https://simplecast.com Narrative First: where story is always king Updates & analysis of all things story. From screenplays to novels to deep theoretical story structure, this podcast is aimed at providing the secrets to great storytelling. (c) 2016-2019 Narrative First en Mon, 24 Dec 2018 00:08:00 +0000 Mon, 15 Jun 2020 16:02:26 +0000 http://narrativefirst.com Narrative First: where story is always king https://cdn.simplecast.com/images/76cb96f1-062f-42db-a0a5-307a4a45ba91/9912b89a-0a2f-4f19-8da0-fd1d260e1083/3000x3000/1504045898artwork.jpg?aid=rss_feed http://narrativefirst.com episodic Updates & analysis of all things story. From screenplays to novels to deep theoretical story structure, this podcast is aimed at providing the secrets to great storytelling. James R. Hull no https://feeds.simplecast.com/53TaFXYG screenwriting, writing, creative writing, story, story structure, film, television, novel James R. Hull questions@narrativefirst.com 226d8c8d-6c40-4b07-8690-df6fa8d7443d When It All Finally Clicks Into Place Is the process involved in the analysis of a Dramatica storyform truly objective, or is everyone fooling themselves? Jim answers these questions as well as giving an update on our app, Subtext.

(Note: This episode was recorded April 11, 2018--at that time, Subtext was called the "Narrative First Atomizer")

In addition, we dive into what it feels like when a storyform just clicks into place--when you know you've found the unique set of thematic Storypoints that create the message of the narrative.

You can read the entire transcription of this episode here.

Story Development Services from Narrative First. Stop rewriting and finally finish that story with our expert advice.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace.

]]> Mon, 24 Dec 2018 00:08:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/when-it-all-finally-clicks-into-place-c4013ae7 Is the process involved in the analysis of a Dramatica storyform truly objective, or is everyone fooling themselves? Jim answers these questions as well as giving an update on our app, Subtext.

(Note: This episode was recorded April 11, 2018--at that time, Subtext was called the "Narrative First Atomizer")

In addition, we dive into what it feels like when a storyform just clicks into place--when you know you've found the unique set of thematic Storypoints that create the message of the narrative.

You can read the entire transcription of this episode here.

Story Development Services from Narrative First. Stop rewriting and finally finish that story with our expert advice.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace.

]]> When It All Finally Clicks Into Place James R. Hull 00:37:58 Is the process involved in the analysis of a Dramatica storyform truly objective, or is everyone fooling themselves? Jim answers these questions as well as giving an update on our app, Subtext. Is the process involved in the analysis of a Dramatica storyform truly objective, or is everyone fooling themselves? Jim answers these questions as well as giving an update on our app, Subtext. writing, story, screenwriting no full 66 3 0f64d2a7-1fd9-461b-a565-e57457085e50 Raiders of the Lost Ark and Multiple Storyforms A deep-dive into the two narrative structures driving the classic action/adventure Raiders of the Lost Ark.

While many consider Raiders to be evidence of a "5-Act" or "6-Act" structure, the truth is the presence of two completely different 4-Act structures. Using the Dramatica theory of story, we take a look at these two individual arguments and explain how Kasdan masterfully wove them together to appear as a single "story."

In addition, we discuss updates to our Subtext service (referred to as the "Atomizer" in the podcast), and examine the thematic structure of the Tonya Harding biopic, I, Tonya.

You can read the entire transcription of this episode here.

Deliberate Storytelling is a practice whereby the Author creates with intent and purpose. Collaborate with a story expert today and start down the path towards finally writing and finishing your story.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace.

]]> Fri, 3 Aug 2018 00:39:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/raiders-of-the-lost-ark-and-multiple-473e58a1 A deep-dive into the two narrative structures driving the classic action/adventure Raiders of the Lost Ark.

While many consider Raiders to be evidence of a "5-Act" or "6-Act" structure, the truth is the presence of two completely different 4-Act structures. Using the Dramatica theory of story, we take a look at these two individual arguments and explain how Kasdan masterfully wove them together to appear as a single "story."

In addition, we discuss updates to our Subtext service (referred to as the "Atomizer" in the podcast), and examine the thematic structure of the Tonya Harding biopic, I, Tonya.

You can read the entire transcription of this episode here.

Deliberate Storytelling is a practice whereby the Author creates with intent and purpose. Collaborate with a story expert today and start down the path towards finally writing and finishing your story.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace.

]]> Raiders of the Lost Ark and Multiple Storyforms James R. Hull 00:39:58 A deep-dive into the two narrative structures driving the classic action/adventure *Raiders of the Lost Ark.* A deep-dive into the two narrative structures driving the classic action/adventure *Raiders of the Lost Ark.* writing, story, screenwriting no full 65 3 ac027d12-61ab-4a77-bec0-67fc913666d6 The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi An in-depth look at the narrative thematics driving these two classic films.

For this, our special 64th episode, we explore the storyforms found in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Using the Dramatica theory of story as a basis for our analysis, we find two separate narratives in Empire: one that focuses on psychology as a basis for conflict, and another that takes the expected physics approach.

For Jedi, we find an usual set of narrative thematics that explains why this film stands out from the previous two in terms of shape and feel.

You can read the entire transcription of this episode here.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace.

]]> Thu, 5 Jul 2018 17:59:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/the-empire-strikes-back-and-return-of-685361ea An in-depth look at the narrative thematics driving these two classic films.

For this, our special 64th episode, we explore the storyforms found in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Using the Dramatica theory of story as a basis for our analysis, we find two separate narratives in Empire: one that focuses on psychology as a basis for conflict, and another that takes the expected physics approach.

For Jedi, we find an usual set of narrative thematics that explains why this film stands out from the previous two in terms of shape and feel.

You can read the entire transcription of this episode here.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace.

]]> The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi James R. Hull 00:46:36 An in-depth look at the narrative thematics driving these two classic films. An in-depth look at the narrative thematics driving these two classic films. writing, story, screenwriting no full 64 3 235c3ae9-1ee8-41ef-8f66-958fa9dcef70 Demystifying the Plot Points of a Complete Story In this episode, we take a look at the key story events that shift a narrative from one contextual Act to the next. In addition, we discuss what the Dramatica theory of story identifies in a story--namely, the subtext of narrative conflict. If you previously thought subtext was something that could never truly be defined--prepare to learn the truth. Using examples from both The Florida Project and Call Me By Your Name, we offer a first look insight into the reason for re-branding our service with the more appropriate name: Subtext.

You can read the entire transcription of this episode here.

Register for Subtext

Deliberate Storytelling is a practice whereby the Author creates with intent and purpose. Collaborate with a story expert today and start down the path towards finally writing and finishing your story.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace.

]]> Fri, 25 May 2018 19:33:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/demystifying-the-plot-points-of-a-db6e8785 In this episode, we take a look at the key story events that shift a narrative from one contextual Act to the next. In addition, we discuss what the Dramatica theory of story identifies in a story--namely, the subtext of narrative conflict. If you previously thought subtext was something that could never truly be defined--prepare to learn the truth. Using examples from both The Florida Project and Call Me By Your Name, we offer a first look insight into the reason for re-branding our service with the more appropriate name: Subtext.

You can read the entire transcription of this episode here.

Register for Subtext

Deliberate Storytelling is a practice whereby the Author creates with intent and purpose. Collaborate with a story expert today and start down the path towards finally writing and finishing your story.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace.

]]> Demystifying the Plot Points of a Complete Story James R. Hull 00:36:08 In this episode, we take a look at the key story events that shift a narrative from one contextual Act to the next. In this episode, we take a look at the key story events that shift a narrative from one contextual Act to the next. writing, story, screenwriting no full 63 3 d61e51a4-9b06-41e3-8747-953cf6a551b4 Making Meaning Out of the Meaningless If you want to make meaning out of the meaningless, if you want to ensure that you don't write a pointless story, a Dramatica® storyform ensures that what you have to say promises purpose and a reason for the audience to listen. With that in mind, we take a look at the differences between The Disaster Artist and Darkest Hour. Guess which one contains a solid narrative?

In addition, we explain why The Accountant seems so jam-packed with story and answer questions about the separation between the Influence Character perspective and the Relationship Story perspective.

You can read the entire transcription of this episode here.

Register for Subtext

Deliberate Storytelling is a practice whereby the Author creates with intent and purpose. Collaborate with a story expert today and start down the path towards finally writing and finishing your story.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace.

]]> Thu, 26 Apr 2018 18:57:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/making-meaning-out-of-the-meaningless-8d8bf190 If you want to make meaning out of the meaningless, if you want to ensure that you don't write a pointless story, a Dramatica® storyform ensures that what you have to say promises purpose and a reason for the audience to listen. With that in mind, we take a look at the differences between The Disaster Artist and Darkest Hour. Guess which one contains a solid narrative?

In addition, we explain why The Accountant seems so jam-packed with story and answer questions about the separation between the Influence Character perspective and the Relationship Story perspective.

You can read the entire transcription of this episode here.

Register for Subtext

Deliberate Storytelling is a practice whereby the Author creates with intent and purpose. Collaborate with a story expert today and start down the path towards finally writing and finishing your story.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace.

]]> Making Meaning Out of the Meaningless James R. Hull 00:28:16 A Dramatica storyform ensures that what you have to say promises purpose and a reason for the audience to listen. A Dramatica storyform ensures that what you have to say promises purpose and a reason for the audience to listen. writing, story, screenwriting no full 62 3 f2100fc8-152d-4747-ac44-670c229d0dea The 2018 Academy Awards This episode explores the connection between a high score on Rotten Tomatoes, nominations and recognition for great writing, and a complete Dramatica storyform. More than correlation, a solid storyform guarantees favorable critical response.

In addition, I relate my experience of being to predict the specific structural items of Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri while watching the film for the first time. Again, another instance of a film recognized for its great writing with a solid and appreciable Dramatica storyform.

You can read the entire transcription of this episode here.

Register for the Narrative First Atomizer here

Deliberate Storytelling is a practice whereby the Author creates with intent and purpose. Collaborate with a story expert today and start down the path towards finally writing and finishing your story.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace.

]]> Wed, 28 Mar 2018 15:10:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/the-2018-academy-awards-bf882561 This episode explores the connection between a high score on Rotten Tomatoes, nominations and recognition for great writing, and a complete Dramatica storyform. More than correlation, a solid storyform guarantees favorable critical response.

In addition, I relate my experience of being to predict the specific structural items of Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri while watching the film for the first time. Again, another instance of a film recognized for its great writing with a solid and appreciable Dramatica storyform.

You can read the entire transcription of this episode here.

Register for the Narrative First Atomizer here

Deliberate Storytelling is a practice whereby the Author creates with intent and purpose. Collaborate with a story expert today and start down the path towards finally writing and finishing your story.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace.

]]> The 2018 Academy Awards James R. Hull 00:28:37 My experience of being able to predict the specific structural items of an Oscar-nominated film while it was running. My experience of being able to predict the specific structural items of an Oscar-nominated film while it was running. writing, story, screenwriting no full 61 3 b27cb7fe-7ad2-47aa-9239-7a1d803f4e90 The Relationship Story Throughline Is Not An Argument A look at how you can dramatically improve the quality of your storytelling by thinking of the central relationship as a character. I follow-up with listener email regarding the difference between Wisdom & Enlightenment within the Dramatica theory of story. And I cover the usage of Time and Space in setting the context for a full and complete narrative.

You can read the entire transcription of this episode here.

Register for the Narrative First Atomizer here

Deliberate Storytelling is a practice whereby the Author creates with intent and purpose. Collaborate with a story expert today and start down the path towards finally writing and finishing your story.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace.

]]> Wed, 7 Mar 2018 15:50:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/the-relationship-story-throughline-is-13502246 A look at how you can dramatically improve the quality of your storytelling by thinking of the central relationship as a character. I follow-up with listener email regarding the difference between Wisdom & Enlightenment within the Dramatica theory of story. And I cover the usage of Time and Space in setting the context for a full and complete narrative.

You can read the entire transcription of this episode here.

Register for the Narrative First Atomizer here

Deliberate Storytelling is a practice whereby the Author creates with intent and purpose. Collaborate with a story expert today and start down the path towards finally writing and finishing your story.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace.

