Query letters and Dramatica
Posted: May 03, 2013 7:34 am
I was going through old forum posts yesterday (mainly since [sadly] this forum doesn't seem to be very active) and I came across the thread "What happens when stories get smaller?" ( http://forums.screenplay.com/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=22 ). There is something touched upon in this thread that I think could be of use to all the spec writers out there using Dramatica.
So, you've used Dramatica to help you structure your 120-page screenplay or 300-page novel. Now you need to sell it. You need a logline and a short synopsis to go in your query letter. Can Dramatica help? YES! You can use your storyform to ensure that you touch all four throughlines in your logline or synopsis. You don't have enough space to complete your "Grand Argument" in a synopsis, and certainly not in a logline, but by holding onto your original storyform, you can at least touch all the bases and hint to the reader that there is depth in the full story.
Using Star Wars as an example (since it should be familiar to everyone) here are the throughlines:
Objective Story: Destroying the Death Star (Physics)
Main Character: Luke, a farm boy with unrealized potential because he is the son of a Jedi (Universe)
Obstacle Character: Obi-Wan, a master of the ways of the Force (Mind)
Subjective Story: Training a young Jedi (Psychology)
So, the logline might read like this:
A farm boy must learn the ways of the Force from an old Jedi Master in order the save the Galactic Rebellion from a powerful new space station capable of destroying whole planets.
This may not be the best logline since it's off the top of my head, but it works all four throughlines and their Domains into a single sentence that hints at a complete story. The synopsis would go a bit deeper--going into Concerns and Issues and maybe even Problems and Solutions--depending on the required length. Keeping the storyform in mind will help you show the reader of your query that the full work will embody a complete story.
Thank you for reading. This has been a bit of a revelation to me, and I thought I'd share it.
So, you've used Dramatica to help you structure your 120-page screenplay or 300-page novel. Now you need to sell it. You need a logline and a short synopsis to go in your query letter. Can Dramatica help? YES! You can use your storyform to ensure that you touch all four throughlines in your logline or synopsis. You don't have enough space to complete your "Grand Argument" in a synopsis, and certainly not in a logline, but by holding onto your original storyform, you can at least touch all the bases and hint to the reader that there is depth in the full story.
Using Star Wars as an example (since it should be familiar to everyone) here are the throughlines:
Objective Story: Destroying the Death Star (Physics)
Main Character: Luke, a farm boy with unrealized potential because he is the son of a Jedi (Universe)
Obstacle Character: Obi-Wan, a master of the ways of the Force (Mind)
Subjective Story: Training a young Jedi (Psychology)
So, the logline might read like this:
A farm boy must learn the ways of the Force from an old Jedi Master in order the save the Galactic Rebellion from a powerful new space station capable of destroying whole planets.
This may not be the best logline since it's off the top of my head, but it works all four throughlines and their Domains into a single sentence that hints at a complete story. The synopsis would go a bit deeper--going into Concerns and Issues and maybe even Problems and Solutions--depending on the required length. Keeping the storyform in mind will help you show the reader of your query that the full work will embody a complete story.
Thank you for reading. This has been a bit of a revelation to me, and I thought I'd share it.