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Dramatica
Dictionary
D
Decision -- [Plot
Dynamic] -- in terms of the objective plot, decisions force actions
-- All stories have both Action and Decision. Typically, one defines a
Decision story as having more intense Deliberation than Action. This view
is overly influenced by how the story is told rather than what it represents.
Dramatica takes a different view of Action and Decision. Either Actions
force the need for Decisions or Decisions force the need for Actions in
order to advance the plot. Over the course of the story as a whole (independent
of the nature of the Main Character) if Decisions precipitate the progression
of the plot, it is a Decision story.
Deduction -- [Element]
-- dyn.pr. Induction<-->Deduction -- a process of thought
that determines certainty -- Deduction is the process of thought that
arrives at a determination of what is by limiting out all that cannot
be. It has been said, "When you have ruled out the impossible, whatever
is left, no matter how improbable, must be true." The characteristic
representing Deduction will arrive at conclusions by eliminating all competing
theories that have holes until only one remains. This is fine for cutting
away the nonsense and discovering understanding, unless the competing
theories were not all the available theories and the real answer was never
even considered. Also, Deduction often fails to look for situations in
which alternative truths exist. A famous story had a detective narrowing
down murder suspects only to discover that they all did it! -- syn.
drawing a conclusion, process of elimination, demonstrative reasoning,
narrowing to a single point
Deficiency -- [Variation]
-- dyn.pr. Permission<-->Deficiency -- motivation based
on lack -- When a character lacks something in the sense of having Deficiency,
he may not even comprehend what he lacks. But this lack drives him and
fulfilling the lack would end the drive caused by the Deficiency. Deficiency
is closely related to Need, but where Needs are always defined by their
context and the purpose which makes them seem necessary, Deficiency does
not require a purpose. When a character lacks, he is NOT content with
what he has and REQUIRES something more in order to become content. Fulfilling
a lack may appear to be the last thing a character Needs because it does
not lead to his purpose, but once the lack has been taken care of, a character
may find his purpose has changed and his Need has been eliminated. --
syn. inadequacy, insufficiency, deficit, unfulfilled need
Delay -- [Variation]
-- dyn.pr. Choice<-->Delay -- putting off until later
-- Delay is the decision not to make a decision. Whenever the options
are too closely balanced to see a clear path, whenever there is not enough
information to be confident of an outcome, a character will Delay. The
purpose is to wait until one gathers more information or until the situation
changes to present a clear best course. But how long does one wait? And
what if something distracts the character and he forgets to check and
see if things have changed? Now the character has left a problem unresolved,
and unless it intrudes upon his thinking, it will never be thought of
again. Yet deep within him, he will be influenced to avoid what created
that problem or to take steps to protect against its recurrence. Until
the original problem is addressed and a choice of path is made, the character
will not be free of the problem's influence. -- syn. put off,
retard, postpone, defer, suspend, prolong, procrastinate
Denial -- [Variation]
-- dyn.pr. Closure<-->Denial -- the refusal to let something
go -- Denial is the refusal to accept that something is or has become
closed. How many people continue to make a point after they have won the
argument? More than just not accepting a conclusion, Denial can also be
not accepting that a process will just keep repeating. A repeating process
has a cycle. In a story, a character comes into such a circle at one point
and follows it around back to start. At that point, a theme of Denial
would have that character refusing to believe that he has been just been
chasing his own tail. At the leap of faith he will just push off again
and keep on circling a no-win situation in the hopes it will change this
time around. Inertia does not always travel in straight lines. -- syn.
not accepting, refusal to end, unwillingness to let go, refusal to
back down, stubbornness
Dependent Pair
-- [Structural Term] -- A pair of items whose relationship is complementary
-- In any given quad, the two items directly above and below each other
are referred to as a Dependent Pair. Since a quad consists of four items,
it therefore contains two Dependent Pairs.
Desire -- Most
terms in Dramatica are unique, however four items have two uses, serving
both as Variation and Element. This is a result of the fundamental importance
of the concepts represented by these four items: Thought, Knowledge, Ability,
and Desire.
[Variation]
-- dyn.pr. Ability<-->Desire -- the motivation to
change one's situation or circumstances -- Desire describes an awareness
that something better exists than what currently is. This doesn't mean
things have to be bad now, just that one perceives something better.