]]> The Relationship Story Throughline Is Not An Argument James R. Hull 00:38:01 A look at how you can dramatically improve the quality of your storytelling by thinking of the central relationship as a character. A look at how you can dramatically improve the quality of your storytelling by thinking of the central relationship as a character. no full 60 3 d79b06bb-1bfe-493e-be7b-e8ef43d183a6 Connecting the Main Character to the Overall Story In this episode, I cover the importance of connecting the Main Character's problem with the Overall Story problem & a method for constructing the Narrative Argument of your story. The former explains the difference between an OK story and an amazing story; all the great narratives of the past take this approach of pitting subjective vs. objec tive. The latter is helpful in determining the narrative drive of a story and keeping you on track with your story's purpose.

You can read the entire transcription of this episode here.

Register for the Narrative First Atomizer here

Deliberate Storytelling is a practice whereby the Author creates with intent and purpose. Collaborate with a story expert today and start down the path towards finally writing and finishing your story.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace.

]]> Wed, 28 Feb 2018 16:27:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/connecting-the-main-character-to-the-3339c782 In this episode, I cover the importance of connecting the Main Character's problem with the Overall Story problem & a method for constructing the Narrative Argument of your story. The former explains the difference between an OK story and an amazing story; all the great narratives of the past take this approach of pitting subjective vs. objec tive. The latter is helpful in determining the narrative drive of a story and keeping you on track with your story's purpose.

You can read the entire transcription of this episode here.

Register for the Narrative First Atomizer here

Deliberate Storytelling is a practice whereby the Author creates with intent and purpose. Collaborate with a story expert today and start down the path towards finally writing and finishing your story.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace.

]]> Connecting the Main Character to the Overall Story James R. Hull 00:18:54 In this episode, I cover the importance of connecting the Main Character's problem with the Overall Story problem & a method for constructing the Narrative Argument of your story. In this episode, I cover the importance of connecting the Main Character's problem with the Overall Story problem & a method for constructing the Narrative Argument of your story. no full 59 3 6e1f4dc7-9aa7-40c9-8aef-5c3439384365 2018: The Year of Abundance In this episode, we catch up on all things Narrative First from the past three months and kickstart our year of plenty. This includes everything from updates to the Narrative First Atomizer, new Dramatica analyses, the site redesign, building an animated television series, developing a complete story from scratch, and the biggest update to the podcast...

...transcriptions!

You can read the entire transcription of this episode here.

Register for the Narrative First Atomizer here

Deliberate Storytelling is a practice whereby the Author creates with intent and purpose. Collaborate with a story expert today and start down the path towards finally writing and finishing your story.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace.

]]> Tue, 20 Feb 2018 16:52:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/2018-the-year-of-abundance-27a44d3e In this episode, we catch up on all things Narrative First from the past three months and kickstart our year of plenty. This includes everything from updates to the Narrative First Atomizer, new Dramatica analyses, the site redesign, building an animated television series, developing a complete story from scratch, and the biggest update to the podcast...

...transcriptions!

You can read the entire transcription of this episode here.

Register for the Narrative First Atomizer here

Deliberate Storytelling is a practice whereby the Author creates with intent and purpose. Collaborate with a story expert today and start down the path towards finally writing and finishing your story.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace.

]]> 2018: The Year of Abundance James R. Hull 01:05:05 In this episode, we catch up on all things Narrative First from the past three months and kickstart our year of plenty. In this episode, we catch up on all things Narrative First from the past three months and kickstart our year of plenty. no full 58 3 d0faada8-7045-4959-8aad-3534e4a84c68 The Narrative First Atomizer In this, the final--and most epic--episode of Season 2, I finish off the initial development of my story and introduce the various features of the new Narrative First Atomizer.

But first I kick things off with an analysis of Thor:Ragnarök--NOTE: in the episode I inaccurately assess the Story Outcome as Success. Clearly the efforts to reach the Overall Story Goal--Saving Asgard from Ragnarök--fail. Switching this Story Dynamic also changes the Relationship Story Throughline Problem and Solution. The Atomizer link below presents an accurate and updated account of the storyform.

Listener mail paves the way for an extended discussion about the Crucial Elements, particularly in regards to a Steadfast Main Character. I finish off my first pass of The Red Lake by briefly outlining the Main Character, Influence Character, and Relationship Story Throughlines. And finally, I cover all the features of the Narrative First Atomizer--a brand new service that sheds light on the elements of story structure.

Register for the Narrative First Atomizer here

See you next year!

Deliberate Storytelling is a practice whereby the Author creates with intent and purpose. Collaborate with a story expert today and start down the path towards finally writing and finishing your story.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace. You can hear this episode's opening theme here: World Opening

]]> Wed, 20 Dec 2017 18:18:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/the-narrative-first-atomizer-1d1b061e In this, the final--and most epic--episode of Season 2, I finish off the initial development of my story and introduce the various features of the new Narrative First Atomizer.

But first I kick things off with an analysis of Thor:Ragnarök--NOTE: in the episode I inaccurately assess the Story Outcome as Success. Clearly the efforts to reach the Overall Story Goal--Saving Asgard from Ragnarök--fail. Switching this Story Dynamic also changes the Relationship Story Throughline Problem and Solution. The Atomizer link below presents an accurate and updated account of the storyform.

Listener mail paves the way for an extended discussion about the Crucial Elements, particularly in regards to a Steadfast Main Character. I finish off my first pass of The Red Lake by briefly outlining the Main Character, Influence Character, and Relationship Story Throughlines. And finally, I cover all the features of the Narrative First Atomizer--a brand new service that sheds light on the elements of story structure.

Register for the Narrative First Atomizer here

See you next year!

Deliberate Storytelling is a practice whereby the Author creates with intent and purpose. Collaborate with a story expert today and start down the path towards finally writing and finishing your story.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace. You can hear this episode's opening theme here: World Opening

]]> The Narrative First Atomizer James R. Hull 01:36:27 In this, the final--and most epic--episode of Season 2, I finish off the initial development of my story and introduce the various features of the new Narrative First Atomizer. In this, the final--and most epic--episode of Season 2, I finish off the initial development of my story and introduce the various features of the new Narrative First Atomizer. writing, story, screenwriting no full 57 2 78b2b039-7dd6-48e3-979e-8c87f9041082 Story Structure Senioritis If it sounds like this episode was recorded before Thanksgiving, that’s because it was. Facilitating the initial release of the Narrative First Atomizer consumed most of my waking days and nights these past two months—but the show must go on.

If nothing else, I️ can’t let The Red Lake go unspoken. Follow along as I️ craft a fully realized narrative framework in less than 20 minutes. Seriously. What started out as a completely random narrative based on the story structure of Aliens and Blade Runner: 2049 became an interesting clash between dwarves and halflings high in the mountains above a dark and crimson red lake.

In addition, I️ answer listener email regarding the difference between Doing and Obtaining and its application towards The Dark Knight. And I️ cover unusual storyforms.

Show Notes & Links

]]> Tue, 5 Dec 2017 15:30:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/story-structure-senioritis-300074b1 If it sounds like this episode was recorded before Thanksgiving, that’s because it was. Facilitating the initial release of the Narrative First Atomizer consumed most of my waking days and nights these past two months—but the show must go on.

If nothing else, I️ can’t let The Red Lake go unspoken. Follow along as I️ craft a fully realized narrative framework in less than 20 minutes. Seriously. What started out as a completely random narrative based on the story structure of Aliens and Blade Runner: 2049 became an interesting clash between dwarves and halflings high in the mountains above a dark and crimson red lake.

In addition, I️ answer listener email regarding the difference between Doing and Obtaining and its application towards The Dark Knight. And I️ cover unusual storyforms.

Show Notes & Links

]]> Story Structure Senioritis James R. Hull 00:49:46 Listen as I️ create the basis for a compelling narrative in less than 20 minutes. Listen as I️ create the basis for a compelling narrative in less than 20 minutes. writing, story, screenwriting no full 56 2 444850ad-983b-42a7-b1b7-d68d41166adb How to Outline Your Story Using the Plot Sequence Report A great story employs its own unique approach to narrative structure. The Plot Sequence Report found in Dramatica grants writers an insight into their story's foundation.

Some contend that every story is the same--that the same set of story beats or mythical elements show up every time. The truth is the structure of every story is based on the Author's intent: what he or she is trying to communicate to their Audience. The Dramatica theory of story, and the Plot Sequence found within, help writers assess the elements needed--and in what order--to effectively and deliberately broadcast what they feel deep inside. This podcast illuminates an approach towards using this report and elements of Dramatica to quickly develop your story's structure.

Deliberate Storytelling is a practice whereby the Author creates with intent and purpose. Collaborate with a story expert today and start down the path towards finally writing and finishing your story.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Fri, 17 Nov 2017 20:36:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/how-to-outline-your-story-using-the-plot-c0ee0d2c A great story employs its own unique approach to narrative structure. The Plot Sequence Report found in Dramatica grants writers an insight into their story's foundation.

Some contend that every story is the same--that the same set of story beats or mythical elements show up every time. The truth is the structure of every story is based on the Author's intent: what he or she is trying to communicate to their Audience. The Dramatica theory of story, and the Plot Sequence found within, help writers assess the elements needed--and in what order--to effectively and deliberately broadcast what they feel deep inside. This podcast illuminates an approach towards using this report and elements of Dramatica to quickly develop your story's structure.

Deliberate Storytelling is a practice whereby the Author creates with intent and purpose. Collaborate with a story expert today and start down the path towards finally writing and finishing your story.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> How to Outline Your Story Using the Plot Sequence Report James R. Hull 00:46:42 A great story employs its own unique approach to narrative structure. The Plot Sequence Report found in Dramatica grants writers an insight into their story's foundation. A great story employs its own unique approach to narrative structure. The Plot Sequence Report found in Dramatica grants writers an insight into their story's foundation. writing, story, screenwriting no full 55 2 802bb05e-0aab-438a-b3e3-d2832f24ae4f The Same Story: Aliens and Blade Runner: 2049 While some maintain that all stories carry the same structure (they don't), these two films actually do share the same exact storyform.

After answering questions about the difference between the Past and Memory and the right way to think of Signposts, this episode dives into a Dramatica analysis of DeNiro's A Bronx Tale. Unique in its structure, the storyform explains its appeal to female audiences. Both Aliens and Blade Runner: 2049 share the same exact storyform--a rare, but possible scenario, wherein Authors seek to explore a similar approach to resolving problems.

Deliberate Storytelling is a practice whereby the Author creates with intent and purpose. Collaborate with a story expert today and start down the path towards finally writing and finishing your story.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Fri, 3 Nov 2017 16:03:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/the-same-story-aliens-and-blade-runner-957b9d34 While some maintain that all stories carry the same structure (they don't), these two films actually do share the same exact storyform.

After answering questions about the difference between the Past and Memory and the right way to think of Signposts, this episode dives into a Dramatica analysis of DeNiro's A Bronx Tale. Unique in its structure, the storyform explains its appeal to female audiences. Both Aliens and Blade Runner: 2049 share the same exact storyform--a rare, but possible scenario, wherein Authors seek to explore a similar approach to resolving problems.

Deliberate Storytelling is a practice whereby the Author creates with intent and purpose. Collaborate with a story expert today and start down the path towards finally writing and finishing your story.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> The Same Story: Aliens and Blade Runner: 2049 James R. Hull 00:53:04 While some maintain that all stories carry the same structure (they don't), these two films actually do share the same exact storyform. While some maintain that all stories carry the same structure (they don't), these two films actually do share the same exact storyform. writing, story, screenwriting no full 54 2 315d57b4-4b75-40f5-814f-857fd03bca40 The Power of Implied Story Points A guy stuck in a well, The Sixth Sense, and Blade Runner:2049 top the list for this week's in-depth story structure podcast. Everything from inequities and perspectives to Throughlines and context, this episode explains the best way to find the most accurate storyform for any narrative.

Deliberate Storytelling is a practice whereby the Author creates with intent and purpose. Collaborate with a story expert today and start down the path towards finally writing and finishing your story.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Wed, 25 Oct 2017 14:30:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/the-power-of-implied-story-points-47351351 A guy stuck in a well, The Sixth Sense, and Blade Runner:2049 top the list for this week's in-depth story structure podcast. Everything from inequities and perspectives to Throughlines and context, this episode explains the best way to find the most accurate storyform for any narrative.

