The South Park movie shocks at the same time as it entertains. But it is more than just that. Underneath it all, a consistent storyform exists that presents an audience with a complete argument. Dramatica refers to this as a Grand Argument Story and, as will be shown, gives meaning to the madness.

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Not every well-told story fits perfectly into the typical Dramatica story paradigm - i.e. an Objective Story, a Main and Impact Character, and a Subjective Story. Sometimes a good story can have multiple Impact Characters and multiple Main Characters. One way of pulling this off with minimal confusion to your audience is to ensure that each Main Character shares the same perspective…just as the South Park movie did.

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Nowadays, photographic evidence isn’t enough. With the advent of Photoshop and digital photography, anyone can claim ownership of the truth. In order to convince someone that a conspiracy exists, even one related to something so inconsequential as story theory, the whistle-blowers of today need cold hard facts and an airtight case.

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Everyone wants to know “Do any professional screenwriters use Dramatica?” Well, I’m here to tell you that I’ve found irrefutable evidence that the answer to that question is “yes.” The proof lies in one of the better episodes of The X-Files - “Milagro.” And like Mulder used to say, “The truth is out there,” you just have to know where to look for it…

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Out of all the Domains your story could reside in, perhaps the most difficult to understand is the Psychology, or Manipulations, Domain. Most authors have no problem describing problematic situations, or activities, or even problematic fixed attitudes like prejudice or racism. But problematic ways of thinking? That one is usually the big stumper. Luckily, ol’ Yertle the Turtle is there to help explain…

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The relationship between the Main Character and Impact Character provides the heart of a story. Unfortunately, this emotional connection is often overlooked in many a screenplay. The heap of forgotten films teems with stories that made the simple error of not engaging their audiences passionately. It seems strange then, that Deadwood, a series often referred to as vulgar and crude, should present us such a successful attempt at this essential relationship.

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Little Children, directed by Todd Field, provides an insight into modern parenting that some would say hits a little too close to home (especially for those of us directly experiencing this role!). The film thrives on wonderful performances by both a dowdy Kate Winslet and a believably creepy Jackie Earle Haley. Unfortunately for us lovers of fiction, the film fell victim to a little glitch in storytelling right near the end.

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Most screenplays take a turn for the worst at around page 60…and no, I’m not referring to the quality of writing! Rather, this is the time when things go really sour for the principal characters. Often referred to as the midpoint of a story, this moment can either be really obvious or really subtle, depending on the author’s preference and the structure of the story. Dramatica has little to say about the former, but much to say about the latter.

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Holes in a story can be difficult to pinpoint and even more difficult to properly “fix.” Laura, the film noir classic from Otto Preminger, suffers from a cold and impersonal Main Character. As a result, the audience has a hard time finding some sort of personal connection with the story. Luckily, the Dramatica theory of story provides some insight on why this is, and suggests a way to fix it.

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Lies and deceit abound in Otto Preminger’s film noir classic, Laura. Detective Mark McPherson arrives on the scene of a high-class murder to find a multitude of suspects - each obsessed with one thing and one thing only - the now deceased Laura. It’s a desire that McPherson comes to learn all too well…

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