This week: That Political Drama! Edited by: Joy  
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In politics stupidity is not a handicap.
Napoleon Bonaparte
One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.
Plato
It has been said that politics is the second oldest profession. I have learned that it bears a striking resemblance to the first.
Ronald Reagan
The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.
H. L. Mencken
You want a friend in Washington? Get a dog.
Harry S Truman
If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in 5 years there'd be a shortage of sand.
Milton Friedman
The ballot is stronger than the bullet.
Abraham Lincoln
Hello, I am Joy , this week's drama editor. This issue is on writing about the drama of politics.
Thank you for reading our newsletters and for supplying the editors with feedback and encouragement.
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Welcome to the Drama newsletter
Political power struggles, alliances breaking or re-forming, manipulations, fragility of trust, and the blame game...Do these sound familiar? Well, aren't we now living in it? 
As seemingly tragic as our current political status may be, in it lie great ideas for us fiction writers. Writing a story or play centered on political intrigue is a rich and challenging, regardless of the discomfort we feel in the real events. Discomfort? Yes, but still, we all want to know what happens next, don't we?
This is because political intrigue stories combine high stakes with personal motivation and the welfare of groups and countries. The idea also offers different forms of deception such as hidden agendas, secret alliances, betrayals, and moral ambiguity.
Then, usually, the core elements of a political intrigue story can start with power dynamics. Yes, power! Who wants it? How do they intend to get it? This could range from becoming overt as a coup or as subtle as a rumor.
This power idea brought to my mind a small scene at the beginning of Julius Ceasar by Shakespeare. This play is about Caesar's assassination and Brutus's failed attempt at political resistance.
Act 1 Scene 2
BRUTUS to Cassius
Cassius, be not deceived. If I have veiled my look,
I turn the trouble of my countenance
Merely upon myself. Vexèd I am
Of late with passions of some difference...
Although politics probably date as far back as human history, political theater goes as far back as the Ancient Greeks who told stories of Greek history and the gods. On the lighter side, in Aristophanes’ comedy Lysistrata, the central character tries to teach the Magistrate a lesson on how to manage the city:
MAGISTRATE – How, may I ask, will your rule re-establish order and justice in lands so tormented?
LYSISTRATA – Nothing is easier.
Then, Lysistrata gives the example of a spool of yarn that gets tangled and explains it as: "...first as we wash dirty wool so’s to cleanse it, so with a pitiless zeal we will scrub through the whole city for all greasy fellows; burrs too, the parasites, off we will rub."
Something to think about, I'll have to say.
Then, in any political story, ideology and survival can become very powerful themes. Also, as in any story, a major step is choosing the characters. The more complex our characters are, the better, like Shakespeare's Iago or Lady Macbeth.
Next comes the setting. Is your story or play placed in today's world? Or is it in an--imagined or real--monarchy, empire, republic, corporation, business, or a political family environment? Whichever may be your choice, the system has to be internally consistent but rich with opportunity for conflict.
As to your story's structure, it is a good idea to let the initial political equilibrium be disrupted by a bold move—a murder, election, policy, or scandal.
Dialogue is important, too, because in politics what is said is rarely what is meant; therefore, it needs to be layered, strategic, with double-meaning, mostly.
You may also want to choose a surprising or inevitable climax. Perhaps, a betrayal can be revealed at the moment of a great trust or a carefully constructed plan unraveling at the last minute.
Here are a few themes to explore that I could think of:
* Corruption and Compromise
* Loyalty and Betrayal
* Justice vs. Expediency
* The Cost of Power
* Freedom vs. Control
Any one of these or any other theme you choose should be grounded in human emotion while it sails through the machinery of politics.
Let me mention a few examples in no specific order from the popular literature as I hope they may provide some inspiration, should you choose to write a story involving politics.
"Julius Caesar" and "Macbeth" by William Shakespeare
"All the King’s Men" by Robert Penn Warren
"The West Wing" by Aaron Sorkin
"Game of Thrones"
"1984" and "Animal Farm" by George Orwell
"Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley
"The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
May all the deceptions in your stories fuel suspense and dilemmas of conflict, should you choose to write any political fiction. 
Until next time!
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 Enjoy!
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Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form
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 This Issue's Tip: Just a tiny addition to the editorial, should you wish to write about a political system: A political system is internally consistent and rich with opportunity for conflict. For example: A monarchy or empire introduces hereditary power, succession crises, and court politics. A republic involves elections, parties, and public opinion—ripe for manipulation. A corporate or sci-fi setting allows commentary on capitalism, surveillance, or AI governance.
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Feedback for "The Topic and Drama of Betrayal"
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Sumojo 
Thank you so much for sharing my story; The Burning Issue. It’s a story I remember as one on which I spent so many hours. Yet, as many of my stories, it disappeared from my mind as I sought to write a bigger and better one, always seeking to improve.
In that light how wonderful it is to see it resurrected, if just for a few hours before it sinks into oblivion once more. Thank you so much.
My pleasure. Your story was very good, I thought. Plus, I do like Paris, Montmartre and such. 
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Drama: June 18, 2025 Issue [#13180]
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