The key word here is "perceives." Desires are based not on
what is truly better but on what one imagines will be better. Often
there is a large gap between the two. (Recall the story of the dog with
the bone which jumped into the pond to get the bone from his reflection
and ended up with no bone at all.) Little tension is produced if a character
can try out his desires at no cost. But great tension is produced when
he must give up something good forever in the belief that something
else is better. ("Do you want [desire] what's in the box or what's
behind door number 3?") -- syn. want, favor, like, covet,
prefer, wish, aspire
[Element]
-- dyn.pr. Ability<-->Desire -- the motivation to change
one's situation or circumstances -- The Desire element is the essence
of motivation. A characteristic representing Desire is mindful of a
future in which situation or circumstances are improved. This does not
mean that it is unhappy with what it has but rather that it can imagine
something better. On the plus side, Desire primes the characteristic
to seek to better its environment or itself. On the minus side, Desire
is not always coupled with an ability to achieve that which is Desired.
In this case, Desire may no longer be felt as a positive motivator but
as a negative lack and may become a measurement of one's limitations
and constraints -- syn. drive, motivational goal, unfulfillment,
source of discontent, essence of motivation --
Destiny -- [Variation]
-- dyn.pr. Fate<-->Destiny -- the future path an individual
will take -- Destiny is the path to a particular fate or through a series
of fates. Fates are experiences or conditions one must encounter along
the way as one's Destiny directs one's course. The nature of Destiny is
such that no matter how much a character is aware of the nature and location
of an undesirable fate, nothing he can do is enough to pull him off the
path. Characters often try to deny Destiny by jumping to an entirely different
path only to discover that all roads lead to Rome. -- syn. inescapable
path, predetermined trajectory, set direction of the future, inevitable
path, unavoidable trajectory
Determination --
[Element] -- dyn.pr. Expectation<-->Determination
-- a conclusion as to the cause behind a particular effect -- Determination
is an evaluation of the forces driving a process. This allows one to anticipate
future effects or to take action to stop or enhance a current effect.
However, it may just be that a completely different set of forces is really
behind the process, causing one to put his efforts in the wrong place.
When a person swims directly toward the shore, the current can carry his
far down shore. As long as the character possessing Determination sticks
with a particular concept of the powers that be, there is the potential
it may not get what it expects. -- syn. ascertaining causes, discovering
causes, finding the reasons why, figuring out factors, discerning antecedents
Developing A Plan
(a.k.a. Conceptualizing) -- [Type] -- dyn.pr. Conceiving
An Idea<-->Developing A Plan -- visualizing how an idea might be
implemented -- Developing A Plan means coming up with a practical implementation
of an idea. It is not enough to simply have the idea. To develop a plan,
one must develop an actual mental model of how such an idea might be made
manifest. In other words, one might have an idea to build a spacious house.
But to develop a plan for the house one must imagine everything that makes
up the house -- the design, the layout, the colors and textures, everything
that is essential to understanding what that specific house is. A character
that deals with developing plans would be well aware of the kind of solution
that will eliminate the problem but spend his time trying to devise a
specific way of achieving that solution -- syn. visualizing, imagining,
envisioning, visualizing implementation
Dilemma Stories
versus Work Stories -- A distinction between stories where the Main
Character decides to Change and where the Main Character remains Steadfast
-- Work describes the activities of a Main Character who remains steadfast
and resolute throughout the story. This kind of character believes in
the correctness of his approach to the problem and sticks by his guns
come what may. Dilemma describes the situation of a Main Character who
ultimately changes at the end of the story. This kind of character becomes
convinced that he cannot solve the problem with his original approach
and adopts a new approach. So a Work Story is concerned with a Steadfast
Main Character and a Dilemma Story concerns itself with a Change Main
Character. However, just because the Main Character has decided to remain
Steadfast or to Change does not mean he made the right choice. Only in
the end will he find out if he succeeded or failed. If in a Work Story
the Steadfast Main Character really should have Changed and fails because
he did not, then it was really an Apparent Work Story since work alone
could not solve it. If in a Dilemma Story the Change Main Character really
should have remained Steadfast and fails because he did not, then it was
really an Apparent Dilemma Story since there wasn't actually a dilemma
after all. Steadfast means Work, Change means Dilemma. These are modified
by their pairing with Success, which means Actual, and Failure which means
Apparent
Dilemma -- A
problem for which no acceptable solution is apparent -- When faced with
a Dilemma, a Main Character can see no way out. The only options are to
change his very nature by accepting one of the solutions he previously
would not, or by holding out in hopes that, in time, an acceptable solution
will present itself. Circumstances will force the Main Character to either
Change or Remain Steadfast before the problem is resolved. The question
then becomes, is the dilemma actual, meaning that the Main Character must
Change or Fail, or is the dilemma merely apparent, and by Remaining Steadfast
a previously unknown and acceptable solution will pave the way to Success?
