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Multiple autonomous stories effected by a main Throughline?

Posted: Jun 03, 2010 3:50 pm
by Butch007
In an effort to hopefully get some feedback I'm mirroring this post here in what looks to be the more active sub forum:

Multiple autonomous stories effected by a main Throughline?

Primarily I'm doing science-fiction plus world building in the main story I'm writing now. I need completely separate stories to really do each secondary through-line/story justice. Is there a way to write separate stories using separate files and then blend them in Dramatica after the fact?

To a certain extent I wonder if it's necessary, but it would make things easier to have it all together and before actually writing the story just to eliminate a step.

Re: Multiple autonomous stories effected by a main Throughli

Posted: Jun 08, 2010 10:59 am
by Chris Huntley
Here's what I responded directly in an email:

My guess is that you'll need to develop them separately in Dramatica. Works of such scope tend to have multiple stories (as you indicated is true with yours), and each story will have its own main character, impact character, overall story and relationship throughline.

What I recommend is to use the character export and import feature to transfer characters common to multiple stories from and to each other. It is common to have one player be the Main Character/protagonist in one story, perhaps the Impact Character/Sidekick in another, and some other objective character in a third story, and not part of any of the other stories going on.

You will still need to weave these stories together, but I don't think the Dramatica Pro software will be up to that task as effectively as you may like Outlining programs like Outline 4D may be helpful in organizing the massive number of character, plot, theme, and genre elements you are developing.