As if by fate, the same week I decide to really put forth an effort to start writing again and put more of an effort behind this blog, I come across two posts discussing the pros and cons of using story structure software like Dramatica. There’s this one and that one.

Unfortunately, as is often the case, they both focus more on the cons.

I thought it might be interesting to take the time to write something positive about Dramatica and have it recorded forever on the Internet…

Where should I start?

Well, what did it for me, and I mean really hooked me into the theory, was the Constructive Criticism of Jurassic Park located in the theory book.

I had always felt let down by how that movie ended. Being a professional animator, I was completely enthralled and blown away by the special effects (Think back, can you remember what a spectacle that movie was?!). It was just an amazing film - so amazing that I even thought of giving up my dream of becoming a traditional hand-drawn animator and jumping into the world of CG (too bad I didn’t realize at the time that I would be forced to by the end of the century anyways!).

But I was still left unfulfilled or unsettled by how the movie ended - how that T. Rex just showed up and saved the day. In junior high I was taught that it was called deus ex machina. And apparently Spielberg took the same class because he’s used it several times to end his movies - like Saving Private Ryan and more recently, The War of the Worlds.

But little did I know that there was much more going on - and that there was actually a very simple and elegant way to fix it. The constructive criticism I referred to earlier just opened my eyes. You really have to read the whole thing to understand what I’m talking about, but let’s say that it was enough to push me over the edge, to buy the software, and to really try and learn what it had to say.

And it has a lot to say about storytelling.

To me, it’s more than just filling in boxes. Sure, it can be used that way. In fact, some even use the software without even bothering with the theory. They just use the boxes as placeholders for key information for their story.

Dramatica helps suggest to you what it is your story might be missing.

Let’s take, for instance, the movie Contact. Now I happen to think it’s a great story. By the end of the movie I not only felt satisfied, but also very emotionally fulfilled as well. To top it off, I’ve watched it several times since - a good sign that there’s a great story there. It feels complete.

If you’ve read the original novel then you know that the character of David Drumlin (played by Tom Skerritt) does not exist. He’s know where to be found in the original material. It would seem that one of the screenwriters (either James V. Hart or Michael Goldenberg) felt that something was missing from the original novel.

And there was.

Dramatica refers to Tom Skerritt’s character as the “Contagonist.” Now there’s a whole explanation behind the name and his function in the story, but suffice it to say that Carl Sagan’s original material had all the characters necessary except one.

Now I’m not sure if either screenwriter had even heard of Dramatica. At that time, the theory had only been out for three years. If they had, then David Drumlin would’ve been just the kind of character Dramatica would’ve suggested to them.

My guess is that, as professional experienced writers, they sensed that something was missing. Either through previous experience or just innate skill, they realized they needed a certain kind of character to help propel the story forward. And he does.

But what about those of us just starting out? Without the piles of stories behind us and countless story meetings to hash this stuff out, most of us are left with gleaming what we can out of books or lectures.

And that’s where Dramatica can help you out. As it is written at the top of the page, Dramatica is just one approach to better storytelling. It’s not the be-all end-all of storytelling, but for me, it’s a very compelling approach.

And you can use it as much or as little as you want. Chris always tells people that there are two kinds of writers - those who love to plan out every little nuance of their story before they even write one page, and those who love to just write, to get it all out there on the page, and then analyze what is there after.

Dramatica can help with both. For the former, it’s perfect for planning out each and every character - making sure that, like Carl Sagan, you don’t leave out a key character that the audience will want to see. Especially in conjunction with an outliner like StoryView (which I also highly endorse), you can plan out every last detail.

Or, if you prefer the latter, Dramatica can help you come up with ideas why certain things don’t feel write. If you were Spielberg, you could look over the script for Jurassic Park and say to yourself, “You know, this ending just comes out of nowhere. I bet there’s some way I can make it work better.”

You’re still the writer. You’re still in charge.

But you just might know a little more about what makes a story tick.

Obviously I’m a huge fan of the theory. I’ve written a handful of scripts using it (I’m more of the plan it out from the beginning type of writer) and the one I finally had the guts to submit ended up in the Quarterfinals of Scriptapalooza and Slamdance - both screenwriting competitions.

Now I’m certainly not guaranteeing that knowing Dramatica will grant you a “sell.” You still have to be able to write. The reason my screenplay didn’t win first prize is because I still need more work as a writer. I need to write more. Plain and simple. The problems with that screenplay have more to do with the subject matter I chose and the way I portrayed my main character.

In other words, if you have faults as a writer, you’re still going to have them even if you know Dramatica. It won’t wash them away. It’s not a magical elixir.

You still have to do the work.

So I hope I’ve managed to give you some insight into why I think Dramatica is worth studying. I’ve been working on and off with it for close to eight years and I still don’t have it all nailed down. But I don’t feel like I really need to. In fact, I look forward to learning more and more about it.

Writing, to me, isn’t so much about the end product - about winning an Academy Award or selling a screenplay for mid to high six figures (although, that would certainly be nice). I just love the process. I love figuring out characters, and weaving them into an intricate plot, and exploring themes that hold great meaning to me, and maybe even telling it in a way that is unique and endearing. Even if I never sell a story, I’ll still always have the experiences of writing one. It’s an exhilarating way to spend one’s life.

And the Dramatica theory makes for a great companion on that trip…

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