at all those different levels of wheels within wheels but you still have to right the journey that takes you from one signpost to the next.

SPSman : Wow! Thanks, Melanie.

Mickhadick : ?

Dramatica : That’s all it does. Nothing much, really….

Dramatica : Yes, Mick? Evening, George, and welcome!

GeorgeL676 : Hello, Melanie.

Mickhadick : Are there any known rules of this psychology of the story mind relating to fitting subplots into the grand story for instance,

Dramatica : Yes, Mick, there are.

Mickhadick : Should obstacle characters become main, etc.

Dramatica : Sure… here’s a bit on that… Dramatica the software, is just the first implementation of an even larger theory… The software currently deals with one sole story at a time. However, “Works”, which are completed artistic endeavors told in words may contain subplots, or several stories that may or may not affect one another. Like “Crimes and Misdemeanors” for example. Now, the theory sees a subplot more as a sub story. Because it may have characters, plot, theme, and genre of its own. A substory intersects the main story and has an impact on it. A substory does this by being built around one of the Objective or functional characters of the Main story who is NOT the Main or Obstacle in the Main Story.

But this “objective character” becomes the Main Character of their own substory. So, what happens to them will affect how then function in the Main story and vice versa. But a parallel story has characters who do not play a functional role in the Main story. So, both stories go on without either requiring the other to bridge point A to point B. Sometimes you may want to develop only a sub theme, without characters or a sub genre, or a whole sub story.

Mickhadick : Two equal sets of main and obstacle?

Dramatica : Yes, Mick… one Main and Obstacle for the Main story and another Main and Obstacle for each sub story or parallel story. There is a complex form… in which the Main Character of one story is the Obstacle in another and vice versa, so each is the other’s obstacle and each, to the audience is the Main. They tried to do this with “He Said, She Said” for example, and toyed with it, but ended up obscuring things with Philadelphia. The trick is to make SURE the audience can keep track of who they are siding with at any given moment, because they need to keep the two stories separate or the wrong arguments will be seen having the wrong impact. Truly a daring technique to use that form. Well, we’ve got about five minutes left…

SPSman : ?

Dramatica : Any other questions? Oh, and don’t forget our new World Wide Web home page for Dramatica at http://www.well.com/user/dramatic You will find LOTS of useful information there. Last minute questions?

SPSman : Basic question. What’s the difference between Lite and Pro? : SPS, both use the same engine but D Lite does not “tap” it at as many dramatic points as Pro. Since we are using the engine to build a framework around the story concept Pro creates a more detailed outline but requires much more of a learning curve of these new concepts. Lite creates just as accurate a framework but with not as much detail and therefore less to learn up front.

Dramatica

SPSman : So as a beginner Lite would probably be better?

Dramatica : It would be my suggestion. Good places to order are in Mac Mall, Mac Zone and PC Zone. You’ll find the best deals there.

SPSman : Thanks.

Mickhadick : PC Zone dropped you, as of a week ago.

Dramatica : Not to my knowledge, Mick. We are in for the next several months (paid advertising!) I’ll check into that though…

Mickhadick : They wouldn’t sell it to me, so I called you direct.

Dramatica : Hmmm.. Okay, I’ll look into it, Mick.

Attract863 : He’s right, Dram…hadda call Writers Comp store in SM…

Dramatica : Thanks, Attract! I’ll see what’s going on!

GeorgeL676 : I enjoyed the initial audio tape that I received with Dramatica Pro. Any plans for a video tape of your classes for those who are not in LA and cannot attend?

Dramatica : Glad you liked the tape, George!

Dramatica : Before videos, George, we are preparing more tapes… a character tape and a plot tape will be out by June. I’ll have to ask the Marketing department about that. Well, time to roll up the theory… See you here next week. Same Dramatica time, same Dramatica station.

SPSman : Have a good week. Bye all.

Mickhadick : Bye all.

HConnor : First on-line conference … Thanks!

GeorgeL676 : Will I get a notice in the mail or do I have to call check on availability of the new tapes?

Dramatica : George, you’ll probably have to check.

GeorgeL676 : Thank you. Keep up the great work!!!

Dramatica : Niters!

The Dramatica Theory of story was developed by Melanie Anne Phillips and Chris Huntley, and was implemented into software by Chief Software Architect, Stephen Greenfield.

Dramatica Class 15

The following excerpt is taken from

The Dramatica Class Transcripts

Problems Having More Than One Main Character.

Mental Relativity

Tenders500 : Hiya Dram! lookin’ forward ta meetin’ ya!

Dramatica : Okay! Well, any ol’ questions on the theory or software tonight?

Byron123 : ?

Dramatica : You know, you can always talk amongst yourselves and I can take a nap!

Delta Wire : Are you going to do a review of Rob Roy???

Dramatica : I just saw Rob Roy last night, Delta, and didn’t find anything unusual enough to comment on. One of the next editorials in the newsletter will be comparing The Hot Zone to Outbreak.

Delta Wire : That’s what I thought.

Byron123 : Can you use Dramatica to re-invent an existing story…i.e. such as Star Wars? Change the domains.

Dramatica : Byron, the storyform under Star Wars is a very common one, used by many stories, By changing the storyform, especially the Domain, it would give a completely different feeling to the film. For example, in Star Wars, the Objective Story Domain is Physics. This describes the feel of the Objective story as being a chase and a battle. If it had been mind, the focus of the Objective story would have been on the different attitudes between the Empire and Rebels. As you know, all four Domains are in EVERY story, it’s just a matter of which perspectives (Main Character, Obstacle Character, Objective Story, and Subjective story) are assigned to each Domain.

Byron123 : I use the software for creation purposes. I think it would be helpful if you shown how an existing story would be different. What would it have been if it had been Mind or whatever?

Tenders500 : Understand, B….a diehard Scriptor user, and, somewhat disenchanted….called your voice m, Dram, screenplay sys, no response….quite curious..ill shaddup now.

Dramatica : Sorry, Tenders… We get SOOOOO many calls, our voice mail system can’t handle it all! Great for business, but not too good for efficiently handling calls, I’m afraid.

Tenders500 : S’okay, still curious enough to be here…..

Delta Wire : What are Domains?

Dramatica : Delta, Domains are perspectives…. Perspective is what holds meaning in a story. Perspectives are created by positioning the audience in relationship to the subject matter. We can look a the problem at the heart of any story and see that it impacts four principal areas. It will impact the Situation, the Activities that go on, the Attitudes people have, and the way people try to figure out the solution. In other words, these four areas are Universe (situation), Mind (Attitudes), Physics (Activities) and Psychology (manners of thinking).

Delta Wire : Okay so, in Star Wars what are the four Domains??? Interesting!

Dramatica : Now, these four “classes” of problem areas are all going to be in every story, BUT There are also four points of view through which the audience views the audience will be provided four angles on the battle… First, they will have an Objective view, much like that of a general on a hill, watching all the drama, but not being personally involved in the fray. They will see the soldiers (characters) by their functions, like the foot soldier, the cook, the guy leading the charge, etc. But the audience also gets to zoom down to the battle field and stand in the shoes of one of those characters.

Byron123 : Is the book “Dramatica for Dummies” in the works?.

Dramatica : Soon as I figure it out, Byron.

Tenders500 : Let him/her run, B….

Dramatica : That special character is the Main Character, and that is the second point of view provided an audience. This is where the audience experiences the battle first hand, as if it were happening to them. It is the most personal of views, not as accurate overall as the Objective view, but much more involving and experiential. Now as this Main Character advances through the Dramatic minefield, they come across another “soldier” standing in their path., This soldier is hidden by the smoke of dramatic explosions, so the Main Character can’t tell what uniform they wear. This Obstacle Character might be a foe trying to get the Main Character to change course into an ambush,

Tenders500 : Intention vs. obstacle?

Dramatica : (yes, Tender, much like that!)

Tenders500 : sorry….

Dramatica : Or, they might be a friend, trying to warn the Main Character away from a minefield.

Duchess D : Whew-finally made it!

Dramatica : Hi, Duchess!

Dramatica : That Obstacle Character is the third of the four perspectives the audience is given of a story.

Byron123 : ?

Tenders500 : Pull up a stool, Duchess….

Delta Wire : Unfortunately, I can’t stay for the entire class, thank you again for your wonderful insight, see you next week.

Duchess D : Are you in the middle of something or can I ask…

Dramatica : Just finishing up a thought, Duchess, and then I’ll be open to new questions…Now, the Main Character is the “I” or “me” perspective for the audience, as if the story is happening to them. The Obstacle Character is the “you” perspective, as the audience stands in the shoes of the Main Character, and looks AT the Obstacle Character. The General’s view from the hill, of the battle as a whole is the “they” point of view for the audience, because all the drama is happening to “them” and then we come to the fourth view, that occurs when the Main approaches the Obstacle through the larger battle and they begin their own personal skirmish.

The Main says, “get out of my way” and the Obstacle says, “change course!” In the end, one will bow to the other in approach. This personal skirmish between them, is still seen through the eyes of the Main Character, which is the audience’s personal take on it, and so that fourth view is the “we” perspective. So, the audience sees the story in terms of I, You, We, and They. Each is a complete throughline that must weave from the beginning of the story to the end, in order to provide the audience with a complete understanding of the meaning and ins and outs of all of the drama from every meaningful perspective.

