by Jeff Kitchen
2. Don’t be afraid to dwell in a place of partial understanding. If you only have a sense of your theme, explore it; don’t feel you have to put it into words right away. An unspoken, unformed thought can be clear enough as a starting point. Meditate on the theme you’re sensing. Trust your feelings and instincts, and let your understanding grow naturally.
3. Explore books of quotations. What have other people throughout history said about the theme you’re contemplating? What are some of the most pertinent quotes? Do they deepen or clarify your understanding of your theme? Do they also suggest story turns, new characters, intriguing dialog, or possible titles?
4. How has your own understanding of the theme grown and deepened as you spend time contemplating it? Has it taken on a life of its own? Could it be even deeper and more fully developed? How has the theme morphed? Are you happy with where it is now? Do you want to steer it in a certain direction? Tinker with how the protagonist resolves the dilemma and your theme will adjust accordingly.
5. Beware of beginning with a cute, simple, one-line statement of the theme. Instead, explore the theme by writing about it. You may discover that you have a better grasp of it than you suspected.
6. Don’t beat the audience to death with the theme. Don’t overstate it. It will ring through clearly and powerfully once at the end if you do your job right. Trust that. You want a story that resonates in the hearts and minds of the audience, not a message-laden mechanism.
The 36 Dramatic Situations: Developing & Energizing Your Plot
torytelling is a fascinating art. Life provides an inexhaustible supply of stories, but we must do the heavy lifting of building them into complete plots that grip and emotionally transform an audience. From conception to construction, the process of plotting a screenplay is equal parts complex technique and child’s play. It is a clever combination of the writer’s imagination and the resources at the writer’s disposal.
One such resource is a book called Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations, by Georges Polti (The Editor Co., 1916). The book is founded on thirty-six story elements—such as Madness, Disaster, Revolt, Ambition, and An Enemy Loved—created in the 1700s by Italian playwright Carlo Gozzi. On the strength of endorsements by eighteenth-century writer-philosophers Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Friedrich Schiller, the concept hung around for over a century until French classicist Georges Polti began a comprehensive study of Gozzi’s work in 1868 and published his book in 1916. Each element presents potential ideas for a story by looking at the situations and playing “What if ?” The thirty-six situations suggest story possibilities, trigger unexpected ideas, shake up stale plots, dimensionalize characters, and shatter writer’s block. Once you learn how to use them, these situations can serve as a welcome brainstorming tool for those who spend their time spinning and weaving stories.
The 36 Dramatic Situations are often compared to the periodic table of elements in chemistry. Every material substance that we know can be described quite completely with the 118 elements in the periodic table. Similarly, every plot can be described quite completely with the 36 Dramatic Situations.
Below is the full list of all thirty-six situations. Once you’re familiar with them, this list will be all you need most of the time to generate new plot ideas.
1. Supplication
2. Deliverance
3. Crime Pursued by Vengeance
4. Vengeance Taken for Kindred upon Kindred
5. Pursuit
6. Disaster
7. Falling Prey to Cruelty or Misfortune
8. Revolt
9. Daring Enterprise
10. Abduction
11. The Enigma
12. Obtaining
13. Enmity of Kinsmen
14. Rivalry of Kinsmen
15. Murderous Adultery
16. Madness
17. Fatal Imprudence
18. Involuntary Crimes of Love
19. Slaying of a Kinsman Unrecognized
20. Self-sacrifice for an Ideal
21. Self-sacrifice for Kindred
22. All Sacrificed for a Passion
23. Necessity of Sacrificing Loved Ones
24. Rivalry of Superior and Inferior
25. Adultery
26. Crimes of Love
27. Discovery of the Dishonor of a Loved One
28. Obstacles to Love
29. An Enemy Loved
30. Ambition
31. Conflict with a God
32. Mistaken Jealousy
33. Erroneous Judgment
34. Remorse
35. Recovery of a Lost One
36. Loss of Loved Ones
IDENTIFYING AND DEFINING THE 36 DRAMATIC SITUATIONS
Let’s first look at and define the 36 Dramatic Situations, and then focus on how to use them to create and develop plot lines. All thirty-six situations are given simple definitions below to help you understand what they are and how they can vary. Each situation has subheadings, which we will see later in this chapter. Bear in mind that the less literally you take these situations, the more you’ll be able to make use of them.
