Dramatica
The platform for narrative intelligence: Dramatica lays the foundation, Narrova powers the platform, and the Narrative Context Protocol defines the standard. https://dramatica.com
- We’ve added the new **Audience Experience** section as part of our **ongoing evolution of Dramatica Theory**—continuing the work Chris and Melanie began over 30 years ago. Each addition refines how writers understand the *experience* of a story, not just its structure.
- By expanding from four to eight appreciations, this update deepens the bridge between story logic and audience emotion, helping creators see not only *what* their story argues—but *how* it feels to live through it. discuss.dramatica.com/t/new-in-the...
- Yesterday’s Narrova livestream replay 🎥: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDY-6Kz764c](www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDY-...) We explored how genre choices shift the *source of conflict*—and built three storyforms. Thread ⤵️
- **The Bridge That Stayed** — A Protestant bridgewright and a charismatic Jesuit fight (in very different ways) to keep one bridge open so a war-torn town can eat during the Thirty Years’ War.
- **City of Stolen Summers** — In a fog-choked seaside city that sold its summers, a grief counselor teams with a season-spirit to heist the warm months back before the town withers for good.
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View full threadBuild your own: the **Dramatica** platform (built on Dramatica theory, powered by Narrova, standardized by the Narrative Context Protocol). Start here: [https://platform.dramatica.com](platform.dramatica.com)
- New guide: upload your screenplay to Narrova and get a Dramatica read—Four Throughlines, evidence, and viable Storyforms. How-to + example (“Brick”) here: [Uploading a Screenplay for Dramatica Analysis in Narrova](discuss.dramatica.com/t/uploading-...) #Dramatica #Screenwriting
- We're happy to report that Narrova is so far away from glazing that it will even tell P.T. "There Will Be Blood" needs some work. 😄
- The link to Narrova's analysis of said screenplay... discuss.dramatica.com/t/narrova-an...
- 🎬 Next Tuesday @ 7pm PT, join the Dramatica Users Group (hosted by Chris Huntley & me) as we dive into *Companion* for our latest film-analysis session. Watch it beforehand, then jump into the convo—you’ll come away seeing story structure in a whole new light. discuss.dramatica.com/t/companion-...
- ✨ Something new is emerging inside Narrova… We’ve been quietly working on a process that doesn’t generate story—but gently reveals it. A way to think through your narrative by pulling on threads of tension, one question at a time.
- We’re calling it Unspool—and it’s going live tomorrow. Not a template. Not a form. A conversation with your story’s deeper shape. Join us for a live demo Wednesday at 12pm PT on the Subtxt / Dramatica YouTube channel.
- We’ll walk through how Unspool works, how it’s inspired by StoryWeaver, and where it’s going next. 🌌 Come see how story structure can emerge—not be imposed. You don’t write it. You unspool it. youtube.com/live/6lNd3fW...
- Online group analysis of KPop Demon Hunters is under way in the Dramatica forum. Find out one of the reasons why this was such a massive success for Netflix: discuss.dramatica.com/t/kpop-demon...
- Our thoughts on the Showrunner app, AI, and the future of storytelling: dramatica.com/blog/posts/a...
- 🚀 Narrova developer Jim Hull walks you through taking a story idea all the way to a full narrative treatment, step-by-step. Catch the replay to see how it's done—logically consistent, emotionally powerful storytelling in action! www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcEF...
- Just updated COPYRIGHT.md to clarify what the Narrative Context Protocol is really about: preserving authorship + creative intent in an AI-powered world. Read the update → github.com/narrative-fi... #NCP #AIstorytelling #NarrativeDesign
- 🎉 Our long national nightmare of Dramatica terminology confusion is OVER! Signposts, Non-accurate, Uncontrolled, Unproven, Non-acceptance, Problem-solving Style, Story Limit, Change & Steadfast—all restored! Plus new Chris + Melanie approved terms! discuss.dramatica.com/t/the-long-n...
- Join us for a special Dramatica Users Group session as co-creator Chris Huntley leads an in-depth analysis of the Oscar-nominated screenplay The Holdovers. Discover how the film’s structure aligns with Dramatica theory—and bring your own insights. All are welcome! discord.com/events/49291...
- Muse has officially lost its mind with today's story starter. 🤣 "Puberty was awkward enough before dodgeball came with an STD twist." Zoe Martinez has finally found the perfect escape hatch from social obscurity: a wildly inappropriate, ridiculously elaborate sex-ed obstacle course
- promising the holy grail—free pizza for an entire year and guaranteed popularity. Armed with fierce determination and unbothered by tact, Zoe charges headfirst into this hormonal Hunger Games, sidestepping "gonorrhea grenades" and
- somersaulting across precarious birth-control balance beams without bothering to check who's flattened beneath her ambitions. Enter Miles Greene—kind-hearted, overly earnest Miles—who
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View full threadthe ruthless climb to teenage glory isn't quite as satisfying if you're up there all alone. Just how far will Zoe go before realizing the finish line looks better—and a lot less embarrassing—when crossed, stumbling and giggling, side-by-side?
