Multiple Storyforms: Thematically Linked?

questions
#1

Hey, guys. I’ve done a complete search for an answer, but haven’t found one. Please feel free to redirect me if there’s one buried somewhere.

I’m working on a sitcom, which means multiple plot strands (A, B, and C stories specifically) in just about every episode. Of course, writing a half-hour comedy means there’s really not a lot of time to go deep Dramatica, but the bones of a storyform (or 3!) can make all the difference even if there are only four (hey, a quad!!) beats in each.

Anyway, I was wondering if there was some spiritual or intellectual law that required these hypothetical three storyforms to fit into the same thematic ‘area’. Basically, I want to know if this is allowed:

A Story: Something in Understanding.
B Story: Something in Progress.
C Story: Something in Subconscious.

Or if this is required:

A Story: Something in Obtaining
B Story: Something in The Future
C Story: Something in Becoming

I haven’t experimented, but I would assume that it would just feel intuitively ‘wrong’ to jump from a story about Becoming to one about Understanding. Just curious if there’s any basis there.

Also, this is completely irrelevant to the topic but Dramatica has taught me that jokes rooted in narrative structure are incredibly satisfying. My dream of writing an intelligent fart joke creeps ever nearer to reality…

3 Likes
#2

Question: By “these hypothetical three storyforms” do you mean plots? A storyform can have multiple plots or subplots. I do think, yes, them fitting within the same thematics, expressed within the storyform, is necessary to have a cohesive story.

Breaking up your story, however, by having differing Stories cover different aspects of a storyform, while maintaining consistent thematics is “spiritually” sound. You just have to be careful to be consistent with POV characters. If, for example, in a B Story you have a different MC than in the A story, then that needs attending to - create multiple storyforms and cover enough of it within the whole story to give the audience the weight of your argument or modify that perspective, incorporating that B Story MC as a subplot in the MC throughline (maintaining the original MC). I think, and I am not sure, that you can have a hand-off of a MC but it does get confusing, especially in your medium. I’m sure someone far more verse in Dramatica can clarify this point.

1 Like
#3

The three storyforms don’t have to be in the same area, but keep in mind that it is difficult to shift from one kind of comedy to another (and that is linked to where in the theme chart the story is situated.) Look here: http://dramatica.com/theory/book/genre

Changing from one MC to another in a different story is not technically an MC handoff. Handoffs happen within stories. The context of different stories (A, B, C) makes this not confusing to a viewer.

Not intelligent fart jokes, but pretty close … https://vimeo.com/15196452

1 Like
#4

Good question. I meant both. Every plot (A story/B Story/C Story) is likely going to have its own storyform, since the MCs will be different for each. But that’s something you covered pretty well in your comment.[quote=“MWollaeger, post:3, topic:1289”]
The three storyforms don’t have to be in the same area, but keep in mind that it is difficult to shift from one kind of comedy to another (and that is linked to where in the theme chart the story is situated.) Look here: http://dramatica.com/theory/book/genre
[/quote]

That’s definitely something I considered. I’ve worked pretty hard to keep the throughlines in all 3 stories in the exact same domains, so it doesn’t feel like it’s leaping from Character A doing physical comedy in one story and a comedy of errors in another. I’ve tried to keep those fairly distinct. I was just wondering about the areas below the domain level, but I might just do some experiments when I get a chance to see how it all feels.

Haha, that’s a fantastic short, Mike! So funny I almost lost my shit. Thanks for sharing that!

2 Likes
#5

Whatever you do, make sure you report back here you’re discoveries so we can reflect and use whatever you learn in our own stories. Thanks!

2 Likes