All About the Storyform

Finding the right framework behind successful storytelling

How can you tell when you have the right Storyform?

Found this article on finding the right storyform from Melanie (one of the creators of Dramatica). Goes well with the progress I experienced today on my screenplay.

A storyform is just the skeleton or framework of a story, so it is often difficult to determine which one is "proper" for a story you have in mind.

I spent many of my first years working with Dramatica fretting over the perfect storyform. No matter what, I always seemed to get it wrong.

So, how can we determine when we have arrived at the best storyform to act as a pattern for our story? By feel. You need to "feel" that the words that crop up as Story Goal, or Main Character Domain express what you have in mind, both logistically and emotionally, for your audience.

This takes a long time to learn. A very long time. I've been working with Dramatica for almost 20 years now and I still make the occasional flub.

As with anything, the more you practice the better you get. Most of my proficiency with Dramatica comes from having this overall feeling of where a story is coming from thematically.

The rest is pure luck.

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