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Writing from a Character's Point of View
by Melanie Anne Phillips
creator StoryWeaver,
co-creator Dramatica
Perhaps the best way to instill real feelings in a character is to stand in
his or her shoes and write from the character's point of view. Unfortunately,
this method also holds the greatest danger of undermining the meaning of a
story.
As an example, suppose we have two characters, Joe and Tom, who are business
competitors. Joe hates Tom and Tom hates Joe. We sit down to write an argument
between them. First, we stand in Joe's shoes and speak vehemently of Tom's
transgressions. Then, we stand in Tom's shoes and pontificate on Joe's
aggressions. By adopting the character point of view, we have constructed an
exchange of honest and powerful emotions. We have also undermined the meaning of
our story because Joe and Tom have come across as being virtually the same.
A story might have a Protagonist and an Antagonist, but between Joe and Tom,
who is who? Each sees himself as the Protagonist and the other as the
Antagonist. If we simply write the argument from each point of view, the
audience has no idea which is REALLY which.
The opposite problem occurs if you stand back from your characters and assign
roles as Protagonist and Antagonist without considering the characters' points
of view. In such a case, the character clearly establish the story's meaning,
but they seem to be "walking through" the story, hitting the marks,
and never really expressing themselves as actual human beings.
The solution, of course, is to explore both approaches. You need to know what
role each character is to play in the story's overall meaning - the big picture.
But, you also must stand in their shoes and write with passion to make them
human.
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StoryWeaver
- $29.95
Our
Bestseller! A
step by step approach to story development, from concept to completed
story for your novel or screenplay. More than 200 interactive Story
Cards guide you through the entire process.
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Dramatica
Pro - $179.95
Includes 2
Exclusive Bonuses! The
most powerful story structuring software available, Dramatica is driven by
a patented "Story Engine" that cross-references your dramatic
choices to ensure a perfect structure.
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Dramatica
Writer's DreamKit - $49.95
Little brother
to Dramatica Pro, Writer's DreamKit is built around the same patented
Story Engine - it just tracks fewer story points. So, you develop
the same solid story structure, just with fewer details. Perfect for
beginning writers or those new to Dramatica.
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Power
Structure - $149.95
An all-in-one
writing environment with built-in word processor that helps you organize
and cross-reference your story development materials. INCLUDES DVD
SET BONUS!
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Power
Writer - $99.95
The little
brother of Power Structure includes the essential organization and word
processing tools writers need the most.
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Throughline
- Index Cards (Mac) - $19.95
Interactive
index cards - add notes, titles, colors, click and drag to re-arrange.
An essential tool for every writer.
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Movie
Magic Screenwriter - $149.95
The most
advanced screenwriting software available, Movie Magic is deemed a
"preferred file format" by the Writer's Guild. An industry
standard, MMS is used by professionals and studios around the world.
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Final
Draft - $199.95
Like Movie
Magic Screenwriter, Final Draft is an industry standard, used by many
professional screenwriters and studios around the world.
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Between
The Lines (Macintosh) - $29.95
The lowest
cost automatic screenplay formatter for Macintosh includes high-end
features such as interactive index cards linked to your script.
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12
Hour Writing Course - $19.95
Everything you
need to know about story structure - twelve hours of video on a single DVD
- presented by Dramatica Theory co-creator, Melanie Anne Phillips.
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Dramatica
Software Companion - $19.95
More than four
hours of video demonstrations of every key feature in Dramatica, narrated
by the co-creator of Dramatica.
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StoryWeaving
Tips Book - $19.95
170 pages of
eye-opening essays on story structure, storytelling, finding inspiration
and a wide variety of writing techniques.
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StoryWeaving
Seminar 8 DVD Set - $99.95
14 hours of
video from a live two day course taught by theory co-creator Melanie Anne
Phillips covering Dramatica story structure and StoryWeaver storytelling.
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StoryWeaving
Seminar Online - $49.95
The same 14
hour program presented in streaming video that you can view online or
download for a permanent copy.
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Dramatica
Theory 2 Hour Audio Program - $19.95
Every key
concept in the Dramatica Theory of Story is fully explained in this
double-CD set.
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Writing
Characters of the Opposite Sex - $29.95
A three-hour
audio CD set that explains everything you need to know to create
characters of both sexes that ring absolutely true (and maybe even gain
insight into the communication problems in the real world!)
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Master
Storyteller Improves Your Writing - $29.95
Become a
better writing with this series of interactive exercises.
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How
to Create Great Characters DVD - $19.95
A 90 minute
video program recorded during Dramatica co-creator Melanie Anne Phillips'
live in-person seminar on story structure and storytelling.
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Structure
vs. Passion - Audio CD $19.95
The Story Mind
approach to writing uses your own passions to create your story's
structure. It focuses your efforts, clarifies the direction of your
story, and triggers your imagination.
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Writing
with the Story Mind - Audio CD - $19.95
Learn how to
psychoanalyze your story's "mind" to uncover and treat problems
with characters, plot, theme, and genre.
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Academic
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Highlights from Dramaticapedia
Your Story Structure
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