Shape of a Story - Dramatica

Plot by Fours

The book Dramatica (which I must admit I have only skimmed but it looks interesting and is on my to read short list*) describes the Shape of a Story in 4 parts... multiplied by some complications.

The basic story, it say, has four sign posts. These are very similar to the margins between Aristotle's three act story which I covered last week. The four signposts are-

1: The inciting incident
2: The complication
3: The climax
4: The resolution

but that isn't all. In Dramatica the whole plot follows these four signposts, but the main characters own growth also has four signposts that parallel the main stories. Also the "Impact Character" (the next to main character; whoever is most entangled with him be it the Villain, Lover, Mentor, Friend, or Whatever) also follows their own four signposts. Aaaaalllsssooo, the relationship between the main character and the impact character has it's four signposts. Got that? here

1: Overall Story
2: Main Character
3: Impact Character
4: Relationship between Main and Impact Characters

Last each signpost of those (4x4 = 16) sixteen signposts we have already covered has a mini arch of four signposts for a total of (4x4x4 = 64) sixty four signposts. make each a chapter wiggle that a bit so the story makes sense and doesn't just jump to the next signpost haphazardly and you have the structure of a novel ready set. Enjoy


* give me a break, I'm going in numerical order and 4 came up really quickly =/