How to Forge a Sense of Drama to Make Your Script Soar

Do you read back your scenes and feel, “Uuggh”? No snappy punch there! There can be many reasons for this depressing failure:  

--Weak character motivation.

--Lack of a clear conflict.

--Confused scene structure.

--Abstract floating action lines.

But one common reason for a script to lack punch is that its writer has not developed a sense of drama.

When we watch a seductive and compelling film, we know immediately we are in the hands of a master. Their scenes crackle with clever ways of being dramatic, of telling the story. They do little and big things that create drama.

It could be an interesting camera angle, the use of a clever twist, the questions we are manipulated to ask. Or how the scene opens, how its information is revealed, how we are teased and tormented, how our values are played. Many things. Watch the opening of your favorite film and see what it does to lock your eyeballs and mind.

All the above touches, and many others, are the reflection of a sense of drama.

A sense of drama is the application of dramatic techniques, color, and the unexpected that strike and engage the thoughts and emotions of an audience.

There is story and then there is how to tell a story. The Dramatics. All creatives who want big careers must attain the storytelling level of expressing a strong sense of drama.

Actionable Writing Tip

While I believe that the key premises underlying a sense of drama are chiefly learned in early childhood, they can be learned and honed during adulthood. But this is a longer and harder road. Here are three ways to develop your sense of drama:

1) Watch great stories. For example, when watching the “scales” scene between Rameses and Moses in the Ten Commandments ask yourself: Why is this so dramatic?

Do the same for the “burning match scene” in Lawrence of Arabia. And for the climax in In The Heat of the Night to see the meaning and power of that suitcase. Do this for many brilliantly dramatic scenes. Thus, you will make yourself aware of what is dramatic.

2) Understand in principle how these scenes work dramatically. That is, lift out the principles of the scene’s drama. For example, you may see that each of these scenes focuses on the unexpected, or on a clever way to concretize or symbolize the conflict, or how key character traits are cleverly revealed in action. Knowing this principle, you will be able to apply it.

3)  Then you must press these principles into your subconscious and apply them in action to your own writing/scenes. For instance, ask yourself:

How can I make this scene cleverer by adding a poignant symbol of this conflict, especially to climax it?

The more aware you are of what you are doing and need to do in your writing -- the more intention you have -- and the more writing principles you understand and apply -- the better you will develop your sense of drama to create jaw dropping scenes.

A sense of drama is an exciting sign of a mature writer, pro script, and master director. That zing on the page will get you noticed!

If you want to work with a story coach to develop your sense of drama on the page reply DRAMA.

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