But to get to Domains… Each of those four points of view will be associated with one of the four classes, Universe (situation) Mind (attitudes) Physics (activities) or Psychology (manners of thinking). When they are all paired up, each point of view paired with the subject it is looking at, creates a perspective or “take” on the story’s problem and each of those pairings is called a Domain. So, for example, If the Main Character is associated with the Physics class, Physics becomes the Main Character’s Domain. Which merely says that the growth of the Main Character will center on Activities. Activities, are the most clear way to define that particular Main Character. Even at this most basic level, with the most broadstroke kinds of appreciations, you can see how the Domain concept can create many different arrangements of stories just by assigning the pairings differently. And each different arrangement will have a different “genre” level feel to the audience.

Tenders500 : You’re good….does the software look for anomalies within these parameters?

Dramatica : Tenders, the software contains a “story engine”. What this does, is to provide kind of a Rubik’s Cube of story elements, that tie in Character, Plot, Theme, and Genre. Just as there are limited pieces in a Rubik’s cube (only 27) there are limited pieces in the story engine but more like 267! Some are concepts like “Goal” or Main Character’s critical flaw or “requirements” or Objective Story Problem”. When you answer questions in Dramatica, you don’t fill in blanks, you choose from multiple choice items, each of which sets a different perspective for the audience.

Tenders500 : Understand!

Angus Glas : Is a log of these meetings available on AOL?

Dramatica : Agnus, yes, the logs are all up in the Writer’s Club area, use Keyword, Writers, then go to the File Libraries, then select Non-fiction and all the logs are there.

Angus Glas : Thank you.

Dramatica : For Dramatica users, we also have a free BBS icon driven, that has all these logs and many other useful files to download.

Angus Glas : I find “free” BBS is relative to the long distance charges. Where are you?

Dramatica : We’re in Burbank, but we are looking into creating a Web Home Page with all the same files.

Duchess D : How did you come up with” everything can be seen as a part of a quad”. Why “four” & not 3 or 7??

Dramatica : Fours and threes… Let’s look at fours and threes in terms of “acts” to get an idea how they relate… Imagine four sign posts… Let’s call them A B C and D. A is at the beginning of a trail. D is at the end and the other two, B and C are in the middle. Now, we wish to take a journey on the trail. We start at A and take our first journey to B then, from B we take a second journey to C — from C we take a third journey to D and we are at the end of the trail.

Four signposts create three journeys. Now, in a story, when we feel an Act Break, we are passing a sign post. Aristotle saw stories as having a beginning a middle and an end. This is actually a blended view… The beginning or set up is A. The end or conclusion is D but this view of Aristotle’s sees the all the distance in between as “the middle” or a single journey. Now, if you try to write from that, you have no idea what should happen in act 2 But if you know what all four signposts are, you can clearly see what each of three trips would be down that trail, from beginning to end.

As a real, Dramatica example, Let’s look at a quad of Types, which are at the “plot level” or “act level” of Dramatica…This quad has four items in it: Learning, understanding, doing, and obtaining. Any order through these would be okay with Dramatica, but, of course, the order will change the meaning of the story. (after all, a scream followed by a slap is different from a slap followed by a scream!) So, let’s just say they occur in the order above… Act one would have the characters start by beginning to learn… they continue learning until they arrive at an understanding… Having reached that understanding, their understanding grows until they are finally able to DO something, and then they do it harder and harder until they Obtain.

Tenders500 : Awright, How do I buy it? –Staring at credit card–gotta scoot.

Dramatica : LOL, Tenders! Such eagerness! Just send E-mail to Dramatica@screenplay.com, or call 1 800 84-STORY. Anyway, in the example above, what happens in act two is quite clear. So, an author must know the signposts in order to create the proper journey to get the audience from where they start to the destination the author wants them to arrive at.

Tenders500 : Thanx Dram, will do…you were really good!

Dramatica : Thanks, Tenders, and BTW, this is Melanie.

Tenders500 : Well done Melanie, good luck in all your endeavors! Nite!

Byron123 : ?

Dramatica : Yes, Byron?

Byron123 : Can any of the fixed options change, do-er, be-er, during the story?

Dramatica : Yes, Byron, a character’s growth line, is not independent of the plot, nor is the plot independent of the characters’ influence. If we look at a truly integrated story, the plot line would not make sense as creating itself. Twists and turns that happen are due to the characters. All the growth doesn’t come from within, much of it is in response to the plot. So, events can conspire to force characters to act differently than they would like, and characters can cause the plot to move in directions differently that its internal inertia.

If you change part of your underlying Dramatic storyform. What if this is the change in character? in mid-stride, B example, I have seen movies that had timelocks within optionlocks.

You will have stopped one story and started another, because you are effectively stopping one “argument” part way through, and changing the ground rules on your audience. Now, there’s nothing wrong with that, if you want to use if for effect, Just as there are stories in which Be-ers have opportunities to do, Yes, that is consistent, taken in that light. Be-er or Do-er describes a Preference by the Main Character, to do the work of trying to solve their problem internally or externally. They may, however, be faced with many situations in which they cannot accommodate their preference. That doesn’t change the preference, just whether they can enact it or not.

Much dramatic tension can be created when you have a Be-er in an action driven story or a Do-er in a deliberation/decision driven story. In each of those cases, they are fish out of water, rather than being in their element. Look at the Dad in “Beethoven” the dog movie. He is not a do-er at all, he tries to manipulate, tries to cope tries to convince others but when forced to have a slobbering dog in his house, does he take action? No, he just tries to hold up the front for the sake of the family. And that is why when he hits the vet, it is quite exciting and unexpected.

Duchess D : David has tried to explain 4th level justifications to me & I don’t get it. Can you ’splain?

Dramatica : Ah, that is a complex subject, Duchess, and I can give it a shot, but it is really a bit much for this kind of form.

Duchess D : Can’t do it in 25 words or less, huh? Perhaps, I’ll ask you after class on Tues.

Dramatica : Tuesday would be good, because the concept of justification, is part of the engine that drives dramatics BENEATH character, plot, theme and genre,

Byron123 : I tend to reverse engineer my stories. The story engine has been great for that. and is therefore both unexpected and obscure, yet responsible for the unwinding of the story.

Dramatica : Many authors like to do some storytelling first in the Dramatica Query system, then use their own words to help them choose the specific “dramatic appreciation” that is at the heart of their concepts.

Duchess D : Thanks…

Byron123 : The semantics are a killer.

Dramatica : That’s good to hear, Byron!

Dramatica : Just a reminder that Tuesday, May 2nd is our last free class after almost a year of providing them. We will, however, have a full weekend Dramatica Theory Intensive Weekend seminar on July 8 and 9 here in Burbank. It’s $249.95 and covers everything about Dramatica theory.

Duchess D : What movie will you show on July 8th?

Dramatica : We don’t know yet, Duchess, but will be determining that from what is recently out at the time.

Dramatica : If there are other questions, I’ll jump in, otherwise I can get into justification a bit.

Byron123 : How do you handle main multiple characters when it is a buddy movie….i.e. Thelma & Louise.

Dramatica : Byron, first, let us define a “work” as opposed to a “story”. A Work might have one or more stories in the same dramatic endeavor. Like Crimes and Misdemeanors, for example, which has two complete stories that don’t affect each other dramatically, yet are both necessary to the work to create a particular effect on the audience. For some “buddy stories”, there are actually two stories intertwined that DO affect each other.

Duchess D : Hark! David has generously prepared dinner while I was chatting, so I must be off. See ya!

Byron123 : Bye Duchess.

Dramatica : (bye Duchess!)

Duchess D : Bye Byron

Dramatica : One is, in effect, an offshoot of the other. The two stories might be so balanced, in how much attention they are given by the author, that it is hard to see which one is the Main just by screen time or page count. But, if one is an offshoot, it is a “sub-story” of the other, and may have its own Main Character. Now it may turn out that Main Character, is a prominent character in the other Main story. But most often, One of the two characters will be the Main, and the other the Obstacle. If the author wants to develop each equally, and wants the audience to relate to both personally, trying to see which is the “I” perspective and which is “you” can sometimes be difficult.

That is a problem in Philadelphia, for example. The most important concept is, that if one is Main, there must be an Obstacle. and that one of them will change their paradigm, and the other will affect that change by sticking with their own paradigm. The decision as to which is Main, is more important as that it positions the audience in relationship to the character that changes and the character that remains steadfastly resolved. Do you want your audience to experience going through a change on an issue, or to muster them in their resolve by associating with the steadfast character. If that issue is not important to you, you can lose the “unique” perspective of a single Main Character, balance the audience empathy between two characters and allow them to see both sides of the issue personally.

Byron123 : ?

Dramatica : Go ahead.

Byron123 : Your software has more commercial purposes, than just in story.

Dramatica : ‘Tis true.

Byron123 : Have you considered other areas?

Dramatica : Well, beneath the Dramatica theory is the model of the Story Mind and the mind’s problem solving processes. That model was discovered in story. And we called the model of psychology and the theory that surrounds it Mental Relativity, because it does for the mind, what Relativity does for the Universe. Just as the Universe has Mass, Energy, Space and Time, the Mind has Knowledge, Thought, Ability, and Desire. And with this engine, one can resolve patterns in what the mind considers, how it gets into problems, and how it can work them out.

Byron123 : I can see other applications (real world). i.e. business… the “rubik’s cube” of thought processes.

Dramatica : This can be applied to business, to systems analysis, to personal problem solving and even to such diverse areas as nuclear physics and quantum theory. The engine itself relies on chaos theory and relativistic equations. But, of course, that is beyond the interest of the working writer!

Byron123 : I agree. I think you got a “winner” on your hands.

