Category Archives: Video

Dramatica Unplugged (Part 86) – Progressisve Plot Points

In this episode of our 113 part video course on story structure we discuss how plot is made up of Static plot points and Progressive plot points. Static points, as the name implies, are those elements of plot that do not changes over the course of the story, such as the Goal, the Requirments to achieve the Goal and the Consequences if the Goal is not achieved. Progressive points, on the other hand, describe the linear sequences of a story – the order of events, the key points in a character arc, the step by step development of a thematic message, as examples.

These paths or threads are divided in milestones or stages, which we see in stories as Acts, Sequences, Scenes, and Beats. In this episode we’ll explore the nature of Progressive Plot Points and how to use them to ensure a sound sequential structure for your story.

The Thematic Conclusion

While the plot magic a logistic or logical argument about the best way to solve a particular kind of problem, the theme makes an emotional argument about the best way to be while trying to solve a passionate problem.  But, you can’t come right out and state that one way of being is better than another.  Your reader or audience won’t accept such a blanket statement and resents heavy-handed attempts to preach morality or behavior.  Rather, your thematic argument must show both sides of the issue, and not in black and white, good and bad judgments, but in gray scales and matters of degree.  The strongest thematic arguments actually show the opposite side of the issue as sometimes, in some circumstances, coming out ahead.  But, by the end of the story, the sum total of all contexts in which both sides are tested shows the relative value of each.  So, the most powerful themes end up with a conclusion that speaks about the lesser of two evils, the greater of two good, or that neither way of approaching life is positive or that both are equally successful.