Dramatica: A New Theory of Story

This is an awesome book! First I want to thank Melanie Anne Phillips and Chris Huntly for thier hard work, creativity and innovation for putting together Dramatica. I have been piecing together a story for the last three years on Microsoft (MS) OneNote with virtual pages of characters, potential scenes and plots, however none of it was organized. It lacked control, consistency and something to gel it together. I recieved Dramatica last Friday and I cannot put it down because the information Dramatica presents is like a transfusion of knowledge going from the page to my brain. How many of you out there ever had one those moments where the intellectual leap is being made in real time as you read and take in rich information? It is like experiecing an on going epiphany being directly wired into your brain. That is what I have been experiencing while reading Dramatica.After reading the first half of the book I immediately fired up my computer, loaded up MS OneNote and started applying some of the concepts the books teaches such as character archtypes, complex characters, objective characters, subjective characters and four story throughlines as it relates to the points of view per the subjective characters. Although my story's structure was maturing, there comes a point in time that MS OneNote just isn't going to be effective as a means to retrieve and to display the information, which I was amassing. I went ahead and purchased the software Dramatica Pro and Storyweaver 3.0.Folks, by writing this review with enthusiasm and mentioning the software, please know that there are no kickbacks taking place between myself, Melanie and Chris. Please understand that I am sharing with you my personal subjective experience using Dramatica and I want to help those who are considering buying Dramatica. With that said, I do suggest in addition to the book purchasing the software Dramatic Pro. Why? As you read the book your mind is taking in alot of information and you may find yourself repeating the reading of chapters two or three times. Its new! Your mind is getting accustomed to a new way of thinking when creating stories. The software complements the book because as you build your story through Dramatica Pro, you are applying the theory taught in the book into practical application. For example, let's say you have read a great deal of the first part of the book, however there are still concepts that seem murky. You have a basic grasp on those murky concepts but you need a solid grasp. Using Dramatica Pro creates that solid grasp because it combines the theory with practical use. Not only are you applying your new skills in Dramatica theory, Dramatica Pro keeps all the information you give it in orderly fashion and has it all ready to display it back in an instant. On the other hand if you use Dramatica Pro without reading the book, you will get an exposure to Dramatica but may deny yourself the theory's depth that the book eagerly desires to give you. Read the book first, at least at the very minimum the first section and then use the software. You will find a satisfying learning experience.If you are considering purchasing the book Dramatica, I believe that you will not be disappointed but at the same time you must also be willing to commit to learning something new, being open-minded about new concepts and be willing to put it to work or practice. Best of luck with your stories fellow creative writers and may you all prosper from your efforts.