Dramatica : Thanks, Byron! We hope to develop other tools based on this model in the near and ongoing future.

Byron123 : You did all the work!!

Dramatica : Well, time to pull in the carpets! I’ll be here next week, same Dramatica time, same Dramatica Channel! Niters!

Byron123 : Goodnight.

The Dramatica Theory of story was developed by Melanie Anne Phillips and Chris Huntley, and was implemented into software by Chief Software Architect, Stephen Greenfield.

Dramatica Class 14

The following excerpt is taken from

The Dramatica Class Transcripts

Novels & Substories
4 Throughlines & Grand Argument Stories
Theme and Plot
Dramatica’s “Reception Theory”
How The Software Works

Dramatica : Okay, up and running! So, any questions on the theory or software?

Jsheckley : Was there a class last Friday? No log posted.

Dramatica : Last Friday I was feeling under the weather, took a nap and missed the class!

Dramatica : There were a couple of people here though, I’ve heard. Apparently, they did fine without me!

Jsheckley : |_ () |_. I have plenty of questions.

Dramatica : Okay, let’s get to those questions.

Jsheckley : Okay I’ll try to remember them all.

Dramatica : One will do, to start.

Jsheckley : How does it work for novels?

Dramatica : Just fine. How’s that for an answer? Actually, Dramatica is a theory of story, not just a theory of screenplay. So, it works equally well for novels, short stories, four panel cartoons, song ballads, plays, teleplays, and screenplays. (To name but a few). Would you like some specifics of how to use it for novels?

Jsheckley : Yeah, Yeah, I read that. BUT you discuss 3 acts, four acts, for TV, screen … what about novels?

Dramatica : What about novels is a big question! Do you mean what about 3 and four acts as they pertain to novels?

Jsheckley : Yes.

Dramatica : Okay, let’s lay a little ground work for some concepts that will illustrate how that works. First of all, let’s define the word, “novel”. A novel is not the same thing as a story. A novel is what Dramatica refers to as a “work”. A work may contain just one story, or several stories, or only a part of a story, and still be moving and intelligent and complete. Dramatica is more concerned with a story, than with a work.

Jsheckley : I have read logs I could find so far except for the “part of” one, I agree.

Dramatica : Okay, for part of, how about a novel that is just a series of thematic episodes like “Steps”, by the fellow that wrote “Being There”? Some of those little episodes have no plot, some have no growth, and altogether do not make up a single story. Yet the book is absolutely amazing!

Jsheckley : Jerry Kosinski– an episodic novel; a complete story of a life. Oh, steps.

Dramatica : Well, that book was not about a single life, but about many different unconnected episodes in many lives, and yet they had a collective effect on the reader, just like nuts in a brownie. So, sometimes you might just want to explore theme, or characters without plot, and that can make a fine experiential novel.

Jsheckley : Well, that’s experimental literature. I doubt Dramatica would be useful in such a creation, nor need it because that’s only a “novel” in the sense of “new form of it”.

Dramatica : Right! So, Dramatica focuses on the concept of a complete story. Then, if you want to work with part of a story, you’ll find those parts in the whole, If you want to work with multiple stories, you will want to use Dramatica separately on each one, because how they all work together is too infinite to calculate.

One Daisy : Good evening.

Dramatica : Hi Daisy, et al!

Jsheckley : It wont link subplots.. hmm. That’s why some of us need help outlining.

Dramatica : The theory handles subplots just fine. The software is in its first version, and has lots more to come.

Jsheckley : You want my other 2 easier questions?

Dramatica : Well, we haven’t finished this question yet! I’m just laying the groundwork, remember?

Jsheckley : Oh, good thank you.

Dramatica : As for subplots, that is too simplistic a term.

Jsheckley : Yes.

Dramatica : They are really subSTORIES. They may have only plots, but if they have subcharacters, subthemes, and subgenres as well, then they are full substories. Again, you need not develop them completely, but if you choose to, they will need all four of those aspects.

Jsheckley : Well if they converge with main story it can b dealt with as one?

Dramatica : The difference between a multi-story work, like Crimes and Misdemeanors, and Subplots (substories) is whether or not the dramatics in one affect the dramatics in the other.

One Daisy : Doesn’t make for a better story if you do develop them?

Dramatica : Actually, Daisy, sometimes you can overly distract your audience by leading them into a substory that is overly developed. Substories should be used to examine aspects or branches of the main story, that you, as author, are most interested in.

Jsheckley : Yes, but she’s right if its really minor you must consider cutting it.

Dramatica : J, if two stories converge so that they ultimately affect one another, one is a substory to the other, even if they have been given equal attention, In effect, each is the others’ sub story.

Jsheckley : OK.

DorLa : Wouldn’t the Dramatica plot throughlines take care of this?

Dramatica : DorLa, there are four major throughlines in the Dramatica concept of story, and they need to be there for even just a single story. Each complete story will have its own set of four throughlines. Now, this kind of story we are talking about, (having laid some groundwork on novels vs. stories) is a special kind: a “complete” story that has Character, Plot, Theme, and Genre, explored completely through all four throughlines.

Jsheckley : Which kind? Sub-stories?

Dramatica : No, the single story…

Jsheckley : Oh.

Dramatica : In Dramatica we call this complete story that has all the essential parts and no unnecessary ones, the Grand Argument Story. Why an Argument?

Dramatica : Because Dramatica sees every Grand Argument Story as an analogy to a single human mind dealing with a particular inequity.

Jsheckley : Because a weltunschauung is an argument, a worldview.

Dramatica : Right, J!

Dramatica : Dramatica assumes an author wishes to communicate something. Something specific. Maybe its a feeling they have had, maybe its a point of view. Maybe its a message or just a series of experiences that leaves the reader feeling a particular way.

The point is, that the author has an idea of what they are trying to get across, before they let go of the story to the reader. Now, every substory would have its own “message” or point or feeling, and each would require the author to know what they wanted to say, before they make the story public to say it. Of course, a lot of good writing is stream of consciousness, personal explorations, etc. Dramatica can’t help there. Dramatica helps in communicating a concept. And to do that as an author, you need to surround the concept, be it a logical message or a feeling, with words, sentences, paragraphs, or in the case of screenplays, with images, sounds, and action. The reason being, that each of us has the capacity to feel the same feelings, and arrive at the same conclusions, but may never have done that due to our own personal experiences.

Delta Wire : Would this be the manifestation of theme??

Dramatica : Theme is part of it, Delta, that is the most emotional part of the argument, just as plot is the most logistic. However, once you try to outline your concept, you quickly realize that the most true feelings, and most clear conclusions cannot be expressed in a single word, sentence or paragraph.

Delta Wire : Could you give an example?

Dramatica : Delta, example of how theme is most emotional and Plot is most logistic? Is that the question?

Delta Wire : Yes.

Dramatica : Okay, we’ll diverge for a moment, but then I want to get back to wrapping words around an idea…. Theme is a balance scale that weighs two ways of feeling about an issue.

Delta Wire : OK.

Dramatica : Each of these ways, say “morality vs. self-interest”, is shown in all appropriate contexts to the message of the story. Context by context, we don’t just see which is good and which is bad, but rather which is better and which is worse, this is what keeps theme from being heavy handed and binary. By the end of the story, the audience has experienced many different contexts in which to evaluate whether morality or self-interest is better over all. Because there is seldom a clear winner, except in very simplistic stories, the outcome of the thematic argument, is more a “mean average” of which one came out working the best, overall, in the most situations, factoring in just HOW good it was compared to the other in each situation.

That has so many ramifications, it cannot be considered logically, and is determined by how the audiences or readers’ feelings have become wrapped up in the two points of view, in all those contexts. For plot, however, the concern is much more causal, as the audience “learns” the author’s message that certain forces lead to certain chains of events, The plot must make logistic sense, for if the chain of logic is broken, the whole “argument” of that part of the story will be invalidated by the audience because of the plot hole.

Anything that follows a plot hole is considered unreliable by the audience’s reason. Now, getting back to wrapping up ideas, in a string of words… Although each of us CAN feel the same things, that is to say, we have the potential to, we won’t feel them spontaneously like the author does, because we haven’t had the same life experiences. To make the audience feel the exact same thing, requires that the author create an environment in which the audience WILL experience what is needed to generate that feeling. For simple ideas, of low resolution, that CAN be done in a word.

For example, “Love”. We all know what that means, and it creates a degree of feeling, but it is not sufficient if we want to talk about specifically, brotherly love, or parental love, or lustful love, or romantic love. Suddenly, we need two words. And the process goes on until we have wrapped enough words around our idea, that our audience suddenly sees what we’re getting at…The shape of our idea emerges, the experiences build around them, and then the magic happens, when an artificially created environment, makes our audience feel exactly what we were trying to communicate to them.

That’s how Dramatica works, by describing what a complete wrap around of an idea looks like, kind of like putting one of Bucky Fuller’s geodesic domes around a story. Dramatica is not the nth degree of sophistication, but it is the first theory/software, that can create a consistent framework around a single story, to make sure that all the major points of view that an audience will take, and all the major value standards they will use, are accounted for and relate to each other in a consistent manner. Half of that is the structural side of Dramatica, the other half if the dynamics.

Jsheckley : It tells you how people might react?

Dramatica : J, that’s a good question..

Jsheckley : Sure, I was just trying to understand what you were implying a minute ago.