Deliberate Storytelling is a practice whereby the Author creates with intent and purpose. Collaborate with a story expert today and start down the path towards finally writing and finishing your story.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> The Power of Implied Story Points James R. Hull 00:46:39 A guy stuck in a well, *The Sixth Sense*, and *Blade Runner:2049* top the list for this week's in-depth story structure podcast. A guy stuck in a well, *The Sixth Sense*, and *Blade Runner:2049* top the list for this week's in-depth story structure podcast. writing, story, screenwriting no full 53 2 13659736-c34d-42d9-ad05-35c2ab11bfa7 Handling Subplots with the Dramatica Storyform In this episode, I wrap up the Dramatica Users Group analysis of Jon Favreau's Jungle Book and then relate some helpful tips when it comes to weaving subplots into your narrative. In addition, I dive into #storytelling and talk a bit about "narrative fidelity". Lastly, the David Fincher thriller se7en receives the Dramatica analysis treatment.

Deliberate Storytelling is a practice whereby the Author creates with intent and purpose. Collaborate with a story expert today and start down the path towards finally writing and finishing your story.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Wed, 18 Oct 2017 14:30:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/handling-subplots-with-the-dramatica-30c2cb72 In this episode, I wrap up the Dramatica Users Group analysis of Jon Favreau's Jungle Book and then relate some helpful tips when it comes to weaving subplots into your narrative. In addition, I dive into #storytelling and talk a bit about "narrative fidelity". Lastly, the David Fincher thriller se7en receives the Dramatica analysis treatment.

Deliberate Storytelling is a practice whereby the Author creates with intent and purpose. Collaborate with a story expert today and start down the path towards finally writing and finishing your story.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Handling Subplots with the Dramatica Storyform James R. Hull 00:56:27 In this episode, I wrap up the Dramatica Users Group analysis of Jon Favreau's *Jungle Book* and then relate some helpful tips when it comes to weaving subplots into your narrative. In this episode, I wrap up the Dramatica Users Group analysis of Jon Favreau's *Jungle Book* and then relate some helpful tips when it comes to weaving subplots into your narrative. writing, story, screenwriting no full 52 2 1ac37bde-eb70-45af-9fa5-f53c54b31c88 The Right Way to Use Dramatica Roll back to the original terminology in order to gain more objectivity in your analysis and writing. That's the best way I know how to supercharge your understanding of Dramatica. In this episode, I cover my push for Dramatica 1.0 and answer emails about the Universe and The Prestige. If you're struggling to grok the theory, start here.

Deliberate Storytelling is a practice whereby the Author creates with intent and purpose. Collaborate with a story expert today and start down the path towards finally writing and finishing your story.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Tue, 10 Oct 2017 14:30:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/the-right-way-to-use-dramatica-63dc51b6 Roll back to the original terminology in order to gain more objectivity in your analysis and writing. That's the best way I know how to supercharge your understanding of Dramatica. In this episode, I cover my push for Dramatica 1.0 and answer emails about the Universe and The Prestige. If you're struggling to grok the theory, start here.

Deliberate Storytelling is a practice whereby the Author creates with intent and purpose. Collaborate with a story expert today and start down the path towards finally writing and finishing your story.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> The Right Way to Use Dramatica James R. Hull 00:57:18 Roll back to the original terminology in order to gain more objectivity in your analysis and writing. Roll back to the original terminology in order to gain more objectivity in your analysis and writing. writing, story, screenwriting no full 51 2 419cfea8-5905-458f-af11-84749e019e1c Robert McKee and Syd Field Hate Dramatica Why do established story gurus find it necessary to prevent progress? The base instinct for survival sometimes overrides rational thought--in this case, it leads one guru to bully theorists through name-calling. In addition, I discuss the push towards professional storyform analysis and, of course, discuss the importance of teaching the next generation of storytellers.

Deliberate Storytelling is a practice whereby the Author creates with intent and purpose. Collaborate with a story expert today and start down the path towards finally writing and finishing your story.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Wed, 4 Oct 2017 14:30:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/robert-mckee-and-syd-field-hate-ed1b606c Why do established story gurus find it necessary to prevent progress? The base instinct for survival sometimes overrides rational thought--in this case, it leads one guru to bully theorists through name-calling. In addition, I discuss the push towards professional storyform analysis and, of course, discuss the importance of teaching the next generation of storytellers.

Deliberate Storytelling is a practice whereby the Author creates with intent and purpose. Collaborate with a story expert today and start down the path towards finally writing and finishing your story.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Robert McKee and Syd Field Hate Dramatica James R. Hull 00:51:20 Why do established story gurus find it necessary to prevent progress? Why do established story gurus find it necessary to prevent progress? writing, story, screenwriting no full 50 2 391fdfdd-2af7-4e81-a889-6d2e6fa6af9c Your Story is Schrödinger's Cat In this episode, we take a look at Quantum Theory and how it helps to explain how an Author projects a story into existence. You'll want to put on your thinking caps for this one as we transform the endless speculation and infinite possibilities of storytelling into a singular instance based on the Author's measured and deliberate observation. Finishing a story requires an Author to write with purpose.

Deliberate Storytelling is a practice whereby the Author creates with intent and purpose. Collaborate with a story expert today and start down the path towards finally writing and finishing your story.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Tue, 26 Sep 2017 14:30:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/your-story-is-schrodingers-cat-df80b2cd In this episode, we take a look at Quantum Theory and how it helps to explain how an Author projects a story into existence. You'll want to put on your thinking caps for this one as we transform the endless speculation and infinite possibilities of storytelling into a singular instance based on the Author's measured and deliberate observation. Finishing a story requires an Author to write with purpose.

Deliberate Storytelling is a practice whereby the Author creates with intent and purpose. Collaborate with a story expert today and start down the path towards finally writing and finishing your story.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Your Story is Schrödinger's Cat James R. Hull 00:42:30 In this episode, we take a look at Quantum Theory and how it helps to explain how an Author *projects* a story into existence. In this episode, we take a look at Quantum Theory and how it helps to explain how an Author *projects* a story into existence. writing, story, screenwriting no full 49 2 28c52a60-e83b-4114-b3ee-57f00afbb4ba The Fugitive: When a Situation Isn't A Situation The return of Throughline Thursdays, an unexpected analysis of The Prestige, and an explanation of the difference between a problematic Situation and problematic Activities.

Dramatica's terminology stumps even the most talented writers. The understanding of the difference between a situation and a Situation is paramount in breaking through preconceptions of narrative structure. In this episode, I cover a common problem encountered by many new to the theory—why the Overall Story Throughline of The Fugitive falls under Situation, rather than Activity.

In addition, I reintroduce Throughline Thursdays with a visual representation of the conflict presented in Get Out.

The Dramatica Mentorship Program - my premier service designed to give you the tools and techniques for applying Dramatica's powerful concepts to your stories.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Tue, 19 Sep 2017 15:15:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/the-fugitive-when-a-situation-isnt-a-847d9471 The return of Throughline Thursdays, an unexpected analysis of The Prestige, and an explanation of the difference between a problematic Situation and problematic Activities.

Dramatica's terminology stumps even the most talented writers. The understanding of the difference between a situation and a Situation is paramount in breaking through preconceptions of narrative structure. In this episode, I cover a common problem encountered by many new to the theory—why the Overall Story Throughline of The Fugitive falls under Situation, rather than Activity.

In addition, I reintroduce Throughline Thursdays with a visual representation of the conflict presented in Get Out.

The Dramatica Mentorship Program - my premier service designed to give you the tools and techniques for applying Dramatica's powerful concepts to your stories.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> The Fugitive: When a Situation Isn't A Situation James R. Hull 00:41:01 The return of Throughline Thursdays, an unexpected analysis of *The Prestige*, and an explanation of the difference between a problematic Situation and problematic Activities. The return of Throughline Thursdays, an unexpected analysis of *The Prestige*, and an explanation of the difference between a problematic Situation and problematic Activities. writing, story, screenwriting no full 48 2 b17f5784-19f2-48e6-8669-5bdeeb7ee8d8 Get Out and Breaking Structure for Shock Value This week I discuss a method for Authors to connect the Characters in the story with the mechanics of Plot by crossing over through the family of Thematic Issues congruent with their story's meaning. In addition, I discuss at length my analysis of Get Out and how the film played with structure in an attempt to address Audience reception issues.

The Dramatica Mentorship Program - my premier service designed to give you the tools and techniques for applying Dramatica's powerful concepts to your stories.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Tue, 12 Sep 2017 14:30:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/get-out-and-breaking-structure-for-shock-af669f99 This week I discuss a method for Authors to connect the Characters in the story with the mechanics of Plot by crossing over through the family of Thematic Issues congruent with their story's meaning. In addition, I discuss at length my analysis of Get Out and how the film played with structure in an attempt to address Audience reception issues.

The Dramatica Mentorship Program - my premier service designed to give you the tools and techniques for applying Dramatica's powerful concepts to your stories.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Get Out and Breaking Structure for Shock Value James R. Hull 00:48:16 Connecting Character to Plot through Theme and the structural sleight of hand performed by writer/director Jordan Peele in the magnificent *Get Out*. Connecting Character to Plot through Theme and the structural sleight of hand performed by writer/director Jordan Peele in the magnificent *Get Out*. writing, story, screenwriting yes full 47 2 3d4fc6d1-80f7-41a8-a1a8-0579290c9ce1 Everything You've Been Told About Story is Wrong This week I take a gander at Okja and discuss the reasons why many swayed by this film's message ultimately reverted to their old ways. Propaganda fades--complete stories last. With that in mind, I then cover the Dramatica storyform and how it holds an image of the mind's problem-solving process in its complex and sophisticated arrangement of story points. Interested in writing something that lasts? You'll want to listen to this podcast and begin to develop an understanding of story as an analogy to the processes going on in our minds.

The Dramatica Mentorship Program - my premier service designed to give you the tools and techniques for applying Dramatica's powerful concepts to your stories.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Wed, 6 Sep 2017 14:30:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/everything-youve-been-told-about-story-35159369 This week I take a gander at Okja and discuss the reasons why many swayed by this film's message ultimately reverted to their old ways. Propaganda fades--complete stories last. With that in mind, I then cover the Dramatica storyform and how it holds an image of the mind's problem-solving process in its complex and sophisticated arrangement of story points. Interested in writing something that lasts? You'll want to listen to this podcast and begin to develop an understanding of story as an analogy to the processes going on in our minds.

The Dramatica Mentorship Program - my premier service designed to give you the tools and techniques for applying Dramatica's powerful concepts to your stories.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Everything You've Been Told About Story is Wrong James R. Hull 00:37:05 A look at Okja's move towards propaganda and insight into the actual structure of every great story. A look at Okja's move towards propaganda and insight into the actual structure of every great story. writing, story, screenwriting no full 46 2 6fdd8ef2-440d-4212-a36f-ffc6bffc9938 The Final Word on Captain America: Civil War Wrapping up the month long discussion on this superhero epic, I explain the purpose of an Influence Character perspective within the context of a complete story. I also dive into an extensive analysis of The LEGO Batman Movie. This latest animated feature parodies both Batman and story structure. If you ever wanted an introductory film to gleam Dramatica's concepts, this would be the one.

The Dramatica Mentorship Program - my premier service designed to give you the tools and techniques for applying Dramatica's powerful concepts to your stories.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Tue, 29 Aug 2017 05:46:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/the-final-word-on-captain-america-civil-1e86abb7 Wrapping up the month long discussion on this superhero epic, I explain the purpose of an Influence Character perspective within the context of a complete story. I also dive into an extensive analysis of The LEGO Batman Movie. This latest animated feature parodies both Batman and story structure. If you ever wanted an introductory film to gleam Dramatica's concepts, this would be the one.

The Dramatica Mentorship Program - my premier service designed to give you the tools and techniques for applying Dramatica's powerful concepts to your stories.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> The Final Word on Captain America: Civil War James R. Hull 00:50:58 Wrapping up the month long discussion on this superhero epic, I explain the purpose of an Influence Character perspective within the context of a complete story. Wrapping up the month long discussion on this superhero epic, I explain the purpose of an Influence Character perspective within the context of a complete story. writing, story, screenwriting no full 45 2 3eea7ecd-01af-4153-bd0f-141c88d82b8c Figuring Out the Throughlines of a Complete Narrative Continuing the series on Identifying the Key Story Points of a Narrative, I explain a method for singling out the various perspectives within a complete story. For each Throughline, conflict appears as either a Situation, an Activity, a Fixed Attitude, or a Manner of Thinking. Effective narratives balance out these four areas throughout the Four Throughlines. In addition to explaining a process for determining these areas in your story, I also explain what Dramatica means by Conceptualizing. While easier definitions might make Dramatica more approachable, an understanding of the original terminology leads to greater accuracy. And I start things off with a brief discussion of some tools I use and practices I engage in while working on this site and my own writing projects.