Dilemma vs. Work
-- A comparison of dramatic approaches in which Success either requires
a Main Character to Change or to Remain Steadfast -- Work describes the
activities of a Main Character who remains steadfast and resolute throughout
the story. This kind of character believes in the correctness of his approach
to the problem and sticks by his guns come what may. Dilemma describes
the situation of a Main Character who ultimately changes at the end of
the story. This kind of character becomes convinced that he cannot solve
the problem with his original approach and adopts a new approach. So a
Work Story is concerned with a Steadfast Main Character and a Dilemma
Story concerns itself with a Change Main Character. However, just because
the Main Character has decided to remain Steadfast or to Change does not
mean he made the right choice. Only in the end will he find out if he
succeeded or failed. If in a Work Story the Steadfast Main Character really
should have Changed and fails because he did not, then it was really an
Apparent Work Story since work alone could not solve it. If in a Dilemma
Story the Change Main Character really should have remained Steadfast
and fails because he did not, then it was really an Apparent Dilemma Story
since there wasn't actually a dilemma after all. Steadfast means Work,
Change means Dilemma. These are modified by their pairing with Success,
which means Actual, and Failure which means Apparent.
Direction (a.k.a
MC Direction) -- [Character Dynamic] -- See Growth
Direction (Overall
Story Throughline) -- [Element] -- See Response
Direction Element
-- See Response Element
Disbelief -- [Element]
-- dyn.pr. Faith<-->Disbelief -- the belief that something
is untrue -- Disbelief is not the same thing as a lack of faith. Lack
of faith is the absence of absolute confidence that something is or will
be true. Disbelief is absolute confidence that something is not true.
Disbelief may make one a skeptic but sometimes it makes a character the
only one with the confidence to tell the Emperor "You have no clothes!"
-- syn. refusal to accept, distrust, find unconvincing, find false,
unpersuadability
Dividend (Overall
Story Throughline) -- [Type] -- the benefits gathered while
meeting the requirements of the goal -- Although meeting the requirements
of a goal can incur costs, it can also provide dividends along the way.
Sometimes solving one of the pre-requisites or attaining one of the pre-conditions
of the requirement has its own reward. Though these rewards are not individually
as significant as the promised reward of the goal, sometimes cumulatively
they are enough to cause a Main Character to quit while he's ahead and
avoid a particularly large cost that would be unavoidable if the goal
were to be achieved. Other times, a particularly large dividend may loom
just ahead in the story, providing the Main Character with a boost in
motivation to continue on an otherwise costly path
Do-er -- [Character
Dynamic] -- As an approach, the Main Character prefers to adapt his
environment to himself -- Every Main Character will have a preference
to deal with problems by either physical effort or by mental/emotional
effort. When a Main Character prefers working in the external environment,
he is a Do-er.
Doing -- [Type]
-- dyn.pr. Obtaining<-->Doing -- engaging in a physical
activity -- Doing is the process of being physically active. In and of
itself, Doing does not require any purpose but simply describes engaging
in a process, task, or endeavor, whether for pleasure or by necessity
or compulsion. -- syn. performing, executing, effecting action,
acting
Domain -- [Domain]
-- An item that describes the area in which any one of the four throughlines
occursMain Character, Impact Character, Overall Story, and Main vs. Impact
Story -- There are four Throughlines in every complete story, each representing
a different perspective in the structure of that story. One is assigned
to the Overall Story Throughline and contains the story points attributed
to the dispassionate argument of the story while also describing the area
in which the Overall Story occurs. Another is for the Main vs. Impact
Story Throughline and contains the story points which concern the passionate
argument of the story and describe the relationship between the Main and
Impact Characters. The Main and Impact Character are each assigned Throughlines
as well, which contain the story points attributed to their characters
and describe the areas in which they each operate. Each Throughline is
the matching of a particular Class (either Situation (Universe), Activities
(Physics), Manipulation (Psychology), or Activities (Physics)) with a
particular throughline (either Overall Story, Main Character, Impact Character,
or Main vs. Impact Story). Each Throughline describes the general area
in which the problems of its throughline will lie and from what perspective
the audience will be directed to view those problems. Throughlines determine
large, genre-like positions in the relationship of audience to story..
