How to Tell a Story With a Central Dramatic Argument

If you read my goals for this quarter, you know this entry is a few days late, but life (and other writing projects) happen. On we go.

Some time back, my favorite writing podcast, The Bestseller Experiment, mentioned writing with a Central Dramatic Argument in mind. The concept comes from writer Craig Mazin (Chernobyl, The Last of Us, et cetera). On Scriptnotes, the podcast he hosts with John August, he dedicates an episode to discussing how the Central Dramatic Argument (referred to as CDA hereafter) works, and how story structure actually stems from CDA.

You can listen to Mazin’s thorough explanation on YouTube, and below are notes from my listen. Let’s get into it.

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The most basic tl;dr version of writing with a CDA in mind goes like this:

Hero believes something (the opposite of the CDA). An incident occurs that makes Hero question that old belief with a new belief (the CDA). Hero fights to maintain old belief, while more incidents occur that challenge the old belief. An incident occurs that makes Hero mostly give up on old belief, but Hero cannot accept new belief. Hero feels lost. Another incident occurs that will allow Hero to reclaim old belief, but Hero leans into the newer belief through action.

The end.

Now, for a Choose Your Own Adventure moment, if you would like additional notes on Mazin’s talk, read on; if you feel you learned enough and want some music to write to, check out the playlist I put together for my current manuscript.

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One of the most important quotes Mazin gives is, “Structure is a symptom of a character’s relationship to a Central Dramatic Argument.” Said another way, a story’s structure is dictated by how a character views the CDA, and the structure is only there to enhance that relationship.

So what exactly is the CDA? You could also call it the theme, but it’s not just a broad word like love. It’s an argument that answers the question: What is the story about? The answer to this does not need to be earth-shattering. It can be a universal truth, but it must be an argument. Consider, instead of “love,” a story might be about, “If you love someone, set them free.” This is Mazin’s example, and it is a statement that you can argue for or against; you might also call this a thesis.

Side note: CDA typically comes after your idea, not before. You will likely get excited about an idea, and then need to figure out what it’s about, maybe even writing a full first draft to reach a final realization.

With the CDA in mind, Mazin says the purpose of the story is to take a character from ignorance (believing the opposite of your thesis, aka the antithesis) to embodying the thesis through action.

Here’s a traditional story structure that might form from writing with a CDA:

Act 1

1. You begin with a main character (MC) in their usual world and life. Their life exemplifies the antithesis. They are actively trying to maintain their antithetical belief and not progress their life in a new direction (toward the CDA).

2. An incident related to the CDA/thesis disrupts the MC’s life. This incident essentially destroys the MC’s current, static life in a meaningful way.

3. The MC strives to get their old life back, because the MC has real fears about losing that life—the MC has done a lot in life to avoid experiencing the fears brought on by the CDA. The audience will empathize with the fears.

Act 2

1. The MC reinforces their antithesis by struggling against new and worsening incidents that represent the CDA. The MC is fighting their fears, wants their old life, their “security blanket,” back. The world should seem to oppose the MC.

2. Something related to the CDA happens that causes the MC to doubt the antithesis. Perhaps the MC does something, or sees someone do something, that makes them experience the CDA in a good way.

   1. Remember, your MC is rational. They can see value in other ways of life.

3. Midpoint: the MC questions their old beliefs, even if they do not fully understand the CDA.

4. Dramatic reversal: the MC leans into living the CDA, but then their fear about it comes to fruition (as a writer, Mazin says, you’re lowering the MC’s defenses and then punching them in the face). This should be one of the worst things to happen to the MC, and it should be seen as ironic that just when the MC leaned in, they are punished.

5. Low-point: the MC now doubts antithesis and thesis. They feel trapped and lost.

   1. The MC’s goal to return to their old life is gone, but they fear going toward the new goal. The audience should be able to empathize with feeling lost.

Act 3

1. Defining moment begins: the MC has the chance to face their worst fear, the fear that made them want to stay in their old life. This moment will prove, or disprove, if the MC can embody the CDA.

2. Right before the defining moment happens: the MC has the option to return to their old life. This allows for temptation (if you watched The Last of Us, you can see Joel plainly experience this). If the MC can, they will reject the temptation through an extraordinary action.

3. Defining moment ends: the MC either succeeds or fails, but they hold onto new belief (unless you’re writing a story about failing to change).

4. The ending: to show a meaningful contrast, the final scene should mirror how the MC was introduced, but the MC now lives and acts based on their new belief (again, unless you want to show a failure to change).

And a last note: to create the most tension and empathy, Mazin recommends regularly asking where your MC is on their journey between the antithesis and thesis (CDA), and then doing the meanest thing you can to the MC in that moment, until the MC is left with no belief. That will make the story that much more engaging, and the ending that much more impactful.

Ever used the CDA or plan to? I’d love to hear about it on Twitter or in the comments.

Here There Be Promises: Writing and Design Goals for Q2 2023

The first quarter has come and gone, seemingly as fast as a cobbler elf in the night. So now we’re here, early April, and it’s time to review what I completed and what’s coming next.

You can learn more about my goals process from the January post. The high level is: I enjoy setting myself goals. They hold me accountable, and I hope sharing them inspires others to create, and even share, theirs.