The Dramatica Mentorship Program - my premier service designed to give you the tools and techniques for applying Dramatica's powerful concepts to your stories.

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Tue, 22 Aug 2017 14:54:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/figuring-out-the-throughlines-of-a-06931f14 Continuing the series on Identifying the Key Story Points of a Narrative, I explain a method for singling out the various perspectives within a complete story. For each Throughline, conflict appears as either a Situation, an Activity, a Fixed Attitude, or a Manner of Thinking. Effective narratives balance out these four areas throughout the Four Throughlines. In addition to explaining a process for determining these areas in your story, I also explain what Dramatica means by Conceptualizing. While easier definitions might make Dramatica more approachable, an understanding of the original terminology leads to greater accuracy. And I start things off with a brief discussion of some tools I use and practices I engage in while working on this site and my own writing projects.

The Dramatica Mentorship Program - my premier service designed to give you the tools and techniques for applying Dramatica's powerful concepts to your stories.

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Figuring Out the Throughlines of a Complete Narrative James R. Hull 00:41:25 Continuing the series on Identifying the Key Story Points of a Narrative, I explain a method for singling out the various perspectives within a complete story. Continuing the series on Identifying the Key Story Points of a Narrative, I explain a method for singling out the various perspectives within a complete story. no full 44 2 3c50bd01-0d99-4584-9461-f747c9f013e4 Protagonists and Antagonists, Bad Guys and Good Guys In this episode, I continue the discussion surrounding Captain America: Civil War focusing this time on the Protagonist and Antagonist of a complete narrative. The visual planning tool Milanote makes an appearance, along with a brand new analysis of the romantic comedy, The Big Sick. A brand new feature starts this week--The Word of the Week--where I take one of Dramatica's terms and explain the ins and outs of how it works within story. This week's word is Preconscious (starting easy!). And finally, I wrap the show up with a look at that article on how Dramatica sees the Protagonist and Antagonist of a story.

The Dramatica Mentorship Program - my premier service designed to give you the tools and techniques for applying Dramatica's powerful concepts to your stories.

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Tue, 15 Aug 2017 15:18:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/protagonists-and-antagonists-bad-guys-99cb453f In this episode, I continue the discussion surrounding Captain America: Civil War focusing this time on the Protagonist and Antagonist of a complete narrative. The visual planning tool Milanote makes an appearance, along with a brand new analysis of the romantic comedy, The Big Sick. A brand new feature starts this week--The Word of the Week--where I take one of Dramatica's terms and explain the ins and outs of how it works within story. This week's word is Preconscious (starting easy!). And finally, I wrap the show up with a look at that article on how Dramatica sees the Protagonist and Antagonist of a story.

The Dramatica Mentorship Program - my premier service designed to give you the tools and techniques for applying Dramatica's powerful concepts to your stories.

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Protagonists and Antagonists, Bad Guys and Good Guys James R. Hull 00:36:45 In this episode, I continue the discussion surrounding _Captain America: Civil War_ by focusing on the Protagonist and Antagonist of a complete narrative. In this episode, I continue the discussion surrounding _Captain America: Civil War_ by focusing on the Protagonist and Antagonist of a complete narrative. writing, story, screenwriting no full 43 2 4f7c72a9-3abb-4831-a3d2-c12f5c7af8ec The Civil War Over Captain America: Civil War In this podcast, I go into a deep thematic analysis of Logan and Dunkirk, and then begin the first in a series of conversations surrounding Captain America: Civil War. If you have ever been interested in how the Dramatica theory of story works and how you could use it to improve the quality of your storytelling to the level of these films, you will want to check out this episode.

The Dramatica Mentorship Program - our premier service designed to give you the tools and techniques for applying Dramatica's powerful concepts to your stories.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Tue, 8 Aug 2017 14:00:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/the-civil-war-over-captain-america-civil-18b39b40 In this podcast, I go into a deep thematic analysis of Logan and Dunkirk, and then begin the first in a series of conversations surrounding Captain America: Civil War. If you have ever been interested in how the Dramatica theory of story works and how you could use it to improve the quality of your storytelling to the level of these films, you will want to check out this episode.

The Dramatica Mentorship Program - our premier service designed to give you the tools and techniques for applying Dramatica's powerful concepts to your stories.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> The Civil War Over Captain America: Civil War James R. Hull 00:54:12 In this podcast, I go into a deep thematic analysis of *Logan* and *Dunkirk*, and then begin the first in a series of conversations surrounding *Captain America: Civil War*. In this podcast, I go into a deep thematic analysis of *Logan* and *Dunkirk*, and then begin the first in a series of conversations surrounding *Captain America: Civil War*. writing, story, screenwriting no full 42 2 ae6a0fc7-6eed-4099-9c18-cd48c2782764 Moonlight: Writing the Personal Story Through Propaganda The second season of story structure and story analysis begins! In this episode, I catch you up on the latest changes to the site and discuss why Moonlight won Best Picture.

In two months, I've re-written a screenplay and planned out two complete television series. The secret? Understanding how to leverage the power of the Dramatica theory of story to craft meaningful narratives. I explain why in this episode as well as successfully predict what would be wrong with Dunkirk from a story structure standpoint! (I recorded this episode before the film was released). Finally, I talk about my re-analysis of Moonlight and explain the exact part of the narrative I felt was missing the first time I saw the film.

The Dramatica Mentorship Program - our premier service designed to give you the tools and techniques for applying Dramatica's powerful concepts to your stories.

Show Notes & Links

]]> Tue, 1 Aug 2017 20:27:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/moonlight-writing-the-personal-story-7e587468 The second season of story structure and story analysis begins! In this episode, I catch you up on the latest changes to the site and discuss why Moonlight won Best Picture.

In two months, I've re-written a screenplay and planned out two complete television series. The secret? Understanding how to leverage the power of the Dramatica theory of story to craft meaningful narratives. I explain why in this episode as well as successfully predict what would be wrong with Dunkirk from a story structure standpoint! (I recorded this episode before the film was released). Finally, I talk about my re-analysis of Moonlight and explain the exact part of the narrative I felt was missing the first time I saw the film.

The Dramatica Mentorship Program - our premier service designed to give you the tools and techniques for applying Dramatica's powerful concepts to your stories.

Show Notes & Links

]]> Moonlight: Writing the Personal Story Through Propaganda James R. Hull 00:33:22 The second season of story structure and story analysis begins! In this episode, I catch you up on the latest changes to the site and discuss why *Moonlight* won Best Picture. The second season of story structure and story analysis begins! In this episode, I catch you up on the latest changes to the site and discuss why *Moonlight* won Best Picture. writing, story, screenwriting no full 41 2 882737ee-ea81-4976-9bde-1c5931dc9457 The Final Word on Generating Dramatic Tension in Your Story In addition to wrapping up the events of last month, we showcase two interviews--one with a writer new to Dramatica and the other, with a writer who discovered Dramatica.

Dramatica will save your life. Whether within the story room or out there in the real world, Dramatica's unique understanding into what makes narrative--and therefore us--work allows you to weather any storm. In the story room, where you're constantly barraged by one story note after the next, Dramatica's storyform helps ensure that you don't lose sight of your original intent. In the real world, the idea that there is no real solution--only different contexts--ensures that one day we might enjoy a little bit of world peace.

We then finish off our series on Generating Dramatic Tension by taking a look at narratives with a Four-Act structure and discuss how looking at story structure holistically might just be the thing you need to do in order to complete your beloved novel or screenplay.

The Dramatica Mentorship Program - our premiere service designed to give you the tools and techniques for applying Dramatica's powerful concepts to your stories.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Wed, 21 Jun 2017 21:22:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/the-final-word-on-generating-dramatic-5226ad6e In addition to wrapping up the events of last month, we showcase two interviews--one with a writer new to Dramatica and the other, with a writer who discovered Dramatica.

Dramatica will save your life. Whether within the story room or out there in the real world, Dramatica's unique understanding into what makes narrative--and therefore us--work allows you to weather any storm. In the story room, where you're constantly barraged by one story note after the next, Dramatica's storyform helps ensure that you don't lose sight of your original intent. In the real world, the idea that there is no real solution--only different contexts--ensures that one day we might enjoy a little bit of world peace.

We then finish off our series on Generating Dramatic Tension by taking a look at narratives with a Four-Act structure and discuss how looking at story structure holistically might just be the thing you need to do in order to complete your beloved novel or screenplay.

The Dramatica Mentorship Program - our premiere service designed to give you the tools and techniques for applying Dramatica's powerful concepts to your stories.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> The Final Word on Generating Dramatic Tension in Your Story James R. Hull 01:08:56 In addition to wrapping up the events of last month, we showcase two interviews--one with a writer new to Dramatica and the other, with a writer who discovered Dramatica. In addition to wrapping up the events of last month, we showcase two interviews--one with a writer new to Dramatica and the other, with a writer who discovered Dramatica. no full 39 1 c5c60303-5991-4c29-84af-cc23893e3b91 Run With Me Experience writing with us.

What happened to the Narrative First podcast? We've actually been writing on several different projects. One a big budget animated feature, the other a super low-budget indie animated film, and the last an epic adult animated cult series. Details on all to be provided in the months to come, but for now--we're freakin' busy!

When we're heads down and plugged in and focused we tend to obsess over one song. It's not unusual for us to listen to the same song over and over again on repeat simply because we're too into what we're writing to bother changing to the next track. Once we find our groove, we lay into it and listen to it incessantly for hours at a time.

At CalArts it was Van Halen, when we started it was Girl Talk (inspired by CGP Gray and Myke Hurley's Cortext podcast), and this year--at least this last week--it's something completely brand new.

So sit back, strap in, and experience the thrill of what it sounds like to write with us.

Show Notes & Links

  • Run Video
  • Cortex Podcast a truly inspiring podcast on workflows and simulated open road truck driving
  • Redundant Office the episode where Grey discusses his writing process and "All Day" by Girl Talk
]]> Tue, 6 Jun 2017 22:37:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/run-with-me-08e90657 Experience writing with us.

What happened to the Narrative First podcast? We've actually been writing on several different projects. One a big budget animated feature, the other a super low-budget indie animated film, and the last an epic adult animated cult series. Details on all to be provided in the months to come, but for now--we're freakin' busy!

When we're heads down and plugged in and focused we tend to obsess over one song. It's not unusual for us to listen to the same song over and over again on repeat simply because we're too into what we're writing to bother changing to the next track. Once we find our groove, we lay into it and listen to it incessantly for hours at a time.

At CalArts it was Van Halen, when we started it was Girl Talk (inspired by CGP Gray and Myke Hurley's Cortext podcast), and this year--at least this last week--it's something completely brand new.

So sit back, strap in, and experience the thrill of what it sounds like to write with us.

Show Notes & Links

  • Run Video
  • Cortex Podcast a truly inspiring podcast on workflows and simulated open road truck driving
  • Redundant Office the episode where Grey discusses his writing process and "All Day" by Girl Talk
]]> Run With Me James R. Hull 00:43:28 Experience writing with us. Experience writing with us. no full 40 1 d1fb1909-49e9-4fd3-960d-3cc7100a366b Discovering Dramatica and the Genesis of Narrative First: Part Two In this second part of our two part series, we continue our introduction to the development of the Dramatica theory of story and Narrative First. Join us as we unearth the top 16 articles on story structure & story analysis, everything from evaluating competing paradigms to exploring the magic of Dramatica to the essence of perfect scene structure. If you're new to Dramatica or Narrative First, this podcast series beckons you forth. And if you're not new--you just mind fond something you missed the first time around.

The Dramatica Mentorship Program - our premiere service designed to give you the tools and techniques for applying Dramatica's powerful concepts to your stories.

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Mon, 8 May 2017 17:15:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/discovering-dramatica-and-the-genesis-of-61624cbd In this second part of our two part series, we continue our introduction to the development of the Dramatica theory of story and Narrative First. Join us as we unearth the top 16 articles on story structure & story analysis, everything from evaluating competing paradigms to exploring the magic of Dramatica to the essence of perfect scene structure. If you're new to Dramatica or Narrative First, this podcast series beckons you forth. And if you're not new--you just mind fond something you missed the first time around.

The Dramatica Mentorship Program - our premiere service designed to give you the tools and techniques for applying Dramatica's powerful concepts to your stories.

