Dramatica
Pro
software advertises itself as the "ultimate creative writing
partner," and it truly endeavours to achieve this designation.
By utilizing a comprehensive and easy to follow outline,
this program guides the user through a vast amount of information.
Whether beginning with or without a story in mind, this
program is designed to steer you from the formation of a
story idea to an extensive synopsis of each individual chapter
and/or scene. Along the way, the user is aided in developing
characters, themes, and subplots.
Ease
of Use
Dramatic Pro contains an immense amount of terminology
and information that may or may not be familiar to a new
user. However, even if a term seems familiar, it is imperative
that the Dramatic Pro definition be read as the program
often uses familiar terminology but with its own definition.
An incorrect understanding will cause difficulties and could
hamper the usefulness of this program. Thankfully, adequate
definitions are offered in several places, including the
manual, the step-by-step outline, and a separate dictionary
that is part of the program. By checking definitions before
proceeding, the user can avoid unnecessary complications,
but he or she must also be willing to invest a fair amount
of time into just understanding the terminology.
Beyond
this, Dramatic Pro is fairly straight-forward and
easy to use. The outline allows the user to quickly jump
forwards and backwards through the program, to change initial
decisions, and add new insights. The only downside is the
possibility of being overwhelmed by the amount of information
contained in this program.
Depth
of Options
This program is particularly useful for someone who may
have a basic story idea but is struggling to organize that
idea or is unsure how to turn it into a piece of literature.
By following basic story patterns and character archetypes,
Dramatic Pro is able to help the author flesh out
an underdeveloped plotline or organize a new idea.
However,
Dramatic Pro's greatest strength is also its greatest
weakness. Because it is essential that the program deal
in some form with archetypes and basic plot progressions,
this program is only useful for helping the author organize
his or her ideas. The user must be aware that restricting
him or herself to the archetypes of the program will result
in formulaic stories and wooden characters. Dramatic
Pro is an excellent diving board for a struggling writer,
not a a one-way ticket to a Pulitzer.
