When dreaming DramaQueen into this world it has always been our objective to create tools that would be as versatile and free in their application as possible. We never wanted to overload the software with many single features. Instead we wanted to create features that could be creatively applied in many ways.
This led to some options not being obvious and having to be discovered by the writer first. That’s why we’d like to offer some brief inspirations for you to use DramaQueen creatively:
- Just start writing
- Prose Writing
- Reoccurring motifs
- Story-Steps and beats
- Treatment as an accompanying tool for scriptwriting
- Secondary headings
- Montage sequences
Just start writing
To just start writing you use the ideas panel like a paper notepad. This way you collect all loose ideas at the beginning of story development or just sketch out some idea for a specific story.
Prose Writing
DramaQueen can already be used for writing prose: Some of our users already write their novels and short stories with DramaQueen by simply using the treatment level (choose Standard Page as lay-out via the cogwheel button).
Reoccurring motifs
Stories connected primarily via their theme are told via reoccurring motifs. To show thematic connections between certain scenes it helps to mark scenes belonging to a specific theme / motif. Let’s assume, for example, that the theme of a story circles around the poles of ‘compulsion vs. freedom’. In this case you simple set up a storyline called ‘compulsion’ and another storyline called ‘freedom’. Now you simply assign all scenes exploring the theme to one or the other storyline (via the outline panel’s context menu).
Story-Steps and beats
It is possible to breakdown your story using various models based on story steps (e.g. according to John Truby or Keith Cunningham) or beats (e.g. according to Blake Snyder). To do this you simply create the appropriate number of steps. Allocating the plot points to the appropriate steps will create the individual step-model that corresponds with the “classic” structure options based on acts, sequences or the heroe’s journey.
Treatment as an accompanying tool for scriptwriting
The treatment-level can be used for more than just treatment writing. It’s also very practical for collecting notes to prepare the writing of the script. When working with the actual script it may help to open the treatment as a supporting window to have all initial thoughts and ideas for each scene present.
Secondary headings
To create a secondary heading, a scene may be sub-divided. Since Secondary Headings only name the point of view, the fields for INT./EXT. and time of day may be left empty. The point of view is provided in the location field.
Montage sequences
To establish a montage sequence, a scene may be sub-divided. Since not all scene heading elements necessarily change during a montage sequence, individual drop-down fields may be left empty.
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