Dramatica Theory Book

Chapter 26: Storytelling and Thematic Appreciations (Continued)

Wrapping Up The Selection Of Appreciations

We could write endlessly on how to evaluate each appreciation. But in truth, there is no mechanical way to make these choices. Any choice is just as good as any other. It is only when the author's feelings and intents come into play that one selection proves better than another.

When previous selections have already been made, however, then the logistics of the story's argument begin to take a degree of control. The more selections that are made, the greater that control becomes until all remaining selections have already been pre-determined by the author's earlier choices.

Understanding which appreciations have the greatest influence on others goes a long way to helping an author make appropriate choices that keep his message and the feelings generated by his story's structure consistent. Still, such considerations are intuitive in nature, and when intuition fails, it helps to employ the model of the relationships between appreciations contained in the Dramatica software.

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