Dramatica : Actually, how people react, is half story, and half reception. There is a whole area of story theory called “reception theory” which basically studies what an audience brings to the reading or viewing experience. In Dramatica, we see four distinct stages of communication. First is knowing your idea, that’s Story FORMING Next is coming up with the words, images or symbols you want to use to create your environment, that’s story ENCODING. Third is the process of arranging all these images and words into the linear flow that does the job, which is called Story WEAVING and finally, is Reception, in which the audience views the flowing images and tries to understand what the original idea or storyform was.

Jsheckley : The writing itself is weaving.

Dramatica : J, that is basically true. You’ll note, that for most authors, they do all four stages in the writing process all at once! The author will be figuring out what words next, while creating the idea, receiving their own work, etc.

Delta Wire : How does the software work? With prompts? With questions to answer? Do you have demo discs?

Dramatica : Okay, how the software works… Dramatica is not a fill in the blank system. The theory of how character, plot, theme, and genre relate, has been used to create a “story engine” that is not unlike a cross between a Rubik’s cube of story, and a periodic table of story elements. That’s what’s at the heart of the software. The user doesn’t have to deal with all that complexity, rather, you are presented with multiple choice questions about the underlying dramatics of your story. You answer based on the impact you want to have on your audience in your argument. As you make choices, the influence of those choices, moves around that story engine Rubik’s cube, and keeps plot consistent with theme, with character, by “graying out” choices on questions you haven’t answered yet. When you get to those questions, you may find an open filed of choices, or you may find a limited set.

Jsheckley : Hypertext? it wont permit what it views as mistakes?

Dramatica : J, not in creating the “storyform”, of course, once you have created a story form that IS consistent, you can change anything you want, for after all, you are the author and have the last word. Dramatica will just make sure that you are not undermining your own message.

Jsheckley : It won’t permit you to shoot someone with a knife?

Dramatica : LOL! Well, let me give you a couple of examples… First of all, some of the questions have up to 64 different choices. And you can even choose several that seem sort of like what you had in mind, and let Dramatica narrow the field later, as you make other choices elsewhere. Some questions have only two choices like… When the story is over, is your main character changed in their nature or do they have the same worldview they started out with.

Jsheckley : Changed or unchanged?

Dramatica : We call that Change or Steadfast. Other questions ask if your story is brought to a conclusion by a timelock or an option lock. Remains of the Day is an Option lock. 48 hours is a time lock.

Jsheckley : Can we skip the male/female mind thing?

Dramatica : Yes, let’s be neuter.

Jsheckley : No. I mean when using Dramatica for characters.

Dramatica : Actually, if you do not choose the male/female mental sex question, Dramatica will ultimately choose it for you,

Jsheckley : Ack!

Dramatica : or tell you that for this particular kind of character growth, in this particular plot, it could be either.

Jsheckley : OK.

Dramatica : Also, there is no fixed order to how you approach the questions. You can jump around in any order, because you are building a framework around your story, not creating a linear series of events.

Jsheckley : Good, cuz that’d be an option lock.

Dramatica : Very sly, J! More questions?

Jsheckley : Yes.

Dramatica : Good.

Jsheckley : May I be frank?

Dramatica : I thought you were J? Sure, shoot.

Jsheckley : (Actually my name IS Jay.) Dramatica includes many brilliant ideas I’ve seen nowhere in my research, isn’t mechanically tied to the idea of the hero/protagonist (and includes a couple of ideas that seem to me plain gooney). Sometimes I wonder if it wouldn’t be simplest to just try the damn software, but then I think Dramatica software might be impossible to use and worse, perhaps has already driven you insane, and I would be the next victim! is there any type of guarantee? And do you do wholesale (bookstore) orders? ==whew==

Dramatica : LOL!!!

DorLa : I use it and it hasn’t driven me insane.

Dramatica : Just think of it as a mental virus, like “Outbreak for the mind.” Actually, there is a 30 day money back guarantee for starters…

Jsheckley : Guarantee seems fair.

Delta Wire : Once you’ve answered the questions and created the framework, how do you write the story?

Dramatica : Delta, right now in this version of the software, the focus is on creating the storyform, and coming up with the images to symbolize it for the audience.

Jsheckley : Ah, and the price pretty please for Macs?

Dramatica : Dramatica Pro is $249.95 through the end of the month on sale, and is also available through Mac Mall and Mac Zone. I see that Delta has dropped off, but I want to answer that question… After you story form and story encode, that is where the software leaves off at the moment. At that point, you actually sit down with all the reports, (there are over 30!) that are generated in the software, get to know your story, and then put them aside and write! The purpose is not to toe the line, but to look into the dark corners of your concept, and make sure there is something there, because the audience will look places you might overlook.

Jsheckley : Won’t it be available at Dark Carnival bookstore?

Dramatica : In future versions, we will be developing some on-line writing tools to help authors do the actually writing within the program, but in this version, by the time you finish with what it does, you’ll know your story better than you’ve ever known a story. Writing then becomes the fun part again!

One Daisy : Would that include something similar to Scriptor?

Dramatica : Actually, that’s under consideration… We want, ultimately, to allow writers in any medium to have tools available to do the actual writing in Dramatica, but for now, we’ll just have to settle for it doing things nothing has ever done before.

Jsheckley : Can you print a sequence of events w/Dramatica?

Dramatica : J, yes you can, to a limited degree… In this version, Dramatica will “predict” the conceptual order of acts, for each of your throughlines, allow you to illustrate those concepts, and then print all that material out in reports. It does not take you down to “scene resolution” yet, as that borders on the actual writing process.

Dramatica : Well, that’s about time for the end of this session… Any last ?

Jsheckley : You answered ALL of my tortured & difficult questions and I thank you all for letting me learn.

Dramatica : Its a pleasure to share. Well then, I’ll be signing off…

Makito7 : Thanks.

One Daisy : Thank you.

Dramatica : See you next week, same Dramatica time, Same Dramatica channel!

The Dramatica Theory of story was developed by Melanie Anne Phillips and Chris Huntley, and was implemented into software by Chief Software Architect, Stephen Greenfield.

Dramatica Class 13

The following excerpt is taken from

The Dramatica Class Transcripts

Printing Reports in Dramatica
Differences Between Dramatica and Collaborator and Storyline Pro.
Four Stages of Communication
Is an Obstacle Character Necessary?
Change / Steadfast

Dramatica : There we go, log started! Got questions this week, Ben?

Wolfman188 : Just got back.

Dramatica : I just signed on, no prob.

Wolfman188 : I had time to enter a Main Character. Worked fine. Couldn’t print it out, though.

Dramatica : No print out at all?

Wolfman188 : No — no print out at all. However the only data entered is for the MC. I’m doing a final revision of the novel ahead of it. That will be done next week. then more time to input the Dramatica first use for a rewrite of another novel.

Dramatica : You are moving along pretty fast there! Well, you should still be able to print from reports.

Wolfman188 : No. Can’t print it.

Dramatica : Do you have a storyform yet, and are doing storytelling or no?

Wolfman188 : It saved, however. Just can’t get through the Reports.

Wolfman188 : All I have done is storyform. Haven’t done any storytelling. And only storyform for the mc. Anyway, so far so good. I liked the way it interfaced with me.

Dramatica : Have you tried printing one of the example files shipped with the software?

Wolfman188 : (No, haven’t tried to print anything.) Except the mc. Give me an example of something I might print from the example files.

Dramatica : Glad you like working with it. As for printing, the only thing you can print are the reports. To do that, you have to click on the Reports tile from the desktop. Then, you select a report. It will come up on your screen. Next, you click on the Print tile to the left of the report and the report you have called up should print. You can also export the text of the report to an ASCII file for use in a word processor. To call up a story example file, just go to desktop and click on Open Story.

Wolfman188 : I think I did that for my mc character. I’ll try it again. But all I get when I click on the print tile is questions about margins.

Dramatica : The Print tile that asks you about margins is the Print Preview button. There is another button that just says Print. That one should bring up your print dialog window. Any theory or other software questions?

Wolfman188 : OK — it’s something that I’ll spend a little time on and, if I can’t get it right, I’ll use your BBS.

Dramatica : By the way, if you still can’t print, just call Screenplay Systems’ technical support. It’s free to every registered user. Yes, you can contact tech support through our BBS as well.

Wolfman188 : Theory, no. I probably will have questions as I get further into it.

Dramatica : Okay, I’ve covered the major areas of theory in earlier chats. We can talk about the software a bit if you like, or about features you’d like to see or have trouble with, etc. By the way, Dramatica “Pro” and Dramatica “Lite” are both shipping now, for both Windows and Mac.

Wolfman188 : Although I’ve had the software for a month or so, I haven’t until now had a chance to use it. As far as I’ve gone, everything seems to work well.

Dramatica : What are your first reactions? Have you explored much?

Wolfman188 : I have printed out all of these sessions and read them — and listened to your tape several times.

Dramatica : Uh-oh! Dramatica burn out!!!

Wolfman188 : My first reaction is that it is complex. But it is NOT confusing.

Dramatica : Aye, matey, complex it be, but tastes great! Har…

Wolfman188 : I don’t know what is in “lite” but it may be a great way to make a 2-step mastery easier than getting it all at once.

Dramatica : That is the idea behind Lite.

Wolfman188 : Likewise, being at a physical class would be helpful. Still, in my case, I wouldn’t have the time to go to the class even if I was in LA.

Dramatica : We are only continuing the free classes Tuesday nights through May 2nd. Then we are taking a break, and will be offering a two-day seminar over the weekend of July 8 and 9, but that is a paid affair.

Wolfman188 : What does Lite cost?