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Discovering Dramatica and the Genesis of Narrative First: Part Two James R. Hull 00:43:49 In this second part of our two part series, we continue our introduction to the development of the Dramatica theory of story and Narrative First. In this second part of our two part series, we continue our introduction to the development of the Dramatica theory of story and Narrative First. writing, story, screenwriting no full 38 1 fde9c23b-bcc2-4a4e-a68a-137ebece9b7a Discovering Dramatica and the Genesis of Narrative First: Part One In this episode, we offer an introduction to the development of the Dramatica theory of story and Narrative First. In addition, we dive into our unique collection of Vault articles written during our first four years. Short and sweet, these articles provide a great place for writers and producers new to Dramatica to learn the basics of the theory.

The Dramatica Mentorship Program - our premiere service designed to give you the tools and techniques for applying Dramatica's powerful concepts to your stories.

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Sat, 15 Apr 2017 06:14:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/discovering-dramatica-and-the-genesis-of-5f8a02bb In this episode, we offer an introduction to the development of the Dramatica theory of story and Narrative First. In addition, we dive into our unique collection of Vault articles written during our first four years. Short and sweet, these articles provide a great place for writers and producers new to Dramatica to learn the basics of the theory.

The Dramatica Mentorship Program - our premiere service designed to give you the tools and techniques for applying Dramatica's powerful concepts to your stories.

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Discovering Dramatica and the Genesis of Narrative First: Part One James R. Hull 00:45:30 An introduction to the development of the Dramatica theory of story and Narrative First. An introduction to the development of the Dramatica theory of story and Narrative First. no full 37 1 fcd5bb26-9976-4f81-bd55-3ca2132004a3 James Bond is NOT the Antagonist No matter how hard you try to twist it, James Bond will always be the Protagonist--as long as you accurately account for the drive towards resolution. One of the first things a writer learns when they come to Dramatica is this idea of looking at characters from an objective point-of-view. Enticing as it may seem, the idea that James Bond works towards preventing or avoiding resolution runs counter to the holistic nature of the story points within the Dramatica storyform.

Also, with Opening Day happening across America this week we take an in-depth look at the Four Throughlines of Field of Dreams and explain why the film feels so different from many other baseball pics.

]]> Sat, 8 Apr 2017 21:41:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/james-bond-is-not-the-antagonist-d755119a No matter how hard you try to twist it, James Bond will always be the Protagonist--as long as you accurately account for the drive towards resolution. One of the first things a writer learns when they come to Dramatica is this idea of looking at characters from an objective point-of-view. Enticing as it may seem, the idea that James Bond works towards preventing or avoiding resolution runs counter to the holistic nature of the story points within the Dramatica storyform.

Also, with Opening Day happening across America this week we take an in-depth look at the Four Throughlines of Field of Dreams and explain why the film feels so different from many other baseball pics.

]]> James Bond is NOT the Antagonist James R. Hull 00:44:04 No matter how hard you try to twist it, James Bond will always be the Protagonist--as long as you accurately account for the drive towards resolution. No matter how hard you try to twist it, James Bond will always be the Protagonist--as long as you accurately account for the drive towards resolution. no full 36 1 f0fd6e34-a84f-400e-b0f1-ce6bef0bc716 Narrative Science and the Dawning of the Singularity Ready to have complete stories beamed directly into your nervous system? Fear not, Narrative First and Dramatica will be there to help make the transition a smooth and painless procedure.

This week we discuss the singularity and the hope that those in charge of our Brave New World know a thing or two about the Dramatica theory of story. After all, if you're going to invade the mind you might as well have a working model of how it problem-solves and justifies, amiright?

The Spike Jonze indie-tech film her takes center stage for this week's Throughline Thursdays and we answer email concerning the wacky plot progressions Dramatica offers up for some stories. Oh, and we look at the most perfect 3-Act Structure film of all time, Witness.

Show Notes & Links

]]> Sat, 1 Apr 2017 00:23:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/narrative-science-and-the-dawning-of-the-32db0bda Ready to have complete stories beamed directly into your nervous system? Fear not, Narrative First and Dramatica will be there to help make the transition a smooth and painless procedure.

This week we discuss the singularity and the hope that those in charge of our Brave New World know a thing or two about the Dramatica theory of story. After all, if you're going to invade the mind you might as well have a working model of how it problem-solves and justifies, amiright?

The Spike Jonze indie-tech film her takes center stage for this week's Throughline Thursdays and we answer email concerning the wacky plot progressions Dramatica offers up for some stories. Oh, and we look at the most perfect 3-Act Structure film of all time, Witness.

Show Notes & Links

]]> Narrative Science and the Dawning of the Singularity James R. Hull 00:36:16 Ready to have complete stories beamed directly into your nervous system? Fear not, Narrative First and Dramatica will be there to help make the transition a smooth and painless procedure. Ready to have complete stories beamed directly into your nervous system? Fear not, Narrative First and Dramatica will be there to help make the transition a smooth and painless procedure. no full 35 1 55bfc107-9a1d-4fb7-b048-2ff3630b078e What Story Structure Looks Like To Your Characters It's one thing to play God when writing a story, but wouldn't it be great if you could see what the major plot points in your story look like from the point-of-view of your characters? Well, now you can.

In this episode, not only do we present our greatest impression yet, but we also manage to cover the Four Throughlines of Manchester by the Sea, speak about the objective and subjective nature of story paradigms, and lay down a detailed approach for connecting story structure to your characters.

The Dramatica Mentorship Program - our premiere service designed to give you the tools and techniques for applying Dramatica's powerful concepts to your stories.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Sat, 25 Mar 2017 02:37:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/what-story-structure-looks-like-to-your-a3b8ee5e It's one thing to play God when writing a story, but wouldn't it be great if you could see what the major plot points in your story look like from the point-of-view of your characters? Well, now you can.

In this episode, not only do we present our greatest impression yet, but we also manage to cover the Four Throughlines of Manchester by the Sea, speak about the objective and subjective nature of story paradigms, and lay down a detailed approach for connecting story structure to your characters.

The Dramatica Mentorship Program - our premiere service designed to give you the tools and techniques for applying Dramatica's powerful concepts to your stories.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> What Story Structure Looks Like To Your Characters James R. Hull 00:45:36 It's one thing to play God when writing a story, but wouldn't it be great if you could see what the major plot points in your story look like from the point-of-view of your characters? Well, now you can. It's one thing to play God when writing a story, but wouldn't it be great if you could see what the major plot points in your story look like from the point-of-view of your characters? Well, now you can. no full 34 1 cc04f497-6605-4d4b-8cf3-0c35c6ffa60f The Most Boring Storyform in the Entire World In this episode we cover the world's most familiar--and therefore, drabbest and dreariest--story structure. A popular message out of America in the mid to late 20th century, this storyform speaks of the essence what it is to be Male and focused on achievement.

Show Notes & Links

The Dramatica Mentorship Program - our premiere service designed to give you the tools and techniques for applying Dramatica's powerful concepts to your stories.

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Fri, 17 Mar 2017 03:18:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/the-most-boring-storyform-in-the-entire-7fe6f9db In this episode we cover the world's most familiar--and therefore, drabbest and dreariest--story structure. A popular message out of America in the mid to late 20th century, this storyform speaks of the essence what it is to be Male and focused on achievement.

Show Notes & Links

The Dramatica Mentorship Program - our premiere service designed to give you the tools and techniques for applying Dramatica's powerful concepts to your stories.

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> The Most Boring Storyform in the Entire World James R. Hull 00:24:01 In this episode we cover the world's most familiar--and therefore, drabbest and dreariest--story structure. In this episode we cover the world's most familiar--and therefore, drabbest and dreariest--story structure. no full 33 1 b2a1923c-3d35-4cd0-8681-34dff2714364 Arrival & The Zero-Sum Game In this episode we make the connection between Arrival and the holistic approach to story structure offered by the Dramatica theory of story. Why speculate about how your story will end when you can make meaningful progress by developing a narrative that supports your artistic intent?

In addition we take a look into creating dramatic tension and hooking your audience into your story by looking both subjectively from within you story and objectively from outside of your story. Sound cool? Then dive in and open up your mind to a brand new way of thinking about story and story structure.

Show Notes & Links

The Dramatica Mentorship Program - our premiere service designed to give you the tools and techniques for applying Dramatica's powerful concepts to your stories.

]]> Thu, 9 Mar 2017 04:50:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/arrival-the-zero-sum-game-545f819f In this episode we make the connection between Arrival and the holistic approach to story structure offered by the Dramatica theory of story. Why speculate about how your story will end when you can make meaningful progress by developing a narrative that supports your artistic intent?

In addition we take a look into creating dramatic tension and hooking your audience into your story by looking both subjectively from within you story and objectively from outside of your story. Sound cool? Then dive in and open up your mind to a brand new way of thinking about story and story structure.

Show Notes & Links

The Dramatica Mentorship Program - our premiere service designed to give you the tools and techniques for applying Dramatica's powerful concepts to your stories.

]]> Arrival & The Zero-Sum Game James R. Hull 00:39:37 In this episode we make the connection between Arrival and the holistic approach to story structure offered by the Dramatica theory of story. In this episode we make the connection between Arrival and the holistic approach to story structure offered by the Dramatica theory of story. no full 32 1 175c085c-9163-45f5-8566-3e3d611e2729 The Best Picture of 2016 Doesn't Have a Story Welcome back!

In this, our first episode of the second season of the Narrative First Podcast, we catch up on all things story structure & story analysis including a look into the Oscar winner for Best Picture in 2016. Tons of links and articles and blog posts from the past three months for you to review. In fact, too many to summarize in this short paragraph. Best to scroll down to the Show Notes and follow along while you listen.

If you have any questions or would like help structuring your story with Dramatica please contact us at http://narrativefirst.com/contact.

Show Notes & Links

]]> Thu, 2 Mar 2017 05:16:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/the-best-picture-of-2016-doesnt-have-a-1801e530 Welcome back!

In this, our first episode of the second season of the Narrative First Podcast, we catch up on all things story structure & story analysis including a look into the Oscar winner for Best Picture in 2016. Tons of links and articles and blog posts from the past three months for you to review. In fact, too many to summarize in this short paragraph. Best to scroll down to the Show Notes and follow along while you listen.

If you have any questions or would like help structuring your story with Dramatica please contact us at http://narrativefirst.com/contact.

Show Notes & Links

]]> The Best Picture of 2016 Doesn't Have a Story James R. Hull 00:37:50 In this, our first episode of the second season of the Narrative First Podcast, we catch up on all things story structure & story analysis including a look into the Oscar winner for Best Picture in 2016. In this, our first episode of the second season of the Narrative First Podcast, we catch up on all things story structure & story analysis including a look into the Oscar winner for Best Picture in 2016. no full 31 1 56af5fa9-7dd3-44aa-9345-817b00c5a4d7 The Crucial Element to Telling a Great Story In this, our final episode of the 2016 season, we discuss the most important part of any story--the intersection of the objective and subjective points-of-view. We also discuss our analysis of Moana and wrap up our series on using Dramatica to write for Nanowrimo.

Narrative First publishes yearly from March through November. The podcast will continue to run over the holiday season and into the new year. If you have any questions or would like help structuring your story with Dramatica please contact us at http://narrativefirst.com/contact.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Fri, 2 Dec 2016 05:47:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/the-crucial-element-to-telling-a-great-73e59db6 In this, our final episode of the 2016 season, we discuss the most important part of any story--the intersection of the objective and subjective points-of-view. We also discuss our analysis of Moana and wrap up our series on using Dramatica to write for Nanowrimo.

Narrative First publishes yearly from March through November. The podcast will continue to run over the holiday season and into the new year. If you have any questions or would like help structuring your story with Dramatica please contact us at http://narrativefirst.com/contact.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> The Crucial Element to Telling a Great Story James R. Hull 00:31:37 In this, our final episode of the 2016 season, we discuss the most important part of any story--the intersection of the objective and subjective points-of-view. In this, our final episode of the 2016 season, we discuss the most important part of any story--the intersection of the objective and subjective points-of-view. no full 30 1 3fac17fa-024e-497a-ad4e-50322d6e46dd Finding Your Own Unique Voice When Writing for Nanowrimo In this episode, we show you how to take that burning desire within your heart to be heard and apply it to a concrete and solid story structure. The Dramatica storyform is a powerful and effective tool for organizing your story's argument. But you still need to know what it is you want to say with your work. By connecting to that inner voice and discovering what is near and dear to you, you will have a better idea of what to actually attach to the storyform to give it passion and heart.

