  Drama
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"Drama is life with the dull bits cut out."
Alfred Hitchcock
Drama exists everywhere, and it often offers solid reasons for its existence by filling us with tension and excitement. Let us look into some ways that may enhance the drama in our writing.
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Welcome to the Drama newsletter
In this newsletter, we will pay attention to ideas.
In philosophy, two views exist on where the ideas come from: One view claims that ideas live in a separate realm that give rise to what is called innate ideas; the other view insists we get our ideas from life experiences. Both views, when we think about them, may have a say in our writing life.
According to our standard understanding and sometimes our wishful thinking, ideas come to us writers spontaneously; however, ideas may also come as derivatives of other ideas or whatever enters the mind at a given moment. Once an idea enters the mind, it triggers other concepts that are connected and similar.
Everything starts with an idea. Each piece of writing starts with an idea. If the idea behind a story is attractive, the editors will welcome its proposal, and most importantly, when the story or the script is written, that attractive idea will keep the readers reading.
What makes any idea attractive, then?
A contradiction emerges in the answer. The idea has to be original and attention getting; yet, it must be familiar. Finding an idea both original and familiar sounds like a paradox; however, these two oppositions can be made to work together to benefit the writer.
Let us look at an example. Everyone, five years of age or older, is acquainted with the idea of dinosaurs. Yet, an amusement park exhibiting certain genetically recreated dinosaur species is an original idea. Add to this a few assisting ideas in most anyone’s experience like a badly managed park, grandfather touring a park with his grandchildren, and two rival genetic engineering companies, you have the successful Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton.
When we look at this story’s example more carefully, we see that Jurassic Park’s originality is its more powerful side. Its familiarity increases when other concepts support it as the story progresses.
Thus, while creating a story from an idea, we need to push the spotlight on the stronger, original side of the idea, so the focus of the story does not waver. In other words, we do not put two, three, or more equally original aspects into one idea. The risk in introducing too many originalities into one story idea can lose us the reader’s attention or tire and confuse him.
Second part of the answer to what makes an idea attractive lurks within the idea. It is the implication of conflict with an immediate appeal. In the amusement park’s cloned dinosaurs idea, the conflict is implied inside the idea with the dinosaurs becoming a menace and threatening the world.
For that reason, once an idea comes to us, we must look for the implied conflict in it. Then, we can develop that conflict further.
Strong conflict always shows up with drama. When the conflict is vague, the story may end up becoming wishy-washy. A clear conflict will make a successful story, because the reader will want to find out how the conflict will be resolved.
Inside the same idea, should the writer not see the conflict at first sight, he can look if any characters are already there. Then, the make-up of the characters can create the conflict, and consequently, the drama. The Harry Potter books probably started with the idea of “a teenage wizard in school.” Thus, the teenage wizard’s character and the supporting characters around him developed the conflict that led to the drama.
To sum it up, to create a dramatic story, first write down the idea in one sentence and make sure the idea is original, yet at the same time, familiar. Next, make sure the conflict is implied in that sentence. Then, see if the characters who can successfully carry out the story are hiding in that same idea sentence. If you don’t see them there, create them yourself, connecting their existence to the idea.
May all our ideas produce dramatic pieces.
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A tiny contest:
By April 13, 11:59 P.M. , Write a new story idea in one sentence, and underneath that sentence, write a paragraph on how you plan to develop that idea, as writers do in book proposals. Do not write the story, and do not work with an idea on which you have already written a story.
Please, post your answers in "Drama Forum" either directly or, if you have made an item for it, as a link. Keep to the forum's 13+ content rating if you are posting it directly.
Top three entries will get creativity badges.
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A few stories built on brilliant ideas:
The idea of wishful thinking takes the form of a very imaginative story about a man finding his double in a parallel universe.
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Here is the cricket phobia idea that turned into a delightful story.
The idea of life being backwards results in the story of plane-wrecked CEO’s.
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The search for eternal youth and eternal life idea develops into an extraordinary fable.
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A few poems with drama:
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a poem about my Vietnam vet brothers who have lost themselves on this side of the ocean
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For practicing your dramatic skills:
1. A group
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2. A few contests run by site members
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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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bazilbob
How about the plain but indespensible automatic writing. Pick a word or subject, and write non-stop for 10-15 minutes. Write whatever comes into your head without thinking. The idea is to allow the creative element a free rein while the critical/editing element is kept away, so no editing! You'll probably end up writing half sentences, or switching subject mid-sentence, which is what you want; to let your imagination take you where you never thought that word or subject would.
Excellent point. Thank you for bringing it up. Actually, most writers and many of us here in WC use free-flow writing to come up with original ideas. Free-flow writing--also called automatic writing--is a technique that awakens the mind. Free-flow writing, however, is for the writer's own eyes. It rarely turns out to be good enough to pass as a fully rounded piece of writing.
Please let me know what you would like to see in the future issues of the drama newsletter.
You may post your ideas and requests in "Drama Forum" or send them to the Drama Newsletter. Thank you.
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Drama: March 26, 2008 Issue [#2293]
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