Dramatica : Lite is on sale until the end of April 1995 for and introductory price of $99 Pro is on sale for the same time at $249.95.

Wolfman188 : I bought a voice activated remote for my aunt’s TV. It was complex to program. You’ll be interested to learn that a video tape lasting about ten minutes came with the remote. I had no problem learning to do it right the first time. That might be a worthwhile option for you. This is a logical, easy to follow program but it IS complex.

Dramatica : Sounds useful! We hope to have a video or perhaps a CD ROM sometime soon. In the meantime, we are creating new audio tapes based on our other classes.

Wolfman188 : Guys like me don’t have CD ROM.

Dramatica : The next tape to be available will be Character. That should be out in a couple of months. By the way, if you or anyone else wants to attend our two day seminar, it’s going to be packed with fourteen hours of new insight into story.

Wolfman188 : I can see that you are aware that you have an educating threshold to overcome — and real users who publish or product in the field — before you’ll get the wide spread acceptance and recognition that you DESERVE.

Dramatica : We’re going to take all the material we’ve developed in our 24 hours of class material, and put it all into one “Brain Melt” weekend!

Dramatica : Actually, there is already great interest at three of the major studios, and several MAJOR television shows are using it right now, including two top-rated, critically acclaimed dramatic series.

Wolfman188 : Something this good always earns recognition in time. Frustrating at first, though isn’t it.,

Dramatica : A funny thing happened in that regard recently…I got some E-mail from a user who said that one of those shows was their favorite, and they saw the same kind of structural integrity that they found in Dramatica. They wondered if the creators of that show intuitively knew what Dramatica was offering. At the time, I hadn’t heard where our product was being used, and in the next week, that show turned out to be a user since the program came out.

Wolfman188 : Can you name the show(s)?

Dramatica : I would name the show, but we are concerned here at SSI that some successful writers, might not want to “fess up” to using a software product to assist them, so we won’t bandy about the names, but in actual fact, most writers seem tickled pink to claim that they are creating with Dramatica. In fact, it surprised us that virtually ALL the writers we’ve talked to can’t WAIT to tell everyone they have Dramatica. It’s like some sort of status symbol!

Wolfman188 : That makes sense. I started using pseudonyms exclusively about fifteen years ago. By the way, I don’t find serious conflicts with Collaborator and StorylinePro.

Dramatica : I’m glad you brought up Collaborator and StorylinePro…

WMcR : I’m sorry to appear to be eavesdropping – I am considering purchasing Dramatica (‘tho hard to find in NYC Stores)

Wolfman188 : Buy it. I did. It’s great!

Dramatica : Hi WM! I didn’t notice you drop in! Just jump in anytime with a question or comment about the theory or software.

WMcR : Hi! I’d love to listen some more before I ask my q.

Wolfman188 : Collaborator deals with a different task in the writing process — and compliments Dramatica.

Dramatica : As for Collaborator and Storyline, they deal with story from a storytelling perspective. They treat story as a complete work, they ask the author truly important questions that every writer should know about their story. Then, they organize your responses in an efficient manner. Dramatica, in contrast, deals with the deep structure beneath the story. And it contains a “Story Engine”. Using the story engine, Dramatica asks multiple choice questions of the author, not fill-in-the-blanks. With each answer, the story engine gets more information about the “shape” of the dramatics the author is trying to create.

After enough questions have been answered, the story engine can “predict” other dramatic story points that must be in that story in order to be consistent and complete in relationship to what the author has already determined. Once you have your “storyform”, which is the single, unique blueprint for your story’s underlying dramatics, then you illustrate how each of those story points is going to actually show up in your story. That is when Collaborator and/or Storyline come in. Each of those is great for storyTELLING, which is the manner and style in which you communicate your story to keep your audience entertained and connected. But by separating the storyFORMING from the storytelling, Dramatica can make sure that the story you tell is complete and consistent.

Most authors think of writing as the process of putting the words down. That is where Collaborator and Storyline excel. But knowing WHAT to talk about and WHEN to talk about it is what Dramatica offers by using its story engine. In overview, there are four stages of communication…One, in which you work out your overall idea or message. That is called Storyforming.

Dramatica : (Hi Makito)

Makito7 : hi

Dramatica : Stage two is Story Encoding, in which you figure out how to illustrate a storypoint in YOUR story. For example, the storyform in Romeo and Juliet, is almost the same as that of West Side Story, but the ENCODING is completely different. A storyform may tell you that your goal is Obtaining, but Obtaining WHAT? In one story you might encode Obtaining as the hunt for stolen diamonds, in another, the attempt to earn a diploma, in yet another, the effort to win someone’s love. But Obtaining SOMETHING is the storyform, just encoded differently.

Now Stage THREE is Story Weaving. That is when you know that your goal is obtaining (storyform) and that you have encoded it as recovering the stolen diamonds and have to determine how to convey that information to the audience. Stage three is exposition. Do you tell them right up front, or do you make them wonder what the goal is for a while, only understanding the scope of the goal toward the end. You might intentionally mislead your audience, dole out the information, or just come out and say it. That is the part of the process that Collaborator and Storyline do very well.

The fourth stage is Reception. You not only have to identify with your audience, you also have to identify your audience. You need to know who you are writing for, because they will have their own buzz words, preconceptions, biases, givens, etc. Unless you take this into account, many of the symbols you select in encoding, and the effects you go for in weaving, may not play at all like you had intended. Still, at the end of experiencing a story, you want your audience to have Received the Weaving so that they ultimately understood the encoding, and experienced the FORM of your message or purpose.

Dramatica is the only software tool available, that will give interactive feedback about a story’s deep structure dramatics. BEFORE you write a word. AND is non-linear so you can start anywhere, from Character, Plot, Theme or Genre, AND go through its questions in any order and ever skip all you like, even skip from one area to another. But when you’ve answered enough questions, Dramatica will tell you more than you told it… MUCH more! THEN, if you need to hone your storyTELLING skills, use Collaborator or Storyline, etc. More questions?

Wolfman188 : My input of the MC in the novel I’m rewriting clearly shows WHY it needs some revision.

Dramatica : Ah, explain…

Wolfman188 : I wish I’d had Dramatica before I drafted that novel.

Dramatica : Well, you’ve got it now!

Wolfman188 : It’s too early to see the total relationships amongst the players — but some changes need to be made. And not difficult ones — because I can see them clearly.

Dramatica : Dramatica works well for rewrites, but unfortunately, it will point out what needs to be changed, and alas, that often requires a lot of rewriting. But, better to “Dramaticize” before publication than finding those problems from your audience reaction to the story.

WMcR : May I ask a “test-drive” kind of question? About whether Dramatica can help in a “must there be a human obstacle to the main character?” As opposed to a force within the main character?

Dramatica : Sure! Here’s some information on that…Dramatica doesn’t see problems as truly being IN people or IN their obstacles, but BETWEEN them. For example, if you want a car and can’t afford a car, is the problem in your desire or your lack of money? The truth is, the INEQUITY is between the two. But to solve the problem, a person will pick one to try and change and leave the other alone. One might choose to get a job to get the car, and thereby change the state of things, or one might decide to enjoy a motorcycle instead, thereby changing one’s outlook to adapt to the situation. Neither response is intrinsically right or wrong, they are both just different. Now, when we learn that a particular kind of response always works for us, in the context of our experience, in our lives, after a while, we learn that response as a standard approach. that we no longer look for alternative approaches, because this one always works.

WMcR : That was VERY helpful and takes it out of the “bad person opposed purchase of car” cliché.

Dramatica : Now, if the situation should change so it no longer works, The question is, should we stick with our guns and wait it out, treating the new situation as an exception to the rule, or should we abandon our tried and true approach to build another? That is what the very first question in Dramatica is all about: Does the Main Character CHANGE or REMAIN STEADFAST. Job, and Dr. Richard Kimble were Steadfast. So was Clarise Starling (though she should have changed!) Luke Skywalker is a change character. So is Scrooge.

WMcR : My main character, a scientist, changes and accepts metaphysical factors in his success….

Dramatica : Changing or remaining steadfast, neither one is right or wrong, or will necessarily lead to success or failure. So, WM, you would answer that first question as CHANGE.

WMcR : Yes.

Dramatica : Now, the question becomes, Do they have to change by giving up their disbelief, or by embracing a faith in the metaphysical? This question is Start or Stop. and asks if the character grows into something or out of something. Another way of looking at it, is to ask, is the character in trouble because they LACK a trait or because they HAVE a trait? Do they have a chip on their shoulder or a hole in their heart? This is the DIRECTION of their growth.

WMcR : A wonderful, difficult question… I think LACK a trait here. A scientist who feels that logic should always rule…

Dramatica : Okay, if you choose LACK, that means they have to START something they currently are not doing. Now the question becomes, exactly what trait to they not have enough of. If they lack a trait and believe logic is the standard, then they would not be looking at the emotional side.

WMcR : Faith? He does not believe in answered prayers.

Dramatica : That means that they lack “feeling”, which is one of 64 potential traits you can choose.

Wolfman188 : Mel: Is your education as a shrink or as a lawyer? (I like the org. way your mind works!

Dramatica : Wolf (Ben) I’m just a poor country theorist.

WMcR : LOL!

Wolfman188 : Yeah…

Dramatica : Other choices are “acceptance”, faith, conscience, and a whole mess of others. But they aren’t random. In fact, each of the sixty four is related to all the others in very specific ways, so the “distance” from one meaning to the next is always consistent, kind of like a “spectrum” of meanings.

