Story Dynamics

TOOLS

Use the Tools of Story Dynamics--establishing image, dramatic potential, matched potential, and a narrative question--to engineer successful dramatic stories.

ESTABLISHING IMAGE

An image, series of images, or anything--e.g., introductory quotes, scrolls of text, or narrations- - that serves the function of foretelling subtly what the story will be about narratively or thematically, typically without being a part of the storyline itself. Where no establishing image is present, the movie title, the first scene, or the first line of dialogue can serve the same purpose, perhaps collectively. The establishing image functions like sagacious quotes that lead off essays or chapters of books, or topical sentences that introduce paragraphs. It tells us what you're going to tell us, it focuses our attention on what's important in your story, it piques our curiosity.

au·gur: --predict, especially from signs or omens; foretell.; --be a sign or omen: A smooth dress rehearsal augured well for the play.
be·to·ken: --foreshow by present signs; indicate something future by that which is seen or known; as, a dark cloud often betokens a storm.
bode: --be an omen; portend: The peace accord bodes well for the city under siege.
fore·shad·ow: --present an indication or a suggestion of beforehand; presage.
fore·tell: --indicate by signs; "These signs bode bad news".; --tell of or indicate beforehand; predict.
omen: --divine or foreshow by signs or portents; to have omens or premonitions regarding; to predict; to augur; as, to omen ill of an enterprise.
por·tend: --serve as an omen or a warning of; presage: black clouds that portend a storm.
pres·age: --indicate or warn of in advance; portend.
pre·fig·ure: --suggest, indicate, or represent by an antecedent form or model; presage or foreshadow: The paintings of Paul Cézanne prefigured the rise of cubism in the early 20th century.
sym·bol·ize: --make representative of something; regard or treat as symbolic.; --express indirectly; be a symbol of; "What does the Statue of Liberty symbolize?"

DRAMATIC POTENTIAL

Anything that creates anticipation in the mind of the reader/viewer that something dramatic will happen. A dramatic story is essentially a vehicle for establishing and releasing dramatic potential. Dramatic potential is generally established in situation, character, and naming/numbering, to be released later in the story.

Situational dramatic potential is often:

temporal--e.g., time of year, special day/date, day/night, time limit
spatial--e.g., wild west, space, foreign country
climactic--e.g., extreme weather, natural disasters

But it can be any sort of problem or situation.

Character dramatic potential generally comprises:

needs or wants
extreme or undesirable character or physical traits
special abilities and powers
possessions or objects
position or station in life
functions or purposes

Some dramatic potential can be assumed and does not need to be pre-established, e.g.:

male-female attraction
greed
fear
desire for revenge

MATCHED POTENTIAL

The dramatic potential in a character or situational element that matches that of another, leading to anticipation that they both will be released together. Properly structured matched potential offsets the dramatic potential in a character or situational element to foretell the main conflict of the story. Character or situational descriptors are only established relative to the descriptors of another or others, their dramatic potential matching those of another or others. All descriptions--i.e., establishment of dramatic potential--which do not match that of another, or are not designed to be used substantially in the story in some way, are superfluous and serve no useful purpose in the movie.

NARRATIVE QUESTION

The question posed by the launch of the story, about which the action of the story revolves, that is answered by the climax.

Story Dynamics exercises develop and check understanding of this material.