Remember, you can always Ask Us a Question we answer everything, or Leave a Voicemail click the microphone button and leave a message after the beep.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Wed, 23 Nov 2016 01:11:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/finding-your-own-unique-voice-when-e10c0a6c In this episode, we show you how to take that burning desire within your heart to be heard and apply it to a concrete and solid story structure. The Dramatica storyform is a powerful and effective tool for organizing your story's argument. But you still need to know what it is you want to say with your work. By connecting to that inner voice and discovering what is near and dear to you, you will have a better idea of what to actually attach to the storyform to give it passion and heart.

Remember, you can always Ask Us a Question we answer everything, or Leave a Voicemail click the microphone button and leave a message after the beep.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Finding Your Own Unique Voice When Writing for Nanowrimo James R. Hull 00:18:06 In this episode, we show you how to take that burning desire within your heart to be heard and apply it to a concrete and solid story structure. In this episode, we show you how to take that burning desire within your heart to be heard and apply it to a concrete and solid story structure. no full 29 1 aaeed9ef-54d6-4036-98fb-053d84a16f45 Finding Inspiration for Nanowrimo Within a Great Story In this episode, we learn how to use the storyform from an inspiring narrative to help define the structure of your own. But first, a roundup of this month's Dramatica analysis of Spotlight, and an insight into how to run a story room in order to effectively get everyone to come to a consensus as to the most important story point in a narrative--the Main Character Resolve.

Remember, you can always Ask Us a Question we answer everything, or Leave a Voicemail click the microphone button and leave a message after the beep.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Fri, 18 Nov 2016 06:19:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/finding-inspiration-for-nanowrimo-within-484a4d68 In this episode, we learn how to use the storyform from an inspiring narrative to help define the structure of your own. But first, a roundup of this month's Dramatica analysis of Spotlight, and an insight into how to run a story room in order to effectively get everyone to come to a consensus as to the most important story point in a narrative--the Main Character Resolve.

Remember, you can always Ask Us a Question we answer everything, or Leave a Voicemail click the microphone button and leave a message after the beep.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Finding Inspiration for Nanowrimo Within a Great Story James R. Hull 00:26:42 In this episode, we learn how to use the storyform from an inspiring narrative to help define the structure of your own. In this episode, we learn how to use the storyform from an inspiring narrative to help define the structure of your own. no full 28 1 e966f4f5-edff-466c-923d-a89a4aa78ba8 Trolls, Hacksaw Ridge, & Brainstorming a Brand New Genre In this episode we create a brand new category of story by combining Gist Collections from two different Genres. In addition, we take a look at Dreamworks' animated film Trolls and Mel Gibson's first film in ten years, Hacksaw Ridge. One is fun and functionally broken, one is moving and solidly structured. Care to guess which is which?

Remember, you can always Ask Us a Question we answer everything, or Leave a Voicemail click the microphone button and leave a message after the beep.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Fri, 11 Nov 2016 06:07:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/trolls-hacksaw-ridge-brainstorming-a-db74fbd6 In this episode we create a brand new category of story by combining Gist Collections from two different Genres. In addition, we take a look at Dreamworks' animated film Trolls and Mel Gibson's first film in ten years, Hacksaw Ridge. One is fun and functionally broken, one is moving and solidly structured. Care to guess which is which?

Remember, you can always Ask Us a Question we answer everything, or Leave a Voicemail click the microphone button and leave a message after the beep.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Trolls, Hacksaw Ridge, & Brainstorming a Brand New Genre James R. Hull 00:30:51 In this episode we create a brand new category of story by combining Gist Collections from two different Genres. In this episode we create a brand new category of story by combining Gist Collections from two different Genres. yes full 27 1 b8e4b0b3-f67a-4ca4-a35f-ff0cd0f78c53 Captain Fantastic and Creating a Story from Scratch for Nanowrimo In this episode we show how you can come up with a compelling and meaningful story in less than two hours using Dramatica's powerful brainstorming tools. We also dive into a deep analysis of the fantastic Captain Fantastic, written and directed by Matt Ross and starring Viggo Mortensen. The film is a shining example of combining both objective and subjective views into a concrete and effective narrative.

Remember, you can always Ask Us a Question we answer everything, or Leave a Voicemail click the microphone button and leave a message after the beep.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Fri, 4 Nov 2016 06:27:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/captain-fantastic-and-creating-a-story-af17b07e In this episode we show how you can come up with a compelling and meaningful story in less than two hours using Dramatica's powerful brainstorming tools. We also dive into a deep analysis of the fantastic Captain Fantastic, written and directed by Matt Ross and starring Viggo Mortensen. The film is a shining example of combining both objective and subjective views into a concrete and effective narrative.

Remember, you can always Ask Us a Question we answer everything, or Leave a Voicemail click the microphone button and leave a message after the beep.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Captain Fantastic and Creating a Story from Scratch for Nanowrimo James R. Hull 00:33:04 In this episode we show how you can come up with a compelling and meaningful story in less than two hours using Dramatica's powerful brainstorming tools. In this episode we show how you can come up with a compelling and meaningful story in less than two hours using Dramatica's powerful brainstorming tools. no full 26 1 7e2ddf0f-1ac1-4040-ae23-7643b3a15365 Discovering the Hidden Narrative Code Within a Great Story In this episode we take you step-by-step through a deep thematic analysis of The Dark Horse--a tremendous independent film out of New Zealand.

Remember, you can always Ask Us a Question we answer everything, or Leave a Voicemail click the microphone button and leave a message after the beep.

Show Notes & Links

]]> Fri, 28 Oct 2016 04:19:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/discovering-the-hidden-narrative-code-01384c56 In this episode we take you step-by-step through a deep thematic analysis of The Dark Horse--a tremendous independent film out of New Zealand.

Remember, you can always Ask Us a Question we answer everything, or Leave a Voicemail click the microphone button and leave a message after the beep.

Show Notes & Links

]]> Discovering the Hidden Narrative Code Within a Great Story James R. Hull 00:33:57 In this episode we take you step-by-step through a deep thematic analysis of *The Dark Horse*--a tremendous independent film out of New Zealand. In this episode we take you step-by-step through a deep thematic analysis of *The Dark Horse*--a tremendous independent film out of New Zealand. no full 25 1 deb9e49a-35c2-4a0c-8750-24db6aa87976 How to Analyze a Narrative with Dramatica In this episode not only do we cover how to successfully analyze a story with Dramatica, but we also look into four different kinds of scenes found in the psycho-technological thriller Ex Machina. And as a special bonus feature, Dramatica co-creator Chris Huntley offers his insights into how to successfully build a storyform.

Remember, you can always Ask Us a Question we answer everything, or Leave a Voicemail click the microphone button and leave a message after the beep.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Fri, 21 Oct 2016 04:37:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/how-to-analyze-a-narrative-with-d085b661 In this episode not only do we cover how to successfully analyze a story with Dramatica, but we also look into four different kinds of scenes found in the psycho-technological thriller Ex Machina. And as a special bonus feature, Dramatica co-creator Chris Huntley offers his insights into how to successfully build a storyform.

Remember, you can always Ask Us a Question we answer everything, or Leave a Voicemail click the microphone button and leave a message after the beep.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> How to Analyze a Narrative with Dramatica James R. Hull 00:32:36 In this episode not only do we cover how to successfully analyze a story with Dramatica, but we also look into four different kinds of scenes found in the psycho-technological thriller *Ex Machina*. In this episode not only do we cover how to successfully analyze a story with Dramatica, but we also look into four different kinds of scenes found in the psycho-technological thriller *Ex Machina*. no full 24 1 8d7d3bb1-4cee-4420-9591-9953b9459b19 Ex Machina Mea Culpa Our original analysis of Ex Machina relied on subjective interpretation and proved faulty. This updated analysis clears up those issues by taking an objective point-of-view of the film's narrative. In addition we cover how Dramatica is a conflict-detection machine and how its unique set of story points identify the source of that conflict.

Remember, you can always Ask Us a Question we answer everything, or Leave a Voicemail click the microphone button and leave a message after the beep.

Show Notes & Links

The Dramatica Mentorship Program - our premiere service designed to give you the tools and techniques for applying Dramatica's powerful concepts to your stories.

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Fri, 14 Oct 2016 05:39:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/ex-machina-mea-culpa-8c858860 Our original analysis of Ex Machina relied on subjective interpretation and proved faulty. This updated analysis clears up those issues by taking an objective point-of-view of the film's narrative. In addition we cover how Dramatica is a conflict-detection machine and how its unique set of story points identify the source of that conflict.

Remember, you can always Ask Us a Question we answer everything, or Leave a Voicemail click the microphone button and leave a message after the beep.

Show Notes & Links

The Dramatica Mentorship Program - our premiere service designed to give you the tools and techniques for applying Dramatica's powerful concepts to your stories.

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Ex Machina Mea Culpa James R. Hull 00:35:23 Our original analysis of *Ex Machina* relied on subjective interpretation and proved faulty. This updated analysis clears up those issues by taking an objective point-of-view of the film's narrative. Our original analysis of *Ex Machina* relied on subjective interpretation and proved faulty. This updated analysis clears up those issues by taking an objective point-of-view of the film's narrative. yes full 23 1 eae7b8b1-4c79-4585-bbb9-0d3cd6f01213 An Introduction to Scene Construction with Dramatica In this episode we begin our discussion of deep thematic scene structure through the lens of the Dramatica theory of story. Typically we don't get this deep into the theory--at the Scene level the signal to noise ratio is so great that any inaccuracy will wash out when it comes to the meaning of the narrative. Still, it's fascinating to see perfect story structure working at this level.

Remember, you can always Ask Us a Question we answer everything, or Leave a Voicemail click the microphone button and leave a message after the beep.

Show Notes & Links

]]> Wed, 5 Oct 2016 01:32:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/an-introduction-to-scene-construction-9d9957da In this episode we begin our discussion of deep thematic scene structure through the lens of the Dramatica theory of story. Typically we don't get this deep into the theory--at the Scene level the signal to noise ratio is so great that any inaccuracy will wash out when it comes to the meaning of the narrative. Still, it's fascinating to see perfect story structure working at this level.

Remember, you can always Ask Us a Question we answer everything, or Leave a Voicemail click the microphone button and leave a message after the beep.

Show Notes & Links

]]> An Introduction to Scene Construction with Dramatica James R. Hull 00:31:47 In this episode we begin our discussion of deep thematic scene structure through the lens of the Dramatica theory of story. In this episode we begin our discussion of deep thematic scene structure through the lens of the Dramatica theory of story. no full 22 1 86e45f71-ac20-45c8-b319-49a90fed5921 Getting Personal with Your Storytelling This week we shorten things up a bit and take a look at one story point: the Main Character Approach. Does your Main Character prefer to solve problems externally or internally? The answer creates a pathway for the Audience to become a part of your story.

In addition, we take a quick analysis at the live action Jungle Book movie from Disney.

Remember, you can always Ask Us a Question we answer everything, or Leave a Voicemail click the microphone button and leave a message after the beep.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Wed, 28 Sep 2016 02:49:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/getting-personal-with-your-storytelling-f6e47901 This week we shorten things up a bit and take a look at one story point: the Main Character Approach. Does your Main Character prefer to solve problems externally or internally? The answer creates a pathway for the Audience to become a part of your story.

In addition, we take a quick analysis at the live action Jungle Book movie from Disney.

Remember, you can always Ask Us a Question we answer everything, or Leave a Voicemail click the microphone button and leave a message after the beep.

Show Notes & Links

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Getting Personal with Your Storytelling James R. Hull 00:22:08 This week we shorten things up a bit and take a look at one story point: the Main Character Approach. Does your Main Character prefer to solve problems externally or internally? This week we shorten things up a bit and take a look at one story point: the Main Character Approach. Does your Main Character prefer to solve problems externally or internally? no full 21 1 3672c577-2ab9-4b50-aea5-e76c63bbbb8f The Essential Ingredients of Every Complete Story In order to wind up the dramatic potential for a story, an Author must answer eight essential questions. In this episode, we cover the first two ingredients of an effective narrative.

Stories are not simply about three-dimensional characters bumping up against rising tension. Rather, they model the human mind's problem-solving process in an attempt to argue the effectiveness of a particular point-of-view. The closer a story mirrors this process the clearer it's message and the less likely an Audience will sense there are any story "holes".

We also take our first look at the animated film The Little Prince and offer a suggestion for improving the narrative drive that seems to die out towards the end of the film.

