 Drama: April 04, 2007 Issue [#1627] |
  Drama
This week: Edited by: Vivian  
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Hello. I'm in the process of exploring W.Com newsletters, and I'm visiting Drama this week as your guest editor. I hope I help you be able to write stronger, better drama.
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Drama in Writing
One of the synonyms for drama found in a thesaurus is tragedy; another is comedy. Most of the equivalent words portrayed the theater or movies, including theatrics. However, according to the dictionary, drama means a composition intended to portray life or character or to tell a story involving conflicts and emotions through action and dialogue. The dictionary adds that drama involves intense conflict of forces. Interesting ... drama must mean any writing that includes conflicts, emotions, action, and dialogue – as long as they are intense, deeply felt.
In writing, though, comedy and drama reside on the opposite ends of the spectrum. As one person so elegantly compared the two: Comedy hits us in the head, often to fade quickly over time; while drama hits us in the gut or the heart and stays there. (http://femmesfatales.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/01/hit_me.html)
Does that mean that drama can’t be found in comedy or that comedy can’t be found in drama? Not at all. The best writings have a touch of both, even if the majority of the genre of the work is one or the other.
Let’s look at how to weave drama into a story, a poem, or a novel.
Conflict: Any plot includes conflict. In a drama the conflict is intense, not minor, not easily overcome or endured. The battle or clash is deeply felt not only by the character but also by the reader.
Emotion: The feelings or sentiment developed in drama is passionate, resulting in a lasting effect.
Action: Action can be mental, physical, or both, preferably both. Something has to happen in order to have a conflict, a plot. Otherwise the writing becomes a description rather than a drama.
Dialogue: Dialogue means conversation, talking. Even if the writing has but one character, dialogue can be used as the character talks to himself, whether aloud or mentally. Dialogue helps show the emotion and conflict necessary for drama. In poetry, the dialogue is often the thoughts of the poet as written into the poem. At times, though, actually dialogue may be present.
All these components need to be used with other necessary ingredients and intensity to have a completed story, poem, or novel. When all the parts are interwoven, and they are powerful enough to “hit” the reader in the gut or heart, the result leaves a lasting impression – a dramatic work.
I try to find items in my port as examples of what I discuss in newsletters. I therefore offer the following:
Poetry:
Short Story:
I don't have any of my novels in my port, so I can't share any of them, but I hope you're encouraged to write stronger drama.
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Final Words
Although I'm a guest editor for Drama, I would like to know if this issue was helpful or not. Either write a message in the text box below or send me an email.
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