A little clarity. A way forward.
Story Questions
The questions you ask when an idea starts becoming a story.
Find your next answerStart with what’s on your mind
One question at a time.
8 answers to get you unstuck
Characters
Is my Main Character the same person as my Protagonist?
They can be the same person, but they answer different questions. The Protagonist pursues the shared Story Goal; the Main Character gives us the personal experience of conflict.
Characters
What goes in the Relationship Story Throughline?
Follow the relationship itself: what brings it together, pulls it apart, or changes what it means to the people involved.
Characters
Can a Steadfast Main Character still grow? What do Start and Stop mean?
Yes. Steadfast describes Resolve, not an absence of learning. A character can develop the strength to hold to a perspective while changing how they act.
Structure
I have an idea for a story. Where do I start with Dramatica?
Start with something you already know: a difficult choice, a source of conflict, or an ending. You can discover the story’s argument as you go.
Conflict
How do I choose a Domain when my story contains all four kinds of things?
Look for what creates conflict in that Throughline, rather than everything that happens to appear in it.
Structure
Do I have to put every item under a Signpost into that part of the story?
Begin by illustrating the Signpost and its conflict. The chart is not a checklist of separate scenes you must write.
Endings
Can a story end in Failure and still feel Good?
Yes. Outcome asks whether the Story Goal is achieved. Judgment assesses the story’s efforts to resolve its inequity. Those answers can point in different directions.
Using Dramatica · Dated platform guidance
Should I begin in Story Guide, Storyform Builder, or Narrova?
Begin with the tool that fits your next question: develop story material in Story Guide, explore structural choices in Storyform Builder, or work through the broader process with Narrova.