Links and Show Notes

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Wed, 21 Sep 2016 00:04:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/the-essential-ingredients-of-every-e9f24534 In order to wind up the dramatic potential for a story, an Author must answer eight essential questions. In this episode, we cover the first two ingredients of an effective narrative.

Stories are not simply about three-dimensional characters bumping up against rising tension. Rather, they model the human mind's problem-solving process in an attempt to argue the effectiveness of a particular point-of-view. The closer a story mirrors this process the clearer it's message and the less likely an Audience will sense there are any story "holes".

We also take our first look at the animated film The Little Prince and offer a suggestion for improving the narrative drive that seems to die out towards the end of the film.

Links and Show Notes

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> The Essential Ingredients of Every Complete Story James R. Hull 00:37:31 In order to wind up the dramatic potential for a story, an Author must answer eight essential questions. In this episode, we cover the first two ingredients of an effective narrative. In order to wind up the dramatic potential for a story, an Author must answer eight essential questions. In this episode, we cover the first two ingredients of an effective narrative. no full 20 1 86505408-cd95-4881-b9a2-37431e48d598 The True Nature of Story In this episode, we wrap up our exploration of the Audience Appreciations found in Dramatica by discovering the true nature of the purpose of narrative. This is a big one you won't want to miss.

Also, our first caller!

Show Notes and Links

]]> Thu, 15 Sep 2016 05:35:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/the-true-nature-of-story-38462ac0 In this episode, we wrap up our exploration of the Audience Appreciations found in Dramatica by discovering the true nature of the purpose of narrative. This is a big one you won't want to miss.

Also, our first caller!

Show Notes and Links

]]> The True Nature of Story James R. Hull 00:44:25 We wrap up our exploration of the Audience Appreciations found in Dramatica by discovering the true nature of the purpose of narrative. We wrap up our exploration of the Audience Appreciations found in Dramatica by discovering the true nature of the purpose of narrative. no full 19 1 e42270fd-2f15-4930-b428-dec1755131b4 Does Your Main Character Build Resistance or Facilitate Flow? In this episode we cover the tendency of the Main Character's personal problems to either build-up dramatic resistance or facilitate a greater flow throughout the story. In addition, we analyze Nice Guys and Sing Street, two new films out for streaming that you should definitely take a look at.

Leave voicemail feedback for the show at narrativefirst.com/podcasts

Links and Show Notes

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Wed, 7 Sep 2016 03:43:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/does-your-main-character-build-44fc7d6b In this episode we cover the tendency of the Main Character's personal problems to either build-up dramatic resistance or facilitate a greater flow throughout the story. In addition, we analyze Nice Guys and Sing Street, two new films out for streaming that you should definitely take a look at.

Leave voicemail feedback for the show at narrativefirst.com/podcasts

Links and Show Notes

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Does Your Main Character Build Resistance or Facilitate Flow? James R. Hull 00:33:38 In this episode we cover the tendency of the Main Character's personal problems to either build-up dramatic resistance or facilitate a greater flow throughout the story. In this episode we cover the tendency of the Main Character's personal problems to either build-up dramatic resistance or facilitate a greater flow throughout the story. no full 18 1 a61f06ff-a1ec-419f-9c42-e9d3260f7a2e Defining the Feeling of Tension in Your Story In this episode we take a look at the Audience Appreciation known as Essence and search for a new way to define it that is easy to understand for writers new to Dramatica. In addition, we have follow-up from last week's "controversial" podcast on Mental Sex and a brief Conversation with Melanie Anne Phillips, one of the co-creators of the theory.

Links and Show Notes

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

...and yes...

...that's me playing Journey's Faithfully at the end...:)

]]> Wed, 31 Aug 2016 04:11:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/defining-the-feeling-of-tension-in-your-8f6b1f2d In this episode we take a look at the Audience Appreciation known as Essence and search for a new way to define it that is easy to understand for writers new to Dramatica. In addition, we have follow-up from last week's "controversial" podcast on Mental Sex and a brief Conversation with Melanie Anne Phillips, one of the co-creators of the theory.

Links and Show Notes

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

...and yes...

...that's me playing Journey's Faithfully at the end...:)

]]> Defining the Feeling of Tension in Your Story James R. Hull 00:36:39 In this episode we take a look at the Audience Appreciation known as Essence and search for a new way to define it that is easy to understand for writers new to Dramatica. In this episode we take a look at the Audience Appreciation known as Essence and search for a new way to define it that is easy to understand for writers new to Dramatica. no full 17 1 67e11473-d204-4ccc-bcc1-173d4d664ee2 Predicting Who Will Listen to Your Story After follow-up, we dive into an analysis of Hell or High Water, the new Western from Sicario writer Taylor Sheridan. Following that we take a look at the Dramatica story point known as Audience Reach. By combining the Main Character's Problem-Solving Style with the Story Limit, writers can accurately predict who will be sitting in the audience.

Links and Show Notes

And don't forget...

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Wed, 24 Aug 2016 01:04:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/predicting-who-will-listen-to-your-story-889a43cf After follow-up, we dive into an analysis of Hell or High Water, the new Western from Sicario writer Taylor Sheridan. Following that we take a look at the Dramatica story point known as Audience Reach. By combining the Main Character's Problem-Solving Style with the Story Limit, writers can accurately predict who will be sitting in the audience.

Links and Show Notes

And don't forget...

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Predicting Who Will Listen to Your Story James R. Hull 00:35:54 In this episode we take a look at *Hell or High Water* and then explain how writers can easily predict who will embrace their story and who will run for the hills. In this episode we take a look at *Hell or High Water* and then explain how writers can easily predict who will embrace their story and who will run for the hills. no full 16 1 f0720cb0-9593-48c6-9811-7156f005751b Using Dramatica to Assess Narratives in the Real World We're very excited to announce that we hired our first two employees here at Narrative First! The explosion in requests for our services over the summer kicked our plans into high gear. We look forward to providing not only a higher quality of service, but also unique and compelling services not available elsewhere.

Story consultant Jon Gentry will be helping out with story analysis with an emphasis on real world narratives while vitality coach Summer De La Fuente will be using Dramatica to help locate and resolve their own personal issues.

More detailed info on our site within the coming days...

In addition, I cover my initial analysis of Florence Foster Jenkins.

Links and Show Notes

And don't forget...

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Wed, 17 Aug 2016 01:37:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/using-dramatica-to-assess-narratives-in-1eb90ed4 We're very excited to announce that we hired our first two employees here at Narrative First! The explosion in requests for our services over the summer kicked our plans into high gear. We look forward to providing not only a higher quality of service, but also unique and compelling services not available elsewhere.

Story consultant Jon Gentry will be helping out with story analysis with an emphasis on real world narratives while vitality coach Summer De La Fuente will be using Dramatica to help locate and resolve their own personal issues.

More detailed info on our site within the coming days...

In addition, I cover my initial analysis of Florence Foster Jenkins.

Links and Show Notes

And don't forget...

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Using Dramatica to Assess Narratives in the Real World James R. Hull 00:44:59 What's more exciting...Narrative First hiring its first employees, or a real world example of the Dramatica theory of story actually predicting the future?! You decide... What's more exciting...Narrative First hiring its first employees, or a real world example of the Dramatica theory of story actually predicting the future?! You decide... no full 15 1 587dfafa-cdfc-4d43-9413-aa8e4dde2d86 9 Steps Towards Telling Your Story Download the action guide for this week's episode!

Following up last week's conversation regarding what it takes to transform real life into an actual story, we now take time out to cover the first steps you want to take when building that narrative. Starting with basic plot elements and then moving to complex character issues, we reveal the same process we use to help individuals and organizations begin to think deeply about their stories.

Links and Show Notes

And don't forget...

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Wed, 10 Aug 2016 00:34:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/9-steps-towards-telling-your-story-0733886f Download the action guide for this week's episode!

Following up last week's conversation regarding what it takes to transform real life into an actual story, we now take time out to cover the first steps you want to take when building that narrative. Starting with basic plot elements and then moving to complex character issues, we reveal the same process we use to help individuals and organizations begin to think deeply about their stories.

Links and Show Notes

And don't forget...

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> 9 Steps Towards Telling Your Story James R. Hull 00:27:13 Following up last week's conversation regarding what it takes to transform real life into an actual story, we now take time out to cover the first steps you want to take when building that narrative. Following up last week's conversation regarding what it takes to transform real life into an actual story, we now take time out to cover the first steps you want to take when building that narrative. no full 14 1 6dce53ad-6f76-47ea-966e-00ab4b4a61d4 Transforming Real Life Into A Story and Disney's Moana After a brief interlude for follow-up, we cover an effective technique for turning events in the real world into a full functional complete story. Understanding the deep thematic elements of your narrative is key to connecting with your Audience.

-Transforming Real Life into a Story our article on how to do it

And don't forget...

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Wed, 3 Aug 2016 01:40:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/transforming-real-life-into-a-story-and-32dde89e After a brief interlude for follow-up, we cover an effective technique for turning events in the real world into a full functional complete story. Understanding the deep thematic elements of your narrative is key to connecting with your Audience.

-Transforming Real Life into a Story our article on how to do it

And don't forget...

Narrative First theme by Alex Hull. Hear more on his Soundcloud, Operation Solace

]]> Transforming Real Life Into A Story and Disney's Moana James R. Hull 00:40:45 In addition to discussing advanced techniques for turning the real world into a full functional narrative, we take time out to discuss all things story with the Head of Story for Disney's upcoming animated feature, Moana--Dave Pimentel. In addition to discussing advanced techniques for turning the real world into a full functional narrative, we take time out to discuss all things story with the Head of Story for Disney's upcoming animated feature, Moana--Dave Pimentel. no full 13 1 f243ebbf-1711-4730-b759-4e02c97fe978 Star Trek: The Case for Writing a Screenplay with Dramatica In this episode we explore the Dramatica theory of story and how its ability to predict the intuition of a writer could possibly be the sole remaining piece of magic left on the planet. We then turn our attention to the latest Star Trek movie and wonder why they didn't use Dramatica to construct an emotionally fulfilling narrative.

Also. Epic music!

Links and Show Notes

Links and Show Notes

]]> Wed, 27 Jul 2016 01:08:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/star-trek-the-case-for-writing-a-9b104b12 In this episode we explore the Dramatica theory of story and how its ability to predict the intuition of a writer could possibly be the sole remaining piece of magic left on the planet. We then turn our attention to the latest Star Trek movie and wonder why they didn't use Dramatica to construct an emotionally fulfilling narrative.

Also. Epic music!

Links and Show Notes

Links and Show Notes

]]> Star Trek: The Case for Writing a Screenplay with Dramatica James R. Hull 00:24:23 In this episode we explore the magic behind the Dramatica theory of story and why it worked wonders for the first Star Trek reboot in 2009...so why didn't they use it again for Star Trek:Beyond? In this episode we explore the magic behind the Dramatica theory of story and why it worked wonders for the first Star Trek reboot in 2009...so why didn't they use it again for Star Trek:Beyond? no full 12 1 f35af7e9-722b-4229-84e6-376e23b20632 The Difference Between Star Trek and Star Wars In this episode we look at the differences between Star Trek and Star Wars from a Dramatica point-of-view; looking at the structural differences in their narratives. We also explain why the Overall Story Throughline for The Fugitive is in Situation--not Activity as one would think.

Links

]]> Wed, 20 Jul 2016 01:52:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/the-difference-between-star-trek-and-bea72bf5 In this episode we look at the differences between Star Trek and Star Wars from a Dramatica point-of-view; looking at the structural differences in their narratives. We also explain why the Overall Story Throughline for The Fugitive is in Situation--not Activity as one would think.

Links

]]> The Difference Between Star Trek and Star Wars James R. Hull 00:21:11 In this episode we look at the differences between *Star Trek* and *Star Wars* from a Dramatica point-of-view; looking at the structural differences in their narratives. In this episode we look at the differences between *Star Trek* and *Star Wars* from a Dramatica point-of-view; looking at the structural differences in their narratives. no full 11 1 7f9a9ef7-ec6c-4fe7-8004-1830df766096 Supercharging the Conflict in Your Story In this episode, we offer some insight into how to really use Dramatica to increase the level on conflict in every story. Also, an analysis of the Angry Birds movie, and follow-up!

]]> Wed, 13 Jul 2016 20:15:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/supercharging-the-conflict-in-your-story-3b5e063d In this episode, we offer some insight into how to really use Dramatica to increase the level on conflict in every story. Also, an analysis of the Angry Birds movie, and follow-up!

