Section Four:
Developing The Story—The Several Dramatica Paths

Chapter 14
Step-By-Step Development:

The StoryGuide

Dramatica's StoryGuide is a progressive method for creative writing, a tutorial of Dramatica's principles, and a lifesaver when you have to develop a complete story from some minimal ideas and nil materials.

Suppose you are in a predicament such as this:

Your agent calls you for an urgent meeting today at lunch.  In the middle of the meal, he puts next to your Rueben Sandwich an 8 x 10 glossy of a little known actor and says:

"Remember him?  He was in 'Titanic.'  He played the waiter who didn't drown.  Anyway, The Studio is very interested in launching his career, in making him a star, and we want you to write the vehicle that will put him right up there.  We'd love see him in a spy thriller, an intrigue/drama story that'd show his exceptional acting abilities.  We want it to be action-packed but profound at the same time, explosive but also philosophical—think John LeCarré, think Tom Clancy.  Are we on the same page here?  Good.  When can I see an outline—better yet, a short treatment?  Fifteen days?  I knew I could trust in you."

And without even letting you answer, he signs the check and steps out.

(CONTINUED)