1. Supplication — Asking or begging for help. There are the obvious forms of this—seeking help, prayer, imploring—but you can also create a situation where a person’s negative behavior represents a silent or implied cry for help.
2. Deliverance — Rescuing or being rescued. This can be a character saved from something—whether physically, emotionally, or spiritual-ly—or it can be the attempt to save another character or oneself.
3. Crime Pursued by Vengeance — This situation is pretty straightforward: A crime has been committed (or merely perceived) and vengeance is sought.
4. Vengeance Taken for Kindred upon Kindred — Family infighting. A character getting even with her father because he beat her mother would be vengeance taken for her mom upon her dad. Bear in mind that “kindred” doesn’t have to be literal; a character can have a “kinship” with his or her neighbors, friends, or coworkers.
5. Pursuit — In pursuit of something or someone, or being pursued. Your character can be in pursuit of something tangible—for example, a wife—or intangible, such as respect.
6. Disaster — Disaster can be different things to different people. It can be as obvious as a character’s house burning down or as seemingly trite as a bad hair day. Disaster is entirely context-sensitive: If your character lives in Beverly Hills and somebody dyes her poodle the wrong shade of pink, it may be the end of the universe!
7. Falling Prey to Cruelty or Misfortune — A situation in which a character gets into trouble, gets hurt, or is destroyed by another character or by fate. Again, this sense of being “hurt” can be entirely subjective.
8. Revolt — Any kind of revolt, from a palace coup to a struggle in a marriage, friendship, or family. Mental, physical, spiritual—this situation covers anything relating to revolt, resistance, or an overturning (or attempted overturning), either literal or metaphoric.
9. Daring Enterprise — Doing something bold or adventurous, whether an action or a state of mind.
10. Abduction — A situation in which a character is kidnapped or is dragged into something against his or her will. It can also be a psychic abduction: a character drawn into another character’s worldview, as in a cult.
11. The Enigma — The mystery, the riddle, the whodunit, the quest. This situation involves trying to figure out what to do, how to find something, how to get to the bottom of something. It can be an external riddle or an internal riddle. For example, a character may be seeking an answer about her psyche, her emotions, her pattern of behavior: “How did I get into this? Why do I keep making the same mistake?”
12. Obtaining — Trying to acquire or achieve something in any arena—physical, psychological, or spiritual—whether real or imaginary.
13. Enmity of Kinsmen — Animosity or hatred between kin (again, not necessarily literal kin). A character hating his brother, co-worker, or neighbors—or his neighbors bearing a grudge agai
nst him.
14. Rivalry of Kinsmen — A contest, struggle, or show of jealousy between brothers or any form of kin.
15. Murderous Adultery — This can involve not only adultery with murder, but also a situation where a character is in a murderous frame of mind due to adultery. Bear in mind that adultery doesn’t necessarily have to do with a sexual relationship. If a character is in the Mafia and starts talking to the police, then he’s going outside the Mafia relationship, and this can get him whacked.
16. Madness — There are many types of Madness, from something horrible such as a straitjacketed character in a padded cell to something delightful such as Jim Carrey frantically trying not to tell the truth in Liar Liar. Madness can be madcap and zany in a totally funny way; the movie Animal House comes to mind. This situation may also involve a fear of madness, varying degrees of insanity, or a crazy situation.