]]> Supercharging the Conflict in Your Story James R. Hull 00:36:53 Insight into how to really use Dramatica to increase the level on conflict in every story. Also, an analysis of the *Angry Birds* movie, and follow-up! Insight into how to really use Dramatica to increase the level on conflict in every story. Also, an analysis of the *Angry Birds* movie, and follow-up! no full 10 1 7886a0b7-04be-4f33-a58b-699919d187b6 Batman vs. Superman vs. Deadpool In this episode we take a look at two blockbuster comic book movies...without actual stories. Why then did one do better than the other? Also, a recap on last week's Zootopia analysis and a brief look at Pixar's Finding Dory and the excellent short that plays with it, Piper.

This is also the first Narrative First podcast with a featured audio clip. Co-creator of the Dramatica theory Chris Huntley explains the Native American concept of 1,2,3,many and how it applies to Dramatica's quad theory...and life itself.

Links and Show Notes

]]> Wed, 6 Jul 2016 00:49:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/batman-vs-superman-vs-deadpool-ea6de3a0 In this episode we take a look at two blockbuster comic book movies...without actual stories. Why then did one do better than the other? Also, a recap on last week's Zootopia analysis and a brief look at Pixar's Finding Dory and the excellent short that plays with it, Piper.

This is also the first Narrative First podcast with a featured audio clip. Co-creator of the Dramatica theory Chris Huntley explains the Native American concept of 1,2,3,many and how it applies to Dramatica's quad theory...and life itself.

Links and Show Notes

]]> Batman vs. Superman vs. Deadpool James R. Hull 00:34:05 In this episode we take a look at two blockbuster comic book movies...without actual stories. Why then did one do better than the other? Also, a recap on last week's *Zootopia* analysis. In this episode we take a look at two blockbuster comic book movies...without actual stories. Why then did one do better than the other? Also, a recap on last week's *Zootopia* analysis. writing, story, screenwriting no full 9 1 737135e6-f158-4147-bc79-b5866730c334 Zootopia and Batman Begins New format here for the Narrative First Podcast: a sort of rough-draft of ideas and thoughts on story and story structure. This week's analysis will cover Zooptopia--which had a bit of a story structure problem--and Batman Begins. I've been waiting 10 years to figure out the storyform and I finally did it. Hope you enjoy.

Two Sides of the Same Coin -- montage of "You and I" moments between Main and Influence Character

Narrative First RoadMap -- let me translate Dramatica for you and help figure out the unique storyform for your story

When the analyses are finished I'll post links to them here.

Narrative First Dramatica Mentorship Program -- enroll in a program designed to improve your story sense

]]> Tue, 28 Jun 2016 19:37:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/zootopia-and-batman-begins-7a13adf9 New format here for the Narrative First Podcast: a sort of rough-draft of ideas and thoughts on story and story structure. This week's analysis will cover Zooptopia--which had a bit of a story structure problem--and Batman Begins. I've been waiting 10 years to figure out the storyform and I finally did it. Hope you enjoy.

Two Sides of the Same Coin -- montage of "You and I" moments between Main and Influence Character

Narrative First RoadMap -- let me translate Dramatica for you and help figure out the unique storyform for your story

When the analyses are finished I'll post links to them here.

Narrative First Dramatica Mentorship Program -- enroll in a program designed to improve your story sense

]]> Zootopia and Batman Begins James R. Hull 00:34:58 First look analysis at Disney's Zootopia and Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins First look analysis at Disney's Zootopia and Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins writing, story, screenwriting no full 8 1 c58871c3-c3af-4005-bee3-9e34a65ffe2c Making Things Uncomfortable for Your Main Character Main Characters don't grow on their own--they need someone to come along who sees the world in a completely different light. They need an Influence Character. In this episode we take a look back at an article from the Vault, A Good Impact Character Makes Things Uncomfortable and take in our deep analysis of 99 Homes.

The Narrative First RoadMap

A Good Impact Character Makes Things Uncomfortable

Our Analysis of 99 Homes

]]> Thu, 2 Jun 2016 21:44:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/making-things-uncomfortable-for-your-7023c912 Main Characters don't grow on their own--they need someone to come along who sees the world in a completely different light. They need an Influence Character. In this episode we take a look back at an article from the Vault, A Good Impact Character Makes Things Uncomfortable and take in our deep analysis of 99 Homes.

The Narrative First RoadMap

A Good Impact Character Makes Things Uncomfortable

Our Analysis of 99 Homes

]]> Making Things Uncomfortable for Your Main Character James R. Hull 00:22:24 Main Characters don't grow on their own--they need someone to come along who sees the world in a completely different light. They need an Influence Character. Main Characters don't grow on their own--they need someone to come along who sees the world in a completely different light. They need an Influence Character. creative writing, story structure, writing, story, screenwriting no full 7 1 832c70d4-b796-49e1-9040-c447b70df81b How to End Writer's Block Forever How do you end writer's block forever? Know what it is you want to say and learn to use a tool that keeps you on the straight & narrow as you write that first draft. In addition, we take a deep thematic look at the movie Brooklyn from 2015.

Original article: How to End Writer's Block Forever

Our flagship Dramatica Mentorship Program

Our Analysis of Brooklyn

Melanie's presentation on Dramatica: Past, Present, Future, and Beyond

Our class on Learning How to Use Dramatica in a Day

]]> Thu, 26 May 2016 03:39:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/how-to-end-writers-block-forever-1d8d74cf How do you end writer's block forever? Know what it is you want to say and learn to use a tool that keeps you on the straight & narrow as you write that first draft. In addition, we take a deep thematic look at the movie Brooklyn from 2015.

Original article: How to End Writer's Block Forever

Our flagship Dramatica Mentorship Program

Our Analysis of Brooklyn

Melanie's presentation on Dramatica: Past, Present, Future, and Beyond

Our class on Learning How to Use Dramatica in a Day

]]> How to End Writer's Block Forever James R. Hull 00:24:39 Know what it is you want to say and learn to use a tool that keeps you on the straight & narrow as you write that first draft. In addition, we take a deep thematic look at the movie Brooklyn from 2015. Know what it is you want to say and learn to use a tool that keeps you on the straight & narrow as you write that first draft. In addition, we take a deep thematic look at the movie Brooklyn from 2015. no full 6 1 23273743-a4d2-47d5-a175-bffb9220b281 Discovering the Story You Never Knew In addition to taking a deep dive into Ryan Cooler's Creed, we also take another look at the Narrative First Playground Exercises--a strong and resilient system for looking at narrative makes it easier to play at writing.

Our flagship Dramatica Mentorship Program -- Rid yourself of writer's block. Forever.

Our Narrative First RoadMap service--an outline to start writing from in less than a week

New classes & workshops from Narrative First & Dramatica co-creator Melanie Anne Phillips - Foundation|Next

]]> Sat, 14 May 2016 02:30:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/discovering-the-story-you-never-knew-afec7d96 In addition to taking a deep dive into Ryan Cooler's Creed, we also take another look at the Narrative First Playground Exercises--a strong and resilient system for looking at narrative makes it easier to play at writing.

Our flagship Dramatica Mentorship Program -- Rid yourself of writer's block. Forever.

Our Narrative First RoadMap service--an outline to start writing from in less than a week

New classes & workshops from Narrative First & Dramatica co-creator Melanie Anne Phillips - Foundation|Next

]]> Discovering the Story You Never Knew James R. Hull 00:40:00 In addition to taking a deep dive into Ryan Cooler's Creed, we also take another look at the Narrative First Playground Exercises--a strong and resilient system for looking at narrative makes it easier to play at writing. In addition to taking a deep dive into Ryan Cooler's Creed, we also take another look at the Narrative First Playground Exercises--a strong and resilient system for looking at narrative makes it easier to play at writing. story structure, writing, story, screenwriting no full 5 1 20228a8d-7c6a-4ee7-bab3-68acb7f93a81 Finding Your True Self Through Writing Continuing last week's article on generating story ideas, we take a look at how to get up close and personal with your deepest intentions. Using a tool known as the Playground Exercises, we discuss how you can use Dramatica to dive deep into your own subconscious and discover something honest for your to write.

Finding Your True Self Through Writing - original article

Dramatica Mentorship Program - a focused and specialized course designed to teach you how to do the exercises discussed in the podcast.

Narrative First Subscribe Page - the place where you can sign up for the classes and workshops being presented by Narrative First and Storymind beginning this month

]]> Tue, 3 May 2016 03:03:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/finding-your-true-self-through-writing-c9b9e7b2 Continuing last week's article on generating story ideas, we take a look at how to get up close and personal with your deepest intentions. Using a tool known as the Playground Exercises, we discuss how you can use Dramatica to dive deep into your own subconscious and discover something honest for your to write.

Finding Your True Self Through Writing - original article

Dramatica Mentorship Program - a focused and specialized course designed to teach you how to do the exercises discussed in the podcast.

Narrative First Subscribe Page - the place where you can sign up for the classes and workshops being presented by Narrative First and Storymind beginning this month

]]> Finding Your True Self Through Writing James R. Hull 00:10:12 Continuing last week's article on generating story ideas, we take a look at how to get up close and personal with your deepest intentions. Continuing last week's article on generating story ideas, we take a look at how to get up close and personal with your deepest intentions. creative writing, story structure, writing, story, screenwriting no full 4 1 6496c568-08e7-4266-8ab1-50b175a35d1b The Power of the Playgrounds In this episode we cover an introduction to the Playground Exercises--a fun and effective way to quickly produce richly thematic storylines.

Links discussed:

Generating an Abundance of Story Ideas

Finding Your True Self through Writing

Introducing The Narrative First RoadMap--a quick and easy way to have a fully formed outline of your story idea--in less than one week. Have that first draft finished in less than two months with our personalized outlines.

]]> Mon, 25 Apr 2016 22:02:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/the-power-of-the-playgrounds-b69df574 In this episode we cover an introduction to the Playground Exercises--a fun and effective way to quickly produce richly thematic storylines.

Links discussed:

Generating an Abundance of Story Ideas

Finding Your True Self through Writing

Introducing The Narrative First RoadMap--a quick and easy way to have a fully formed outline of your story idea--in less than one week. Have that first draft finished in less than two months with our personalized outlines.

]]> The Power of the Playgrounds James R. Hull 00:18:24 An introduction to the Playground Exercises--a fun and effective way to quickly produce richly thematic storylines. An introduction to the Playground Exercises--a fun and effective way to quickly produce richly thematic storylines. creative writing, story structure, writing, story, screenwriting no full 3 1 9bb1a8ed-9319-4ed8-b410-a3b71604443b Analysis of Inside Out Narrative First analysis of Inside Out

Update on the original analysis of Inside Out - We had one teensy weensy story element that was out of place. This corrects that.

]]> Tue, 19 Apr 2016 18:34:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/analysis-of-inside-out-c1ac995c Narrative First analysis of Inside Out

Update on the original analysis of Inside Out - We had one teensy weensy story element that was out of place. This corrects that.

]]> Analysis of Inside Out James R. Hull 00:06:33 A brief analysis of Pixar's excellent Inside Out. A brief analysis of Pixar's excellent Inside Out. no full 2 1 d4c87282-479c-4fa6-ae0d-52a1dddefe01 The Problem with Reverse-Engineering Dramatica Our first blogcast episode! Here we explore the problems with opening the hood of the Dramatica story engine and why you're better served taking what the application gives you on trust...and then get back to writing.

This article originally appeared on the Narrative First website under the title The Problem with Reverse-Engineering Dramatica. Hundreds of insightful articles like this one can be found in the Narrative First archives.

Contact us with any questions or comments you may have.

]]> Mon, 7 Mar 2016 20:37:00 +0000 questions@narrativefirst.com (James R. Hull) https://narrativefirst.simplecast.com/episodes/the-problem-with-reverse-engineering-a41ae5b9 Our first blogcast episode! Here we explore the problems with opening the hood of the Dramatica story engine and why you're better served taking what the application gives you on trust...and then get back to writing.

This article originally appeared on the Narrative First website under the title The Problem with Reverse-Engineering Dramatica. Hundreds of insightful articles like this one can be found in the Narrative First archives.

Contact us with any questions or comments you may have.

]]> The Problem with Reverse-Engineering Dramatica James R. Hull 00:07:55 Our first blogcast episode! Here we explore the problems with opening the hood of the Dramatica story engine. Our first blogcast episode! Here we explore the problems with opening the hood of the Dramatica story engine. no full 1 1