Dramatica Worksheet - Story Summary

writing
#1

I want to share a worksheet which helps me to better understand and apply Dramatica theory. After I have written with Dramatica some novellas and still was struggling to define the story argument, problem … the worksheet helps me to focus on the main points first. More points can be added. One I had in mind but couldn’t find a good example is inequity.

The attached example is a story which I made up today after reading an article in our daily newspaper about alternative food production.

Thanks for your feedback if the theory in some parts of the worksheet is not used correctly.
Dramatica Worksheet - Story Summary.pdf (57.2 KB)

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Dramatica Worksheet - Story Summary

Logline

What is your story in one sentence?

Genre (Extern/ Intern)

What is story external genre (A-Story) and what is the internal genre (B-Story)?

Inciting Event (Driver)

What sets the story in motion?

Story Mind (OS) Problem

What is the problem the (story) mind is trying to solve?

Grand Argument Story (Archetype Function)

How does the human mind considers and tries to solve the problem?

Grand Argument Story (Approach and alternative)

Which approach in the story is shown as the only appropriate one to solve the problem?

Story Solution/ Goal

How can the story problem solved and what is the goal?

Theme (RS Premise)

What is the thematic point of the story, why is the story being told?

Main Character Trauma (Traumatic Event)

What traumatic event happened to the main character?

Main Character Problem (Problem)

What is the source of the main characters problem?

Main Character Arc (Want/ Need/ Resolve)

How does the main character change?

Plot Point (Climax, Outcome)

What is the major turning point which determines whether the goal will be achieved?

Resolution (Judgement/ End)

What is the outcome of the story?

#2

Did you see that the dram software explained three examples of inequity in MC Problem: To Kill a Mockingbird, I Love Lucy, and Klute?

#3

Yes, I was referring to the concept of inequity as on narrativefirst and not inequity as an element and was wondering can how I bring this down to a short sentence.

#4

I’m not sure if you can–by definition you can’t really define that inequity. That’s why you have the four different Throughlines to help approximate and give shape to that inequity.

#5

I think of inequity conflict as Gestalt Dissonance. So, there is an imbalance and a single human mind istrying to restore order to it. Because of that, I suppose each storyform is a category for inequities and conflicts combined. In otherwords, each storyform has a feel to it and if you named it, you’d have different names for the inequities and conflicts described by that story form. I’ve thought some about how to categorize inequities the same way one could categorize conflict types. No doubt this would take some quad magic :).

#6

Inequity is the hook that sells the work and engages the viewer/reader.