5 stars (Even the demo makes this software shine) - I have heard about Dramatica Pro for years and never touched it. Now, I finally gave in to get the demo--and stayed up till 3:00 o'clock in the morning! I could not afford to lose the valuable information it was giving me. For those who know their story ahead of time, great! Dramatica helps you know it better. I knew my story dealt with the issues of trust and identity. I knew how these things played out. What I didn't know was that about Impact Characters and the total relationships between my themes, my characters, and the action going on. Using Dramatica forced me to answer questions that probed even deeper into my story than I had known how to go. For this alone, I would buy the software. Particularly so I can go to sleep at night and continue in the morning.
1 stars (Bad software that needs to be upgraded) - DramaticaPro probably has some good points and no doubt would help a lot IF I COULD SEE IT!!!
The screen resolution is so bad that I contacted the company to find out how to get larger fonts on the screen and they told me it couldn't be done!!!!
I adjusted the screen resolution of my computer in an attempt to be able to read the blasted thing and that helped a bit. But I really don't want giant letters in all my apps just so I can read DramaticPro.
Also, I went to the charater part [again] to do a little homework on a story I'm writing and found it way too restrictive. It has several character types but in the world of fiction, there are many more than DramaticaPro knows about. Plus, its terminology is obscure and specific to its theory. But, that is not especially helpful
What a shame, it promises so much and doesn't really deliver. A small cheap program that I used in the past is called StoryBuilder. It was a better choice as a simple way to organize index cards -- but alas -- now that Windows is into the XP phase, that softward doesn't really work anymore.
4 stars (Creative writing partner) - Well, that's what this is, according to the box it comes in.
What it is not:
... a guaranteed magic wand that will grant you good literature.
... simple for everyone to use.
... a solution to the creatively challenged.
... inexpensive
... a complete waste of your money.
What it is:
... A partner, a tool, that supplements the writer's existing skills.
... not impossible to learn within a reasonable period.
... one solution to the problem of poor organizational skills.
... another way to get the juices flowing.
... arguably the best in its field.
... worth the cost if you are serious about improving as a writer.
Don't be swayed by those who say this software is difficult to use, and don't be swayed by those who say it's not. I feel that, for those who are able to use most softwares intuitively, it isn't particularly difficult. Although it isn't perfect, there are very few - if any - softwares that are. It all depends upon you. And in Dramatica's case, once you get past that hurdle it very quickly becomes a breeze to use.
No, I don't feel that it supplants my creativity. But that's more likely because I don't allow it to.
As for writer's block, there are established ways of getting over that, and - for me - they do not include the use of a computer.
The main problem I have is lack of persistence of focus. And, as a cure for that, it's excellent.
What has it done for me?
It's given me a much greater focus on and control over the mechanics of ordering my thoughts. Sure, I could use index cards, but they're very unwieldy. As a replacement for them, Dramatica has been more of a boon than a relational database has ever been. All the benefits without the programming.
There are different ways of using Dramatica. I've already got a good idea about my characters and how the plot progresses before I begin. Most often, I use character building and the many different reports to complement.
The various input options, such as character building, are very helpful for noting down important elements and ensuring the continuity of them.
I rarely use the brainstorming option, but it's there if I am well and truly mired in a loop.
To sum up: horses for riders, not so much for courses.
Don't be swayed by negative or positive reviews. Use the trial version as long as you can, make sure you use it as a partner, a tool, and not the universal panacea, and you'll find out if it is right for you.
If you think it is, and decide to spend your hard earned money on it, then be prepared to work harder on your writing than you have, perhaps, before. If it only does that, I think you'll consider it money well spent. |