WMcR : Must there be a character who does NOT change…

Dramatica : WM there is always a character who remains steadfast… if your Main Character changes, their principal obstacle character will remain steadfast, and vice versa. The Obstacle Character, by the way, does not have to be a person. It could be a mob or a class or a mountain, anything that has an IMPACT on the Main Character to make them consider changing their world view.

WMcR : What a RELIEF! And support in creating such a story (w/o the obstacle as a person) is in Dramatica?

Dramatica : In a word, “yes”. Dramatica sees the obstacle by their dramatic impact, not by how you choose to embody that impact. Keep in mind, Dramatica is a NEW theory… As such, it will constantly be growing and expanding from this time forward. We feel that we have already outlined the EXTENT of the theory, and that is what enabled us to create the story engine, but there is much more detail that will be developed by us and others over the years, to fill in more and more shadings in the dramatic fabric.

Wolfman188 : Pay attention, folks. Mel & her partner will be taught in lit classes in a year or two! Ben said that.

Dramatica : As a matter of fact, Ben, we are in talks with both USC and UCLA right now. Dr. Marsha Kinder of USC, one of the country’s leading narrative theorists, not only enjoyed our work, but asked us to present it in a special four hour class to her post-graduate doctoral program in narrative theory. AND last summer we lectured at M.I.T. and also for the third year the at the UFVA The University Film and Video Association, which is the group of all Universities with media department.

Last time we gave them a full software demonstration in their computer lab up at the University of Montana where they had the last convention. It was a neat trip because Peter Fonda is a teacher there, and we attending a talk and screening he gave in honor of the anniversary of Easy Rider.

Wolfman188 : Well, you’ve earned it. And there’s lots more for you to do.

WMcR : Bring it to NYC!

Wolfman188 : Do keep up these weekly chats, please. I’ve got a hunch that the more I learn, the better my questions in the future.

Dramatica : Well, I’ll keep coming back as long as anyone wants to show up. We’ll be announcing these chats in our next Dramatica Newsletter, “Storyforming”. This next issue of Storyforming has an article on The Vampire Chronicles and The X Files.

Wolfman188 : If it’s just us, does that count as a date?

Dramatica : Only if you pick up the tab, Ben..

Wolfman188 : LOL

WMcR : Is Dramatica available in retail software stores?

Dramatica : WM, many writers stores carry it, and it is also available by catalog in Mac Mall, PC Zone and Mac Zone.

WMcR : Excellent!

Dramatica : Well, time lock! Time to go….I’ll be back next week, same Dramatica time same Dramatica channel.

WMcR : Thank you so much for your help! It was inspirational.

Makito7 : gn

Dramatica : My pleasure! Thank you. As usual, it is a great session. See you next week. Ben.

Wolfman188 :

The Dramatica Theory of story was developed by Melanie Anne Phillips and Chris Huntley, and was implemented into software by Chief Software Architect, Stephen Greenfield.

Dramatica Class 12

The following excerpt is taken from

The Dramatica Class Transcripts

Theme
The 4 Throughlines
How the Software Works

Dramatica : Evening, Wolfman! Ben, wasn’t it? Hiya, Delta!

Delta Wire : Hi, this is my first time!!

Dramatica : Well, Glad to have you here!

Wolfman188 : Hi, yes it’s Ben. Just got here. Out of breath. Back in a minute with a cold beer.

Dramatica : Any questions on the Dramatica Theory or software? Hey, Ben, bring one back for me too!

Delta Wire : Me too. Well, as far as theory I don’t know too much about Dramatica.

Dramatica : Delta, do you have to software?

Delta Wire : I’ve down loaded some files. No I don’t have the software I just found out about Dramatica

Dramatica :read some of the class logs?

Delta Wire : I liked the critique of Jurassic Park and search out class logs, yes I’ve read them and like what was said.

Wolfman188 : Is this Melanie?

Dramatica : Yep, Melanie it be! At your service!

Wolfman188 : You have a wonderful mind, Melanie. I’m impressed with what I’ve read so far in the book.

Dramatica : Well, Ben, it’s the condensation of over 15 years of hard thinking, so I’m sure it looks more brilliant than it was for us to figure out! Thanks for the compliment, though!

Delta Wire : What book Melanie??

Dramatica : Delta, there is a theory book about Dramatica, that stands separate from the software.

Delta Wire : Oh, I’ve seen some of the story theory in class logs and was intrigued.

Wolfman188 : I have the software, Delta. It’s a superb system that’s complicated but worthwhile.

Dramatica : Dramatica is two things: A new theory of story, and the software that implements it. Evening, Boon! So, I’m here to answer any questions about either the software, or the theory behind it.

Delta Wire : How does Dramatica deal with theme?

Dramatica : Well, let’s look into that.. First of all, Dramatica sees four separate throughlines in every story, and each one has its own theme. I’ll describe each of the four throughlines, then focus on one to show how theme works, since each throughline has the same kind of thematic dynamics, just applied to different things.

The four throughlines are: Objective Story, Subjective Story, Main Character and Obstacle Character. These are the four threads the audience will seek to follow as the story unfolds. The Objective story consists of the “logistics” of the story. In a sense, if a story is a battle, the Objective story is the overview, much like the perspective of a general on a hill overlooking the battle. From here, the soldiers are identified by their function, like foot soldier, cook, bugler, etc.

The Main Character throughline, in contrast, positions the audience IN the battle. The audience zooms down into the body of one of the soldiers and experiences the battle first hand through them. This is the most personal of perspectives, when the audience identifies with a character. Main Character, by the way, does not have to be the “protagonist”. Not only is “protagonist” an archetype, rather than a “complex” character, but they are also the one “leading the charge” in the battle. The audience MIGHT look through their eyes, but they could just as easily be positioned by the author to experience the story through the eyes of the cook, the bugler, or even an “enemy” soldier.

The third throughline is the Obstacle Character throughline. As the Main Character does the best they can with their inside view, they run into another character who stands in their path. This Obstacle Character tells them to change course. The Main Character can’t tell (through the “smoke” of the story’s dramatic battle) if that Obstacle Character is an enemy trying to fend them off, or a friend trying to keep them from running into a mine field. Obstacle Characters can be friends like Obi Wan Kenobi to Luke and even Hanibal Lecter to Clarise Starling, because they are both telling them what they need to do to resolve their personal problems. They might also be enemies. But since the Main does not HAVE to be the Protagonist, the Obstacle does not have to be the Antagonist either.

Protagonist and Antagonist are in the Objective story, defined by their dramatic function, just as the soldiers in the Objective battle are described by their military function. Finally, we have the fourth throughline, the Subjective Story. As the Main Character approaches the Obstacle, the two of them end up in a very personal skirmish in the middle of the “battle” at large. The Obstacle yells, “change course!” and the Main yells back, ” “Get out of my way!” The relationship between the Main and Obstacle is the Subjective story.

Now, each of these throughlines has a thematic focus. The thematic focus is simply the value standard by which the author says we should evaluate what happens in that throughline: what is good, what is bad. What is better, what is worse. In Dramatica, we call that thematic focus the “range” because it is the scope or “range” of the author’s standard of values for that throughline. Typical thematic ranges might include Morality, Self-Interest, Skill, Experience, Instinct, Conditioning, etc.

Delta Wire : I’m a bit lost if you used Star Wars as the example, who serves what function In the battle how are the themes different?

Dramatica : Okay, in Star Wars…The Objective Story is the effort of the rebels to destroy the Death Star. Everyone in the story gets caught up in that, which is why it is the Objective Story. Luke, who is the Main Character, is much more concerned with becoming a hero. He wants to get into the fray, have adventures, and make a name for himself. Obi Wan sees in Luke the potential to do great works for the betterment of the galaxy, but realizes that Luke must mature in order to call upon his “genetic” skills as a Jedi.

Obi, in trying to introduce Luke to the use and enlightenment of the “Force” acts as an obstacle to Luke’s desire to just jump in and flail around. The subjective story, is about Obi’s growing influence upon Luke, that changes Luke from a whining little pest who follows whatever anyone tells him to do, until he grows into someone who will “trust” himself. “Trust your feelings, Luke!”

Now, each of these four throughlines has its own thematic focus. I don’t have our breakdown of Star Wars in front of me, so I can’t give you the specific Dramatica terms, but I can speak by story example of the four themes. In the Objective Story, the theme deals with the Big Bad guys, against the Little Good guys. And the message of that theme, is the simple oft used one, Good will triumph over evil. It is the old David and Goliath story, expanded to become the Empire and the Rebellion.

The theme of Luke’s story, is that if you believe in yourself and your abilities, anything is possible. The theme of Obi Wan is that skill itself is not enough, one must also have experience. Which is why all the training and education. The subjective story theme is about enlightenment. It follows the growing impact of Obi Wan to show that only through trust and faith, can one finally reach a higher state of being. Now, those four themes are quite distinct and separate. Even though in the story as a whole they are all blended together.

That is the nature of weaving a story: to be able to make sure that each throughline is complete, unbroken, and has all the parts and steps necessary to make its point, but also to weave it in with the other three so that the impact of one throughline’s theme can be judged against the others.

Taken together, this interplay of value standards determines the ultimate emotional “message” of the story at the thematic level. So, Dramatica sees a thematic “range” in each of the four throughlines. But “range” is not enough! First of all, we need a thematic “counterpoint” because only if the thematic point is played against its opposite, can the audience “see” that it is better or worse than the alternative approach. So, thematic conflicts become things like Morality versus Self-Interest, and Skill versus Experience and Instinct versus Conditioning, for example. Still, that only tells us the “nature” of the theme. That just outlines the dramatic state we are considering. But to explore that thematic conflict requires that the theme be “developed” as the story unfolds. You don’t just come out and say, “here is the thematic conflict and this is how it comes out.” You have to “prove” to you audience that one side of the thematic conflict is better than the other. And this happens in the thematic “progression”.

