Dramatica Tip of the Month
October 2011

Story 'Essence'

Tip Archives

• 09/11 -- Steadfast Main Character Problem-Solving
• 08/11 -- How Many Scenes?
• 07/11 -- How Do I Begin Using Dramatica?
• 06/11 -- Problems and Throughlines
• 05/11 -- Picking Themes
• 04/11 -- Is Dramatica Nihilistic?
• 03/11 -- Dramatica in Theatre & Small Cast Pieces
• 02/11 -- "Flavoring" Character Elements
• 01/11 -- Using "Fantasy" in Different Contexts

• 12/10 -- Overall Story Concern vs. Story Goal
• 11/10 -- Weaving Characters Into Scenes
• 10/10 -- Goals and Consequences
• 09/10 -- Rearranging Scenes
• 08/10 -- Thematic Sequence Confusion
• 07/10 -- Leap of Faith and Climax
• 06/10 -- Identifying the Protagonist
• 05/10 -- How Many Chapters in a Novel?
• 04/10 -- Impact Character as Protagonist
• 03/10 -- Steadfast Character Growth
• 02/10 -- What's Your Story About?
• 01/10 -- Defining "Paradigm"

• 12/09 -- Writing Point of View
• 11/09 -- Basic Overall Story Concern Question
• 10/09 -- Is Dramatica Too Simplistic?
• 09/09 -- How to Import a Story into Dramatica
• 08/09 -- How to find the Inciting Incident
• 07/09 -- How do you relate Dramatica theory to non-Dramatica users?
• 06/09 -- Is Dramatica Right for You?
• 05/09 -- What do Do-ers do when they are Stuck?
• 04/09 -- What is a Character's Dramatic Function?
• 03/09 -- Can Bad Guys have Happy Endings?
• 02/09 -- Stories with Two or Four Characters
• 01/09 -- Are "Imaginary" Friends Characters
  
  
• 12/08 -- Theme: Struggline with Terminology
• 11/08 -- Scene Sequence for the Main & Impact Characters
• 10/08 -- How to Find the Inciting Incident
• 07/08 -- Significance of Different StoryGuide Levels
• 06/08 -- What Happens When Stories Get Smaller?
• 05/08 -- Bumps and Slides in Act Transitions
• 04/08 -- Story Goals and Act Order
• 03/08 -- More On Creating Scenes
• 02/08 -- Overall Story Exercise
• 01/08 -- Signposts and Scenes

• 12/07 -- The Million Dollar Question
• 11/07 -- Deduction, Induction, Reduction, Production
• 10/07 -- The Wizard of Oz
• 09/07 -- Finding your Story Throughlines through Emphasis
• 08/07 -- Addressing the "Double Reversal"
• 07/07 -- Defining "Context"
• 06/07 -- Balancing Your Story's Throughline
• 05/07 -- Special Skill or Unique Ability?
• 04/07 -- "Correctly" Answering Dramatica Questions
• 03/07 -- Antagonist Character Arc
• 02/07 -- Children's Stories
• 01/07 -- Eight Archetypes

• 12/06 -- Ensemble Stories such as "Crash"
• 11/06 -- Mysteries and Detective Stories
• 10/06 -- Tips for Writing Romance Novels
• 09/06 -- Storyforming a TV Series
• 08/06 -- Main Character Growth & Resolve
• 07/06 -- Mapping Character Elements
• 06/06 -- Impact Character Change
• 05/06 -- Steadfast Main Character Problem
• 04/06 -- Multiple Impact Characters
• 03/06 -- The 64 Element Question
• 02/06 -- Dramatica and Interactive Fiction
• 01/06 -- Point—Counterpoint

• 12/05 -- Story Limit: Timelock or Optionlock?
• 11/05 -- Turncoats & Character Reveals
• 10/05 -- Illustrating Character Interactions
• 09/05 -- Character Element Pairings
• 08/05 -- What do I do now?
• 07/05 -- Using Structure Templates
• 06/05 -- Dramatica for Non-Fiction
• 05/05 -- Is the Dramatica Theory Too Narrow?
• 04/05 -- Unique Ability & Critical Flaw
• 03/05 -- Playing With Time
• 02/05 -- Separating the Story Throughlines
• 01/05 -- Why Only Four Throughlines?