17. Fatal Imprudence — Doing something so unwise that it can have fatal or near-fatal consequences—although “fatal” is not necessarily literal. In Tootsie, when Dorothy tries to kiss Julie, that’s Fatal Imprudence. No one literally died, but their friendship was dealt a lethal blow.
18. Involuntary Crimes of Love — Both this situation and 26. Crimes of Love relate to incest. A Crime of Love would be a character having sex with his daughter, whereas in an Involuntary Crime of Love the character doesn’t know it was his daughter but finds out later. Also, consider how Crimes of Love can be understood metaphorically: a husband treats his wife poorly, or a parent does something horrible to a child in the name of love or guidance.
19. Slaying of a Kinsman Unrecognized — In the literal sense, this refers to a character killing someone who turns out to be her brother because she didn’t recognize him in the dark or after years of absence. But think metaphorically as well, and the situation can become a drunken father verbally abusing his daughter. She can feel “slain” and unrecognized: “Doesn’t he know that I’m his little darling?” Or perhaps a boss puts down his most loyal employee so that he feels “slain” and unrecognized.
20. Self-sacrifice for an Ideal — Putting oneself on the line for something one believes in. A character can literally sacrifice or be willing to sacrifice his or her life, or can simply give up something he or she loves in order to preserve this ideal.
21. Self-sacrifice for Kindred — Sacrificing or being willing to sacrifice oneself for one’s kindred (literal or metaphorical). The sacrifice can be material, spiritual, or physical—it need not refer to actual loss of life.
22. All Sacrificed for a Passion — Putting everything one is or has on the line for one’s passion—throwing caution to the wind for a cause. This can mean either surrender or, conversely, wild excess in the name of some passion. A character can experience a positive transfiguration or lose their kid’s college fund in Las Vegas.
23. Necessity of Sacrificing Loved Ones — Facing the possibility of having to sacrifice or betray someone a character cares about. This can mean throwing somebody to the wolves, leaving someone behind, or selling someone out.
24. Rivalry of Superior and Inferior — This situation is always interesting because it can be entirely subjective: Who is the superior and who is the inferior? The perception of who’s on top—who’s got the upper hand, who’s morally superior, who’s in control, who enjoys a higher status—can flicker back and forth from moment to moment. Consider the play Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, in which the husband and wife keep one-upping each other with cruelty.
25. Adultery — This situation is straightforward, unless you’re using it metaphorically in terms of violating a contract or understanding. Adultery can be used to play “What if?” in a script that needs an extra complication: What if one of your characters were committing adultery? Cultural responses and consequences will vary within this category, because for some situations the “adultery” is casual while for others it’s an offense punishable by death.
26. Crimes of Love — Although this situation is primarily sexual in nature, many types of violation or perceived violation in a love relationship can be viewed as “crimes,” such as a wife deceiving a husband or the betrayal of a partner.
27. Discovery of the Dishonor of a Loved One — A character learning that he’s been betrayed (in any number of ways), or finding out that someone he loves is or has been evil, criminal, or untrustworthy.
28. Obstacles to Love — Anything that stands in the way of a relationship, be it a disapproving parent, a jealous husband, a difference in financial or social status, a loved one not feeling love in return, or other forbidding circumstances.
29. An Enemy Loved — This situation—a character falling in love with or gaining respect for his or her enemy—can suggest many intriguing possibilities for a plot. Consider The Silence of the Lambs: Clarice—along with the audience—is utterly fascinated with and drawn to Hannibal Lecter. In Blade Runner, Deckard is drawn to the replicants and feels for them.
30. Ambition — The various strivings that a character might have, and the permutations these may undergo as the character and situation change. The whys and wherefores of Ambition open up possibilities as well. The lack of ambition is also telling—suggestive of a whole different set of possibilities. For instance, one could explore the complete lack of drive in someone who is rich and smart and free, but who fritters his life away.