In Dramatica software, when you make choices about what the thematic conflict is in each throughline, and then decide some things about how you want the story to end up, such as “success” or “failure”, and, does the Main Character resolve their personal issue (good) or not (bad) then, the Story Engine can “predict” the topics and order of your thematic progressions. That is part of the “magic” of the software. You outline something halfway, and Dramatica can fill in the rest of the pattern with information you didn’t put in.

Delta Wire : How?

Dramatica : So, each throughline will get a “series” of thematic conflicts through which the story will unfold. The Main Character’s series will describe their growth at a thematic level, for example. In fact, there will be six thematic conflicts in each throughline’s series. That is not a fixed number, but a “minimum” to fully describe the thematic “argument” in each throughline.

Here’s how it works. Dramatic items in Dramatica always come in fours. Each group of four is called a “quad” and represents one “family” of like dramatic items. For example, one quad contains Faith, Disbelief, Conscience, and Temptation. Taken together, the quad is a little “dramatic circuit” with the four items representing the Potential, Resistance, Current, and Power of that family.

Delta Wire : So the themes are grouped??

Dramatica : Yes, they are grouped like Morality, Self-Interest, Attitude and Approach. When you have four items in a group, you can see that six different conflicts are created: For example, Morality versus Self-Interest, Morality versus Attitude, Morality versus Approach, Self-Interest versus Attitude, Self-Interest versus Approach, Attitude versus Approach. Those are the six thematic conflicts of that quad. So, if that was the thematic quad for one of the throughlines, each of those six conflicts, would represent one “thematic scene” in the development of that throughline. The thematic issue of that throughline the thematic argument, could not be “proven” by the author to the audience until all four items are “measured” against each other, through six interactions to show which is overall the way to go.

Now, with four throughlines, that creates 24 different thematic “scenes” in each complete story as a minimum. Each of those scenes forms the basis for one of the dramatic scenes that MUST occur in a story, in order to FULLY examine and issue and make a point. Do keep in mind, however, that not every story is designed to fully explore an issue or make a point! By using the software, an author can answer overall questions about the nature of their story,and be presented with an ordered “progression” of the kinds of scenes they will need to write. That’s the magic part for me, when I am using the software! It’s kind of spooky, actually! More questions on theme, or something else?

Delta Wire : It thinks for you?? Does it give choices?

Dramatica : The way the software works, is to say that every story has a limited number of pieces that must be in it -kind of like a Rubik’s Cube of story. There are relationships between the pieces. In a Rubik’s cube, for example, corners will always stay corners, and middle pieces always stay in the middle. Still, with only 27 pieces, it will create 40 trillion, trillion combinations! There are a lot more pieces that 27 in a complete story. When you make choices, you choose how you want things arranged, dramatically, and because Character impacts, Plot, impacts Theme, the choices you make have ramifications. You can’t mess with one thing without changing the meaning of something else! So, Dramatica “calculates” the impact on the other areas of story, and “predicts” what must be done to be consistent with the dramatics you have already chosen, so you won’t be working against your own message.

Wolfman188 : Hopefully, next week I’ll start to use the software before I rewrite a novel. Is that common?

Dramatica : Ben, some authors like to work out structure ahead of time, others like to go “organic” and just let it flow, then work out the spine of it all. Either approach works with Dramatica, through there are “tricks” that make it easier, depending upon which approach one wishes to take.

Wolfman188 : I’ll do that next time. I’ve promised a re-write on a novel that I must do first.

Dramatica : More questions? I love ‘em, doncha know!

Wolfman188 : One of these daze, I’ll know enough (have used the software) to ask a good ?

Dramatica : All questions are good. Some answers, however, can be stupid.

Delta Wire : I’m blown away and impressed

Dramatica : Are either of you local to L.A.? We are having a free Dramatica Basics Class here tomorrow. It runs four hours and covers all the foundations of the theory.

Delta Wire : No I’m on the other coast, Cape Cod. I’m afraid it’s a tad too far to drive.

Dramatica : Ah, too bad! We hope to be taking that show on the road soon, if any writer’s groups want to sponsor the room and board. (and travel expenses!)

Delta Wire : Come to Cape Cod!! Tons of writers here!!

Wolfman188 : I’m in Seattle. I’d be there in an instant. Well, I can’t even seem to get home on Fridays.

Dramatica : Well, if we get an offer to cover the costs we’ll see what we can work out. Any final questions for the evening?

Wolfman188 : Just one. You’d better keep up these Friday meetings. I’m learning a lot.

Dramatica : Oh, I’ll be here rain or shine! Not to worry!

Delta Wire : Contact the Cape cod Writers Conference they are always looking for speakers. I could send you the address. They hosted Gary Provost for a weekend.

Dramatica : That would be nice! Just send it to Dramatica@screenplay.com

Delta Wire : OK I’ll mail you tomorrow

Dramatica : Well, if that’s it for tonight….

Delta Wire : Wolfman where do you hail from?

Wolfman188 : Thank you, Melanie. I’m in Seattle. Seems I’m always somewhere else.

Dramatica : I guess I’ll close THIS chapter!

Delta Wire : I’m sleepy see you soon.

Dramatica : I’ll be back next week, same Dramatica time, same Dramatica channel!

Delta Wire : Thank you Melanie!!!

Wolfman188 : This is #12 — right?

Dramatica : Think so Ben, I’d have to check the records.

Wolfman188 : Good night. And thank you. Ben.

Delta Wire : Night, don’t let the bed bugs bite.

The Dramatica Theory of story was developed by Melanie Anne Phillips and Chris Huntley, and was implemented into software by Chief Software Architect, Stephen Greenfield.

Dramatica Class 11

The following excerpt is taken from

The Dramatica Class Transcripts

Analyzing Storyforms
Dramatica Lite / Dramatica Pro
The best way tackle Dramatica’s learning curve.
Structural vs. Organic Writers

Dramatica : Hiya, Vis!

Vis Comm : Hiya Folks!

Dramatica : Got any questions on the software or theory? Comments are good too.

Vis Comm : BTW, If it’s you…thanks for your help with accurate versus non-accurate explanations…:

Dramatica : Yep, that’s me all right. And you are more than welcome.

Vis Comm : Yup, I’m a regular Sherlock….grin.

Dramatica : A lot of authors expect to get to the perfect storyform for their concept right off the bat.

Vis Comm : I’m still just getting the definitions down. There’s a lotta them.

Dramatica : It’s important to keep in mind Dramatica isn’t making decisions for you, but guiding you to areas that are consistent with the choices you are making. If you have incompatible concepts as part of the idea you are working out, you won’t be able to get both of them to work in the same storyform.

Vis Comm : Well, being I’m a beginner, maybe just using the program and attending the courses are next…

Dramatica : That’s when you need to redefine your priorities, or perhaps create a sub-story for the other concepts.

Vis Comm : That’s right where I think I’m headed!

Dramatica : So, how do you like using the software so far, aside from the learning curve!

Vis Comm : It’s tremendous!! Really makes you think about your story. Obviously, not enough writers in Hollywood do that..

Dramatica : What did you NOT like most about it? After all, we need to know how to make it better!

Vis Comm : Hmmm… There are a lot of definitions one needs to know. But I’m not sure how one gets around that…

Dramatica : It’s a tough issue. As you increase accuracy, the definitions become more tedious. But if you make the definitions more common place and broadly drawn, then the accuracy drops and Dramatica won’t be as predictive.

Vis Comm : I agree with your concern. But you gotta be specific in the usage of the program. Broad strokes won’t do.

Dramatica : Have you visited our Dramatica BBS?

Vis Comm : Yes. I like that as well..

Vis Comm : I think that any stories analyzed on your BBS should be analyzed by SSI . I’d hate to download a “bad” example.

Dramatica : The folder with our storyforms has all been done and/or approved by our staff as being accurate to the concepts.

Vis Comm : Oh, that’s good. I wish my cat would stay off my keyboard!!

Dramatica : We are just uploading one on Casablanca, and Being There.

Vis Comm : Excellent movies.

Dramatica : But we also have a folder for User Storyforms, so anyone can upload one they have created for comment. I have three cats at home, which is why I do this class from the office! I should mention for benefit of the log, that the Dramatica BBS comes free with the software.

Vis Comm : LOL! Isn’t that dangerous given that the writers idea is not yet protected?

Dramatica : Well, mostly writers like to take a stab at analyzing classic stories using Dramatica. I don’t think it would be a good idea to upload an original storyform in public. Of course, a storyform is just the dramatic skeleton of a story, as with West Side Story and Romeo and Juliet, which both share essentially the same storyform, but are told completely differently.

Vis Comm : Agreed. But I gotta say that I would love the advice. Yes, but I believe the storyform asks for a brief synopsis…? Unless you can incorporate a password.

Dramatica : Actually, the storyform is built of “appreciations” which are story points that have dramatic meaning. And every storypoint can be illustrated.

Vis Comm : Hmmm….

Dramatica : If you start to illustrate, then you might be giving away some of your ideas. Evening, George!

GeorgeL676 : Good evening

Vis Comm : What if you did incorporate a password? That way I could call you and give you the code. If I gave you the code, you could access it.

