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Dramatica Tip of the Month
February 2008

Overall Story Exercise

A technique I've found useful when working on or developing the Overall Story throughline is to think of it in terms of GROUPS instead of individuals. One is less likely to slip into the subjective perspective when considering groups than when considering individual characters. Some examples of current films:

• Enchanted: A group of animated fairy tale characters find themselves transported to modern-day New York City.

• Juno: A group of family members, friends, and interested third partied struggle with teenage pregnancy and adoption.

• Atonement: A group of family members and domestics struggle with the after effects of crimes and false accusations.

• Hairspray: A group of Baltimore locals struggle with big hair, rock-and-roll, dancing, and integration.

• I Am Legend: A group of survivors struggle against the results of a devastating plague.

• P.S. I Love You: A group of women struggle to honor the wishes of a dead lover.

• The Great Debaters: A group of small-town students struggle to win an Ivy League debate competition.

• Charlie Wilson's War: A group of concerned U.S. citizens struggle to arm the Afghani rebels against a Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

• No Country for Old Men: A group of drug dealers, law enforcement officers, and normal folk struggle over the possession of a satchel of drug money.

By adopting a "they" perspective and using group labels, it's easier to be objective. The moment you individualize it, and especially when you refer to characters by their names, it becomes difficult to remain objective.