Here is a very interesting essay on how stifling Dramatica can be to your creativity. As is usual, it doesn’t have a lot of nice things to say about the program or the theory:

From a Marxist angle, this software can actually restrict and control the writer. On the one hand the program seems to give us immense freedom and choice, but actually, there is an element of control and conformity. We are bound by a list of options, the program puports to have 32,768 storyforms, but what about the person who wants to write the 32,769th storyform?

The person who wants to write that 32,769th story will soon find out (after studying Dramatica and learning as much as they can about it) that their story more than likely is one of the 32,768. Again, this is if you accept the given of Dramatica that stories are an argument.

You can write anything you want. “Memento” has a solid storyform but doesn’t come close to anything typical. And yes, you can write a story that destroys all remnants of a storyform - it just won’t be a complete argument.

This software package highlights the way that society has developed to become increasingly commercial, it promotes the idea of writing for profit and commercial gain, rather than for individual aesthetic development.

What?! Sure, on the box they might promote that idea, but I see no where in the theory or in the program where the theory is all about making money. Personally, I think you’ll reach more people if you do follow the theory, and I guess this does result in higher profits - but Dramatica isn’t a guarantee.

You still need to have talent. You still need to be creative. Whereas the author of this essay states that:

This kind of analysis has to be useful from the point of view of marketing and sales, but it does seem to take the feeling and emotion away from the writing.

It’s up to the author to instill feeling and emotion into their work. If working with Dramatica stifles the passion in your words, it probably wasn’t there in the first place.

Technorati Tags: screenwriting, story

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