Dramatica As A Useful Tool For Writing

Dramatica theory helps you define why the conflict exists in your story.

Published novelist Sebastien de Castell explains what he finds most useful about the Dramatica theory of story:

Dramatica is all about the why for me. It forces me to see the various implications of every dramatic choice. When you decide you want to write about a character in a terrible situation, it demands that you address a related fixed mental state in another part of the story. So when you're trying to figure out why you should select one possible dramatic choice over another, the model nudges you towards one that connects with the other choices you've made, even if (at first) it feels like it makes no sense. Why is character x going to have some "emotional death"? Because he/she still things the problem is [Focus] when in fact it's [problem] and they're a change character. That tends to be what I go back to when I feel stuck--those weird little terms in the story engine that half the time don't make sense except when you need them most and then suddenly they give you a couple of options that turn into ideas.

Sebastien goes on to explain in more detail his experience with writing and Dramatica. A must read.

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