- Keeping 1992-era straight-to-video classics alive with our Story Starters! "Ready, set, blast off! Earth takes center stage in the galaxy's wildest sporting showdown." When Earth's name flashes unexpectedly as host of the Intergalactic Olympics, Jasper Cruz nearly chokes on his cereal. Now...
- ...thrust from backyard soccer games into zero-G flips, anti-gravity races, and telekinetic dodgeball battles, Jasper and his ragtag squad of neighborhood misfits find that winning isn't exactly rocket science—it's way, way harder.
- Enter Zara Quest: coach, alien, and cheerful chaos-bringer, whose unorthodox training routines and mid-orbit snack breaks leave Jasper bewildered but endlessly amused. Yet behind the whimsical competitions and gravity-defying antics lies a deeper battle—one against Jasper's own gnawing self-doubt.
- As victory looms uncertainly in cosmic limbo, Jasper realizes that maybe, just maybe, the best adventures are full of wild turns—and the greatest triumph isn't what they claim among galaxies, but what they've found within each other.
- Big Model's shift to "vibe-coding" creative writing misses the heart of storytelling. Real narrative insight comes from structure and intent, not just subjective taste-testing. Writers deserve better. narrativefirst.com/blog/creativ...
- Just cracked open eight years of storytelling genius—Subtxt API is LIVE. Go build the next big thing, or just blow minds. Your call. narrativefirst.com/blog/introdu...
- Is GPT-4.5 real—or is it just great storytelling? 🤖✨ Turns out, structured chaos is the heart of both AI and narrative. Here's how GPT-4.5 is quietly making stories even better in Subtxt: narrativefirst.com/blog/gpt-4-5...
- We’ve been experimenting with GPT-4.5 to elevate storytelling in Subtxt. It's impressive to see Muse’s daily Story Starters transformed with richer, genre-sensitive narratives. A promising direction to explore further. narrativefirst.com/blog/unlocki...
- Shelly Palmer is right: Hollywood isn’t quite ready for AI-enhanced storytelling. But the real danger isn’t job displacement—it’s losing the essence of what makes stories work.
- Great stories aren’t just events strung together. They’re thematic arguments—complete ideas that resonate because they tap into something deeper. AI can generate infinite variations, but without subtext, it’s just noise.
- Subtxt makes sure AI storytelling isn’t just reactive—it’s narratively sound. And that’s the real future.
- The storyform for The Penguin, Season 1 Episode 4 "Cent'Anni" is now in Subtxt. Wonderful how the title of the episode fit so perfectly into the Obstacle Character thematic Issue of Destiny.
- The group analysis of "Cent'Anni" - the 4th episode of "The Penguin" series is now live - feel free to join in and hear us debate some of the underlying thematic issues. us02web.zoom.us/j/81566870632
- We uploaded *Didi*’s Storyform into Subtxt, asked Muse to describe the film based on structure alone, and it nailed it—before even knowing the plot. Then, once the synopsis was added, it refined everything even further. Full breakdown here: narrativefirst.com/blog/explori...
- The storyform for "Didi" is now in Subtxt: subtxt.app/storyforms/d... We've also updated Muse with DeepResearch from OpenAI on the film, so you can really dive deep into the thematic intent of the filmmaker, Sean Wang...
- We also did this for "Conclave" over the weekend - and look forward to adding more and more to make Subtxt the absolute best place to learn about narrative theory and structure!
- The Storyform for "Conclave" is now in Subtxt. subtxt.app/storyforms/c...
- An argument between Certainty and Potentiality, not something you see very often nowadays (but warm welcomed, for sure).
- The replay of the first Subtxt Focus & Flow session is up if you want to check it out. We'll be doing these weekly on Wednesdays at 2pm PT, maybe adding Mondays too. narrativefirst.com/recordings/257
- Subtxt Flow & Focus are here—seamlessly switch between creative brainstorming and precision storyforming inside Muse. Powered by OpenAI’s latest tech, Focus mode takes your narrative structure to the next level. Want to see it in action?
- Check out this 60-page conversation where we built an entire storyform dynamically—Muse kept everything in context while allowing full creative freedom. Full breakdown here: narrativefirst.com/blog/introdu...
- 📅 Live demo this Wed at 2PM PT—see it in action! Sign up for newsletter to be notified: narrativefirst.com
- Worried about AI and copyright? The latest U.S. Copyright Office report confirms: AI-assisted work is copyrightable—as long as YOU shape it.
- Subtxt doesn’t train on your stories. Instead, it helps uncover deep narrative structure—just like how West Side Story built on Romeo & Juliet. Your ideas. Your authorship. Your copyright. 🔥 📖 Read more: narrativefirst.com/blog/copyrig...
