How to Write a Story with Dramatica

Where to start

At least once a month, I receive a question about how to write a screenplay or novel with the Dramatica theory of story. The theory and analysis is both fascinating and rampant, but practical experiences run rare.

Last year, I made a concerted effort to increase the amount of examples available. Having worked with Michael DiMartino (Avatar: Last Airbender), Ed Bernero (Third Watch), Kater Gordon (Mad Men), Joy Lenz (One Tree Hill), George Strayton (Transformers/October Faction), Sebastien DeCastell (Traitor's Blade), and Chris Sonnenburg (Disney's Tangled) I know how to put the theory to work. 😄

The first stop would be the Writing with Subtxt series in Subtxt found here:

Writing with Subtxt: Videocourse

The series is open to everyone, and allows you to follow along as I help a writer develop her novel. As of July 2020, we're right in the middle of recording it, and plan to pick it up again next month. The class is a great way to eavesdrop in on a typical story development session.

The other place would be to watch the Friends Without Benefits group collaboration project in the Writers Room:

The Writers Room in Subtxt

This series is complete from concept to first page of the screenplay, and is available to Subtxt subscribers. 

I also wrote about my work helping to develop the Tangled series here:

Unravelling the Story Structure of Tangled: The Series

And as always, if you have any questions or run into any trouble after following these resources, you can always contact me directly.