• 12/04 -- Themes in "Witness"
• 11/04 -- Stories with One or Two Players
• 10/04 -- Story Dilemmas
• 09/04 -- Writing Short Stories with Dramatica
• 08/04 -- Picking Dramatica Concerns
• 07/04 -- Using the Story Driver
• 06/04 -- Structuring Trilogies
• 05/04 -- The "Relationship" Throughline
• 04/04 -- Building an Overall Story Problem
• 03/04 -- New to Dramatica? Try This...
• 02/04 -- Building Characters
• 01/04 -- Creating Scenes for a Sitcom

• 12/03 -- Making Sense of the Plot Sequence Report
• 11/03 -- Chapters vs. Scenes
• 10/03 -- Which "Goal" is the Story Goal?
• 09/03 -- Integrating Character Information
• 08/03 -- Dramatica and Foreign Languages
• 07/03 -- Novels with Multiples Story Lines
• 06/03 -- Backstory vs. Background
• 05/03 -- Editing Dramatica Reports
• 04/03 -- Dramatica—Fiction Only?
• 03/03 -- Illustrating Impact Character Motivations
• 02/03 -- Visualizing Interconnections in Dramatica

• 01/03 -- Main Character Justifications
• 12/02 -- Archetypal Character Curiosities
• 11/02 -- Storyform Limitations and the Dramatica Bias
• 10/02 -- Clarifying the Story Goal
• 09/02 -- Signposts and the Screenplay Template
• 08/02 -- Changing Your Impact Character's Resolve
• 07/02 -- Choosing Your Main Character's Approach
• 06/02 -- Questions about the Crucial Element
• 05/02 -- Working with Small Numbers of Characters
• 04/02 -- How Best to Use Substories
• 03/02 -- Dramatica: Creativity Boost or Distraction?
• 02/02 -- Dramatica theory for debates and other biased articles
• 01/02 -- Character Growth

• 12/01 -- Character Archetypes and Crucial Elements
• 11/01 -- Choosing Your Thematic Conflict
• 10/01 -- Tying Theme to the Storyform
• 09/01 -- Character Role versus Function
• 08/01 -- Knowing When to Write0
• 07/01 -- Multiple Main Characters and Writer's Voice
• 06/01 -- Signposts and the Climax of your Story
• 05/01 -- Assigning Your Story's Throughlines
• 04/01 -- How "Setting" Affects A Story
• 03/01 -- Story Inequities
• 02/01 -- Storyweaving -- Putting the Story Together
• 01/01 -- Protagonists, Antagonists, and Negative Goals

• 12/00 - Introducing Yourself to Dramatica
• 11/00 - Pitching a Story with Dramatica
• 10/00 - Stories as Arguments
• 09/00 - Contagonist vs. Antagonist
• 08/00 - The Impact Character
• 07/00 - Dramatica and Syd Field
• 06/00 - Hamlet is a Be-er
• 05/00 - Connecting the MC problem with the OS problem
• 04/00 - Tying the MC with the OS throughline
• 03/00 - Avoid Making The Same Mistakes
• 02/00 - NO TIP
• 01/00 - The Impact Character Resolve

• 12/99 - Developing Characters in the StoryGuide
• 11/99 - A Main Character's Unique Ability
• 10/99 - Term Swap in Dramatica 4.0
• 09/99 - Story Tendency: Willing / Unwilling
• 08/99 - Antagonist vs. Villain
• 07/99 - Unmaking Choices in Dramatica
• 06/99 - Plot vs. Storyweaving (Revisited)
• 05/99 - Story Reach
• 04/99 - Creating Objective (Overall Story) Character
• 03/99 - Story Outcome: Success / Failure
• 02/99 - Main Character and Obstacle Character as Objective Story Characters
• 01/99 - Join the on-line Class

• 12/98 - Genre
• 11/98 - Plot vs. Storyweaving
• 10/98 - Story Concerns
• 09/98 - NO TIP
• 08/98 - Main Character Mental Sex
• 07/98 - Benchmarks
• 06/98 - Main Character Growth: Stop / Start
• 05/98 - Main Character Resolve: Change / Steadfast
• 04/98 - Story Driver: Action / Decision
• 03/98 - New Language in Dramatica 3.0
• 02/98 - Main Character Approach: Doer / Be-er
• 01/98 - Illustrating Story Elements