Domain Act Order
-- [Plot Structure] -- the area in which the solution to the
story's problem is sought, act by act
Doubt -- [Variation]
-- dyn.pr. Investigation<-->Doubt -- questioning validity
without investigating to be sure -- Here Doubt is defined as the lack
of faith that evidence leads to a certain conclusion. This means that
even though evidence supports a particular concept, the character is unwilling
to abandon the belief that alternative explanations can be found. Certainly
this approach has the advantage of keeping one's mind open. But sometimes
a mind can be too open. If a character Doubts too much, he will not accept
solid evidence no matter how conclusive. This can prevent the character
from ever accepting the obvious truth and continuing to labor under a
delusion. -- syn. pessimism, uninformed misgivings, uncertainty,
trepidation, distrust
Dramatica Terms
-- [Definition] -- The names of dramatic concepts unique to
Dramatica, commonly used dramatic terms redefined in Dramatica -- The
Dramatica theory of story is so wide-ranging that, in some cases, dramatic
relationships and story points are described for which no preexisting
term was available. To fill this void, several different approaches were
taken. Sometimes, words not normally associated with dramatics were called
into service, such as Catalyst and Inhibitor. Other times, existing dramatic
terms were more precisely defined, or redefined to meet a particular descriptive
need, such as Main Character meaning the audience's position in a story
and NOT meaning a hero nor a Protagonist. As a last resort, completely
new words were coined to describe unique concepts when no other appropriate
words already existed, such as Contagonist. Although Dramatica's use of
terminology is the biggest hurdle to quick understanding, it is also its
greatest strength for it allows the theory and software to describe dramatics
with far greater precision than previously possible.
Dream -- [Variation]
-- dyn.pr. Hope<-->Dream -- a desired future that requires
unexpected developments -- Dream describes a character who speculates
on a future that has not been ruled out, however unlikely. Dreaming is
full of "what ifs." Cinderella Dreamed of her prince because
it wasn't quite unimaginable. One Dreams of winning the lottery even though
one "hasn't got a hope." Hope requires the expectation that
something will happen if nothing goes wrong. Dreaming has no such limitation.
Nothing has to indicate that a Dream will come true, only that it's not
impossible. Dreaming can offer a positive future in the midst of disaster.
It can also motivate one to try for things others scoff at. Many revolutionary
inventors have been labeled as Dreamers. Still and all, to Dream takes
away time from doing, and unless one strikes a balance and does the groundwork,
one can Dream while hopes go out the window for lack of effort. -- syn.
aspire, desiring the unlikely, pulling for the doubtful, airy hope,
glimmer, far fetched desire
Driver (a.k.a Story
Driver or Work) -- [Plot Dynamic] -- the kind of activity focused
upon in the effort to solve the story's problem -- Action or Decision
describes how the problem of the Story will primarily be explored. The
primary concern is the kind of storytelling you want to do. If you want
action to be the focus of your storytelling, choose action. If you want
deliberation to be the focus of your storytelling, choose decision. It's
that simple.
Dynamic Pair --
[Structural Term] -- A pair of items whose relationship is
that they are extreme opposites -- In any given quad, Dynamic Pairs are
represented as two items that are diagonal to each other. A quad consists
of four items and therefore contains two Dynamic Pairs. Their relationship
can imply conflict, or it can imply synthesis. These are the negative
and positive aspects of Dynamic Pairs.
Dynamics -- Dramatic
forces that determine the course a story will take. -- The power
of a story is divided between two realms. First is the structure that
represents the dramatic potentials that exist in character, plot, and
theme at the beginning of a story. Second are the dynamic forces that
will act upon the dramatic potentials to change the relationship between
characters, change the course of the plot and develop the theme as the
story unfolds. In Dramatica, choices between alternative forces such as
"Success or Failure" and "Change or Steadfast" determine
the dynamics that will act upon a story.
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