31. Conflict with a God — This situation is almost always used metaphorically or poetically. While there are films in which a character is in actual conflict with a deity, more often in this situation a character confronts the powers that be—say, a weakling versus the neighborhood bully. Any weak entity up against a vastly more powerful force fits this situation; it doesn’t require a religious connotation of any kind.
32. Mistaken Jealousy — Jealousy becomes a complicated situation when it is mistaken. A character thinks her husband is having an affair when in fact he’s secretly working a second job to buy her an awesome anniversary gift. A great example of this is in Tootsie when Michael is three hours late for his dinner with Sandy. She waits outside his apartment, sees Dorothy go in, and thinks Dorothy is having an affair with Michael.
33. Erroneous Judgment — Any situation in which a bad assessment is made, whether huge or microscopic in scope. This can be a poor choice, jumping to conclusions, muddled thinking, or even just plain stupidity—or it can be the fear of making a bad choice.
34. Remorse — A character feeling sorry for an action, a harsh word, or even a thought—all in varying degrees. There can also be the total lack of remorse in a character—think Charles Manson, who believes evil to be his divine calling.
35. Recovery of a Lost One — A character may find someone or some object that was lost—even his or her self-esteem or respect. This type of recovery is often getting one’s real self back, or reclaiming one’s marriage, job, or sense of adventure.
36. Loss of Loved Ones — A character may lose someone he or she loves, either through death, moving away, or any other way one can lose someone or something. It doesn’t have to be a person that’s lost; it can be a career, an object, an emotion, or a state of mind (such as sanity or self-respect). Again, the situation can be crucial, such as losing one’s entire family in a fire, or it can be a character’s dad missing his or her softball game.
The 36 Dramatic Situations represent one complete spectrum of ideas for storytelling. This tool is an extremely useful resource for writers, but it is by no means the be-all and end-all in creating a story. It is simply a device that comes in handy at certain stages of inventing and developing a story. You’ll still need every ounce of creativity and imagination to make a script work. The primary function of the 36 Dramatic Situations is to provoke ideas and stimulate possibilities during plot development. Think of it as a free-association tool. One of the 36 Dramatic Situations may suggest an idea or a stream of ideas for a story already in the works, and that is precisely its job.
The less literally you interpret these dramatic situations, t
he more actual use you can get out of them. This flexibility can be very useful in triggering numerous alternative ideas for your script. This tool is often mistakenly referred to as the thirty-six dramatic “plots,” but Ambition is not a plot any more than a piece of wood is a house. It is, rather, simply one element out of which a complex story can blossom.
USING THE 36 DRAMATIC SITUATIONS AS A BRAINSTORMING TOOL
The 36 Dramatic Situations can help you explore the potential in a raw idea, break a hackneyed plot out of cliché, develop multidimensional characters, complicate story lines, and provide unexpected twists in a script. Use this tool as a catalyst for “What if ?” For instance, while thinking about your story, look at the situation Madness and ask yourself, “What if my character was crazy—completely and utterly off the deep end? Where does that take the story? Does it open up new plot possibilities or complicate things in an interesting way?” Then examine the ramifications of such possibilities: “Okay, if my character is totally nuts, then things would veer off in this direction, entirely changing this whole section of the plot. It would complicate everything having to do with this part of the story and completely screw up my ending—but maybe that’s just what the script needs.”
Follow the possibilities as far along as you can take them, just to see where they go. This is part of the creative process, part of your attack as a storyteller. (The great science-fiction writer Alfred Bester talks about attack as a storyteller—the level of energy with which you attack the story and the audience. If you want to see a master at work, read his stunningly creative and deeply resonant books The Stars My Destination and The Demolished Man. See chapter 12 for more about this concept.) Having gone out and tried that path, you may then decide either, “Wow, that’s perfect! I’m going to use it,” or, “I see where that goes, but it’s not where I want to take this plot,” or, “I want to use only part of it.” Brainstorming is very much like trying on shoes: You can try on 200 pairs, but you’re not obligated to buy anything.