I used to think because I loved to read I could write a good novel. Writing a good story is incredibly complex, chaotic, and difficult. Geniuses break down that complexity intuitively, but for me Dramatica gives me a tool to craft good stories, without having to be a genius--talent is enough. Also, using Dramatica to analyze movies has vastly enhanced my understanding and enjoyment of movies and of the skill required to make good ones.I think the Dramatica theory of story is absolutely brilliant. It is for those interested in what makes a really good story. This book is not for those who just want to skim and get a new formula for writing a novel or screenplay.The theory doesn’t have to be mastered in one sitting. It’s interesting enough, that it can help writers continue to grow in skill for years. For those who create the story as they go along, Dramatica helps build solid complete plots as you go. For those who want everything planned out before they write they can create detailed roadmaps. Dramatica helps plan the structure in the first draft reducing the number of re-writes.So What is the Dramatica Theory?Over the last 30 years, the theory developers examined traditional historical theories of story, examined enduring stories, and tried to find the common threads throughout all of them. And the theory is not finished, it’s evolving. They analyzed why stories worked, how stories "satisfy" the seemingly insatiable human need for storytelling.In a nutshell Dramatica says an enduring story needs to have 1) an overall story goal that the problems of a 2) main character and an 3) "influence" character are bathed in. The fourth key piece is development of the relationship between the main character and the character who influences the path the MC takes to the story goal. Dramatica calls these "throughlines" (they're somewhat like storylines or plotlines).Dramatica defines 8 traditional roles found in almost all stories world wide. The roles integrate the characters with the 4 throughlines. The authors use the term “archetypal roles to describe the functions in a story. The Protagonist is defined as the player that drives the overall story goal to a conclusion. The Antagonist tries to stop the story goal from being achieved (in direct opposition to the protagonist who is trying to achieve the story goal). The other 6 roles are skeptic/sidekick, reason/emotion, guardian/contagonist (developed in the theory). The purpose of each role is to explain a part of the puzzle to convince the reader of the credibility of the story’s conflict and solution. Dramatica breaks down the elements of each of the 8 roles and provides a method for exchanging the characteristics of each of these "archetypal" characters to make unique, more complex characters instead of the familiar but more boring archetypes.I was surprised to learn that the protagonist can be a different character than the Main Character. The purpose of the MC and IC is to pull the reader/audience into the story problem and allow them to have an emotional stake in the conflict. The MC and IC can be any of the 8 “functional” roles depending on the emphasis the author wants the reader/audience to experience. The MC’s function is to be the emotional link between the story and the audience. This is an odd concept but once I read the examples it was obvious. When the MC and Protagonist are the same character that is the basis for the very familiar and traditional western culture single character "hero" story.Dramatica is a theory. It's not a writing formula, it's not a technique, it's not really a "how to" write procedure. It deals with story structure, not the nuts and bolts of putting a novel or screenplay on paper. It builds a plot without plot holes or unfinished plot lines. It shows how to develop interesting characters that integrate character with plot and theme. It includes convincing proof to make the climax and story solution satisfying to the reader/viewer.I've read a lot of how to write books and I keep coming back to Dramatica because it pulls all those other structural approaches together. Many of the other books fit just fine in the Dramatica framework, but if you understand Dramatica, you don't really need the others because it covers the narrower principles all the others address in e.g. writing a drama, a mystery novel, writing science fiction, writing an action movie, writing a play, writing a screenplay. Dramatica deals with the concept of the "story" regardless of medium or genre.This book is the free downloadable PDF version (still available online free), but this is in a bound book format. I got tired of flipping thru the loose leaf PDF version I printed out years ago and bought this and the Kindle version so I could use it with newcomers in our writing group, and search the ebook to find specifics.As brilliant as I think the theory is, the written explanations have always frustrated me, thus only 4 stars. The authors are so deep into the theory and development of it they don't have the objectiveness to see it from the outside and explain it well to a newcomer. As the theory has evolved (it's still evolving), they've changed a lot of the vocabulary used to better identify specific meanings, but haven't gone back and changing it in older versions or postings or writings. There is some unnecessary repetition, vague definitions that I think should be cleared up in the book. This makes it all incredibly confusing to a new person. The new Dramaticapedia site is an attempt to remedy that. Jim Hull's Dramatica site is a resource for learning about the theory, analyzing stories (movies), and learning to use the software. Armando Saldana Mora’s book is another helpful attempt to get the most out of the theory and software.The theory can be learned and applied without the software, but the software gives you more options and the ability to test out different story forms until you find one that feels right. I recommend reading the book and looking at the websites and trying to write some stories first, then downloading the free 90 day trial copy when you understand the throughlines and archetypal elements. The Mac version of the software (called Dramatica Story Expert) is newest. There is a Windows version of the software (called Dramatica Pro) that has been supposed to be upgraded for at least 6 years but still isn’t.

good

I like the way this book approaches the complex problem of writing a novel: structure, structure, structure.I found particularly interesting the way it discusses characters: from a functional standpoint and the way they interact with each other. While other books on the subject stop in the protagonist/antagonist duality, this one is richer in that regard.The problems I found:1) The terminology is too complicated. Everything has a three-word name ("Overal Story Throughline", "Main Character Story Throughline", etc). After 200 pages I couldn't tell things apart anymore. Why not using the normal words, like "plot", "theme", "story", "arc", and so on?2) the discussion is very repetitive. I firmly believe this book could have 100 shorter, making it easier to go through and easier to use it as reference in the future. But no: each one of those three-word things comes and goes many, many times along the book. Confusing and somewhat irritating.The good thing is: this book takes you a step beyond the classical Hero's Journey (á la Campbell). If you are passionate about the structure of story, give it a try.

Actually, it was a present for a friend of mine but she has told me the book is just amazing. Have a great day!

Dramatica offre une belle analyse de la structure d'une histoire et de ses personnages principaux ( pas très différent de Vogler soi disant passant ), en revanche le livre pêche sur son analyse et dissection des objectifs et émotions.J'admet qu'une structure de base est nécessaire à l'écriture d'un scénario, c'est dans le cadre que l'on trouve la liberté, mais c'est mensonger d'affirmer que l'on peut classer les émotions, désirs et débats moraux dans des cases, un peu de la peinture aux numéros selon moi.Je conseille ce livre à ceux qui souhaitent approfondir leur personnage ou développer un peu leur histoire, mais "A new theory of Story" je ne pense pas, ou alors elle ne fonctionne pas.

I was looking for narrative theories to better understand how to approach story writing. Dramatica is definitely one of the most extensive. It gives many deeper insights into narrative structure, that allow to approach story analytics and writing in a more thoughtful manner. But it also seems too heavy to be practically applied (that's probably why they have their own software for).