This is the outline for a proposed fourteen week screenwriting course using Dramatica and the Dramatica Pro software. Planned for Claremont McKenna College, the course never took place due to instructor scheduling problems.

Lecture: Introductions; Course outline; What is and is not considered to be a Story?; Story Reception——knowing your Audience.

Activity: Establish ground rules for developing an in-class story; Determine audience, genre, title, and potential synopses for in-class story. Distribute class software and materials.

Homework: Determine audience for student’s own story.

Lecture: Storyforming v. storytelling; the four elements of structure; the four stages of communication; Dramatica’s fundamental concepts; the four throughlines.

Activity: In the software, enter Story Title, Story Synopsis, Character Synopsis, Theme Synopsis, and Plot Synopsis for in-class story.

Homework: Complete class activity materials in software for student’s own story.

Lecture: Introduction to Objective and Subjective characters; Main Character v. Protagonist; the eight Dramatica archetypal characters; character motivations

Activity: In the software, create eight characters; identify the Main Character and Obstacle Character; write role and description for all eight characters in in-class story.

Homework: Complete class activity materials in software for student’s own story.

Lecture: Simple characters v. archetypes; building complex characters; character methodologies, purposes, and standards of evaluation; the Main Character; the Obstacle Character; Objective Character relationships

Activity: In the software, create and describe the relationships between the objective characters for the in-class story.

Homework: Complete class activity materials in software for student’s own story.

Lecture: Exploring eight essential questions which describe a story’s dynamics; Main Character Resolve, Growth, Approach, and Mental Sex; Story Driver, Limit, Outcome, and Judgment;

Activity: In the software, answer the eight, dynamic storyforming questions for the in-class story.

Homework: Complete class activity materials in software for student’s own story.

Lecture: Identifying the Thematic Appreciations of a Storyform; the Objective Story Domain; the Objective Story Concern; the Objective Story Issue; the Objective Story Problem; the Thematic Conflict.

Activity: In the software, answer the four thematic storyforming questions for the in-class story.

Homework: Complete class activity materials in software for student’s own story.

Lecture: Illustrating the storyform; making the abstract concrete; identifying elements of storyencoding in the film, The Fugitive.

Activity: In the software, encode the four Domains, the Main Character problem and solution, the Main Character dynamics, and the Obstacle Character problem, solution, and resolve for the in-class story.

Homework: Complete class activity materials in software for student’s own story.

Lecture: Identifying the static and progressive appreciations of Plot; the Story Goal; the Story Consequences; other story static appreciations; three act v. four act structures; plot progressions in throughlines

Activity: In the software, encode the story Goal, Consequence, Requirements and Forewarnings; the four throughline Concerns; and the plot dynamics for the in-class story.

Homework: Complete class activity materials in software for student’s own story.

Lecture: Creating a single story from the four throughlines; a look at the considerations involved in how to present your story to an audience; Exposition; creating Scenes; Storyweaving "tricks;" creating a treatment for submission.

Activity: In the software, create and describe scenes for the in-class story. Divide class into work groups of no greater than ten (ideal size is six) for future peer reviews of student works.

Homework: Complete class activity materials in software for student’s own story. Prepare one to three page story treatment for student’s own story based on the materials developed in the software. Produce enough copies for each member of student’s work group and the instructor.

Lecture: Basic screenplay formatting rules; converting a Treatment into a Screenplay; screenwriting do’s & don’ts; the "first 10 pages" theory.

Activity: In the software, create sample pages for the in-class story. Exchange treatments with work group members.

Homework: Read all treatments and prepare constructive criticisms for all members in student’s work group. Begin work on first twenty pages of first draft screenplay.

Lecture: None.

Activity: Work groups to meet and provide constructive criticism for all treatments in work group, one at a time.

Homework: Revise treatment for student’s own story based on constructive criticism received. Complete first draft of opening twenty pages of student’s screenplay and produce copies for each member of work group and the instructor.

Lecture: The structure and modes of expressing Genre; Drama; Comedy; Entertainment; Information; mixing and matching to create a "unique" story genre; the Story Pitch; what it is and how to do it.

Activity: Exchange first draft twenty pages with work group members. Turn in revised story treatments to instructor.

Homework: Read all screenplays and prepare constructive criticisms for all members in student’s work group. Begin work on the "pitch" for the student’s own story.

Lecture: None

Activity: Work groups to meet and provide constructive criticism for all screenplays in work group, one at a time.

Homework: Revise first twenty pages of screenplay for student’s own story based on constructive criticism received. Complete work on story pitch.

Lecture: Hollywood resources; Agents; copyright laws and the WGA; etc.

Activity: Turn in completed, revised screenplays (first twenty pages) to instructor. Each student will make a pitch for his or her own story and be evaluated by instructors and peers. Constructive criticism emphasized.

Homework: Complete the full length screenplay for student’s own story; make pitch; sell script; make much $$$ and win famous awards.