Writing the dramatic story

A solid dramatic story can be summed up by the simple phrase: Change over time. For those who think in formulas, it looks like this:

Change / Time

What does it mean?

In practical terms, every story has its own time frame. A story starts at a certain point — what we think of as the beginning. A story ends at another — what we think of as the end. Sometimes, the narrative of a story might start somewhere in the middle. We’ll discuss that later when we get to narrative structure. For now, let’s focus on the core nature of a story, which is always (for the most part) the same.

In every story, there is a beginning, a middle and an end.

The beginning is the start. The middle is where the magic happens. And the end is when it stops.

So what changes…?

Usually, the people in your story will change. Specifically, it’s your main characters: the Protagonist and the Antagonist. The Protagonist is your main focus, the hero of your story, the one who has something that she or he wants so badly that they will stop at nothing to obtain it.

The Antagonist is, for lack of a better explanation, the Villain in your story. Like your main character, the villain also wants something so badly that she or he will stop at nothing to obtain it.

What ties these two characters together is a Unity of Opposites. What the Protagonist wants precludes the Antagonist from having what she or he wants, and vice versa. They’re both willing to do whatever it takes to fulfill their own personal, selfish want, but only one of them can win it in the end. This dynamic — two opposing forces trying to accomplish mutually exclusive goals — is what creates conflict in a story.

As the Protagonist and the Antagonist move toward achieving their goals, they meet in conflict with each other. How each chooses to overcome the obstacles put in front of them reveals who these characters are and determines what the story is about.

In each of these characters, an opposing point of view (POV) about the world is presented. Each POV represents an ethos and core set of values put forth by the writer. In determining who emerges victorious, the writer is making an argument for how he or she sees the world. In this victory, the theme is made manifest.

Always remember, you are a dramatist. Your job is to create drama, think up dramatic situations, and stir a pot of drama-induced scenarios in your story. Every second of your waking life will not be dramatic enough for the silver screen, but might contain nuggets with which to capture a baseline of human drama and change that will inform your storytelling.

Therefore, it is important you look for the drama in your own life. For example, you’re feeling hot and want the ceiling fan on in the living room, but your housemate is running cold and wants the fan off. This conflict creates drama between you two. How will you react? How will your housemate react? Who is willing to change? How will each of you change over the course of this conflict?

To write smart, it is essential to know your Protagonist and Antagonist. You must be clear about who they are and what they represent. It’s essential to make sure that there is a Unity of Opposites that creates a reasonable conflict between the two parties to justify what will be a climactic confrontation that takes place at the end of your movie.