Dramatica : A “locked” storyform might be a good idea, but then there would be no reason to upload it anyway. A more simple way is just to attach the storyform as a file to some E-mail.

Vis Comm : Good idea.

Dramatica : For the record, we don’t do analyses here at Screenplay Systems, and believe me there are a lot of requests! Hi, Makito!

Makito7 : hi.

Vis Comm : Oh, I know…just’ a thought. One could though open a business.

Dramatica : Anyone can jump in at any time with a question or comment,and please feel free to talk amongst yourselves. I’m just here to help with questions that might come up about the theory or software.

Vis Comm : Hey Makito…

Makito7 : Hello.

GeorgeL676 : Is there a demo disk for Dramatica that a person can purchase?

Dramatica : George, no demo disk yet, but we are looking into one for the near future.

Vis Comm : George, trust me…just buy it.

Vis Comm : Makito, do you own the program?

Makito7 : Yes.

Vis Comm : Have you endured the learning curve?

Makito7 : I’m just learning it.

Vis Comm : Me too…keep a dictionary close by.

GeorgeL676 : Compared to other story development software how is Dramatica doing?

Dramatica : George, I don’t know the other program’s sales figures, but we are skyrocketing!!!

Vis Comm : I bet.

GeorgeL676 : Congratulations!!!

Dramatica : We’re a fairly good sized company (about 30 employees and a two floor office. But Dramatica may double our size in the next year or two! We’ve sold copies all over the world, thousands of them already, and we’ve only been on the market since June. So, after four years of R & D and mega bucks of capital investment, we’re really pleased.

Vis Comm : Cheer! Perhaps, the character reports can be more graphics based when showing relationships.

Dramatica : Vis, that’s a good idea we have been looking into. Currently, the reports area does not allow for graphics, but text only.

Vis Comm : Maybe Hollywood can churn out better films.

Dramatica : In the future, we’d like to show those graphical character relationships right in the reports.

Vis Comm : Maybe in another upgrade…?

Dramatica : Of course, you can see them in Build Characters, but there is currently no way to print that. I like that feature myself, since Dramatica can predict character relationships based on the characteristics you assign them. That’s always a show stopper!

Vis Comm : I just take a snapshot of that screen for now. LOL!

GeorgeL676 : What would you say is an average learning curve for using Dramatica?

Dramatica : George, that depends on how much depth a writer wants to go into. If someone just wants to answer the 12 Essential Questions that every writer should know about their story, that only takes an hour or so to get the most out of it. But there is so much to Dramatica that it could take someone 20 years to exhaust all the nooks and crannies of information about a single story. That’s because it’s a new theory of story as well as a story engine. So, the more you explore, the more meaning you can read from the output. That’s one reason we created Dramatica Lite – to cut down on all that information so that one could get right into the basics without distraction.

Vis Comm : Oooff!!

Vis Comm : Well, Company has arrived…I have to go. Thank you Dramatica for your help. See ya next week.

Dramatica : Niters, Vis! Thanks for dropping by!

GeorgeL676 : Thank you Dramatica. I will order that brochure Monday morning. Have a wonderful evening.

Dramatica : Niters, George!

Dramatica : So how are you doing with Dramatica so far, Makito?

Makito7 : I’ve worked through one story.

Dramatica : Did it help? Any favorite areas or problem areas?

Makito7 : I’m not really comfortable with the terms.

Dramatica : That is a common problem.

Makito7 : I’m working on the manual.

Dramatica : I was explaining earlier how as we made the Story Engine more and more accurate, it called for more and more precise definitions. But the more precise the definitions became, the longer the learning curve. We are busy trying to find more conversational ways to describe the terms, but it’s a really tough job without losing accuracy.

Makito7 : I do think the process is a help to creativity.

Dramatica : Do you have any particular questions and I help you with? Some definition, or concept or whatever?

Makito7 : The learning curve– what is the best line of attack?

Dramatica : To start with, I would suggest going right to the software, and beginning with Quick Story. That will present you with 12 questions that are at the heart of the theory. If you learn about those while answering them, you’ll have a really good idea of what Dramatica is all about. In a nutshell, Dramatica sees every complete story as having four separate “throughlines” or storylines. Each one represents a different point of view the audience sees in the story. These four points of view are “me”, “you”, “we”, and “they”.

The “me” view is the view through the eyes of the Main Character. Because it is a point of view, it doesn’t have to be attached to the protagonist. Just as in a battle, the audience might not be looking through the eyes of the soldier leading the charge, but might be seeing things through the eyes of the cook or the bugler. So that most personal view, “me” for the audience, is the Main Character. That view must be explored completely.

Every step in the MC’s growth must be documented, to show how they changed or why they didn’t. But that view alone is not enough. There’s also the “Big Picture” view of the “real” world (according to the author). That’s the Objective storyline, or the “They” perspective. This throughline is often thought of as the plot. It is here that the audience can see how the Main Character fits into the big picture of the story as a whole.

There is another special character besides the Main. They are called the Obstacle Character. They are the one telling the Main to change course. The throughline that describes their efforts to change the Main Character must also be fully described in the story, or the forces that act on the Main Character to change or stick by their resolve are not described. This is the “you” perspective, since the audience looks AT the Obstacle character through the eyes of the Main.

And finally, there is the “we” perspective. This is where the Main and Obstacle “have it out”. It is their personal “battle” or argument that takes place in the midst of the Objective story. Because it only involves the Main and Obstacle, it is called the Subjective storyline. So, we have four throughlines, Main, Obstacle, Subjective, and Objective. Together, they provide all the different points of view through which an audience examines the issues of the story. How each of these throughlines comes out determines the meaning of the story, as written into the message by the author.

So when you are creating a storyform no matter where you work in Dramatica, always keep in mind those four crucial points of view, and make sure each of them has all the necessary steps to develop and conclude. All of the other story points in a storyform are just different aspects of each of these throughlines. In other words, the other appreciations describe the dramatic potentials and key steps in those four throughlines. If you have built all four completely, you have built a functional skeleton for your story.

A question for you…Do you prefer to work out the structure first, or to work by feel and then try and make things work together?

Makito7 : In the past an outline has been primary. Then feel.

Dramatica : Both kinds of writers can work with Dramatica, but each will approach it differently. For those who are structuralists, it is best to create the storyform first, and then use it as something of a “dramatic spreadsheet”, as one user put it to me recently. The time line runs along one axis, and the storypoint run along the other. In this way, one story point might show up at several points in the time line. This allows an author to make sure that every story point shows up, none is forgotten, and also allows for multiple uses of that story point, if it needs to show up in several scenes.

Once you have determined when everything is going to happen, THEN you start illustrating those concepts as they will appear in your story. That’s when you go to the storytelling part of Dramatica. For every story point, there is a place to show how it will show up in your story. For example, the goal might turn out to be “obtaining” or “becoming” or a number of other categories of goal. If it were “obtaining” that would be part of the storyform. You would determine when in your story the goal of “obtaining” is going to be focused on and then you would go to storytelling and illustrate this goal of obtaining.

Is it obtaining stolen diamonds, or a diploma, or someone’s love? That is up to your creativity as an author, but you know what the category of goal is and where you are going to invoke it from the storyform “grid” that you create. Now that grid is not in the software but all the information you need to create it is in there. When you get to your storyform, all the story points or “appreciations” are the data that would go into that “spreadsheet”. In the future, we hope to build such a function right into the software, but for now, it was the creation of Dramatica’s unique Story Engine that was our first order of business.

For the “organic” writer, they wouldn’t want to use a grid anyway. They would want to do the storytelling first, which you can also do in Dramatica. Then, after you have written down your scenes and images, for each of the story points, you will have outlined what you know already about your story. For example, you might illustrate your goal as, a group of girls wants to make sure they each get a date for the prom. After putting in your story’s concepts in storytelling, THEN you create a storyform. You go to the storyforming questions, and push a button that says “storytelling”. When you do, for each appreciation, the words you’ve written show up to help you pick the category of story point you are actually talking about.

So, in our example, this group of girls who want dates for the prom, as their goal, might cause you to pick “obtaining” as the goal, since they are more interested in getting a date, than having a relationship. It’s simply a matter of which side of the creative process you like to begin with, but in the end, both sides will need to be done to create a story that is both entertaining and makes sense. Does that help a bit? (Or did I just waste a bunch of your on-line time?

Makito7 : That helps. I feel I’m gradually soaking it up.

Dramatica : It does take a while. It’s really a completely different way of looking at stories than we are used to. But once you “click” with it, so many things that used to be confusing or nebulous clear up and make sense. And even better,

Makito7 : I’m hooked on working with this.

Dramatica : once they make sense, you can use that view to make your story sit up and do tricks, where before it would just bark at you.

Dramatica : Well, ’tis about time to draw the curtains…I’ll be back here again next week, Same Dramatica time Same Dramatica Channel! Any parting questions?

Makito7 : Hope I can be back next week. Thanks.

Dramatica : (Like on game shows – a nice parting gift!) Okay, see ya then! Niters!

The Dramatica Theory of story was developed by Melanie Anne Phillips and Chris Huntley, and was implemented into software by Chief Software Architect, Stephen Greenfield.

Dramaticapedia

Story Structure & Narrative Science

Category Archives: Definitions

Dramatica Class 20

Dramatica Class 19

Dramatica Class 18

Dramatica Class 17

Dramatica Class 16

Dramatica Class 15

Dramatica Class 14

Dramatica Class 13

Dramatica Class 12

Dramatica Class 11

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