Below you will find my creative ambitions. I am keeping personal and health goals private for now, but I recommend weaving those into yours as well. Like Jack, all work and no play ain’t good for anyone.

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First, a quick recap of the first quarter. I wrapped the second draft of my TLS novel manuscript, sent The Superpowers of Love query to an editor, and sort of connected with some writers via Twitter, Discord, and virtual Writing Meetups. Not too shabby.

But. I didn’t meet all of my goals. I failed to send my edited query to new agents. The edits took longer than expected, and I am okay with this. First impressions are important, and that is exactly what a query is. Plus, my original deadline was unrealistic, as I forgot to factor in the editor’s response times. Currently, I am finalizing a few sentences of the summary, and I am extending my deadline, as seen below.

Also, while I posted more about writing on Twitter, I could have done a better job of having deeper conversations on the platform, as well as on Discord and via Writing Meetups.

Lastly, I didn’t complete my stretch goal in design. I sketched and designed a few logos, but my attempts were halfhearted. Instead of forcing myself to finish and send a design I wasn’t proud of, I let go of the project. This I don’t see as a failure. Saying no can be just as important to saying yes to projects. Quitting the design contest allowed me to focus more on what I cared about. The novel manuscript and the query.

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With that, here are my goals for April, May, and June.

Writing Goals

• Write a Journal entry about Central Thematic Argument by April 14.

• Send the Superpowers of Love query to agents by April 20.

  • Finish edits on the query by April 15

  • Wrap first chapter edits by April 19.

• Finish the third draft of the TLS novel manuscript by June 30.

  • Read and take notes on the second draft of TLS by April 25.

  • Begin the third draft of TLS by April 26.

• Send stories and queries weekly throughout Q2.

• Connect with writers on:

  • Twitter

  • Discord

  • Writing Meetups

Design Goals

• (Stretch goal) Launch a simple lifestyle brand with a store and one-page website by June 30.

• (Stretch goal) Launch the site Newsletter by June 30.

Like Q1, here’s a screenshot of how I use Apple Reminders to track goals.

Drop a comment, tweet, or private message if you have questions, suggestions, or want to share your goals for accountability too.

Happy creating.

January Echoes: Writing and Design Goals for Q1 2023

I set goals most quarters, and January often sets the tone for the year.

Writing goals can feel like starting a mini-story. I’m the character, I jot down what I want to achieve, and then, like a fun first draft, I set out to see how the story unfolds.

Whether or not I achieve my aims always teaches me something. Sometimes I learn that I’m too ambitious; sometimes I learn that I’m not ambitious enough. Sometimes I learn that I care less about a desire than I thought; sometimes I learn that I care more. Either way, at the end of the quarter, I look at the results, and I use them to plan the next.

In an effort to hold myself more accountable, and to encourage others to do the same, I’m sharing my ambitions for writing and design work—I also set personal goals and health goals, but I’m keeping those private for now. Maybe learning to share more will be one of my goals in Q2.

Writing Goals

• Send the Superpowers of Love query to an editor by January 10.

• Finish the second draft of the TLS novel manuscript by March 31.

  • Read and take notes on the first draft of TLS by January 20.

  • Begin the second draft of TLS on January 21.

• Send the Superpowers of Love query to agents by February 1.

• Send stories and queries weekly throughout Q1.

• Connect with writers on:

  • Twitter

  • Discord

  • Writing Meetups

Design Goals

• (Stretch goal) Maybe enter Apex logo contest by January 14.

Here’s a screenshot of how I use Apple Reminders to track goals.

Drop a comment, tweet, or private message if you have questions, suggestions, or want to share your goals for accountability too.

Happy creating.

A Writing Interview With a Manuscript Pitch

I recently had the privilege of chatting with author Mark Stay on one of my favorite writing podcasts, The Bestseller Experiment. We briefly discuss why I joined the Bestseller Academy for a spell, how it surrounded me with a much-needed creative community, and we talk about my finished novel manuscript. He also reads a pitch for the manuscript that I’ve begun querying, which is beyond thrilling to hear. The chat happens at the end of episode 417, but I recommend giving the entire episode (and all of them) a full listen. The podcast is filled with gems of writing advice, inspiration, and welcome ridiculousness.

Writing Project Playlist: The Love Juke

While doing research or writing early drafts of a new story, I often enjoy playing music that matches the tale’s atmosphere. At least, what I think the atmosphere will be, as I don’t typically outline, and my early assumptions about the story may change—except for the original idea that excited me. I write the first draft in a blur, arguably creating a messy, verbose outline, and music can help propel me along, preventing me from overthinking and over-manufacturing plot and characters.

For my next novel manuscript, I’m envisioning a tale of love, darkness, fantasy, melodrama, the Northwoods, and a lot of ridiculousness. The following is the playlist I’ve put together, so far, with those concepts in mind. The playlist is called The Love Juke, and I’m digging it.

Enjoy the ear candy.

Links to What I’ve Read About Star Ratings

I’m writing an article about star ratings, the ambiguity of them, mainly focused on how they fail readers.

While writing the piece, I’ve read a number of articles for research. Several are linked to in the article, but not all. I’m sharing most of them here for anyone who’s interested in the topic.

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Links that show people creating their own definitions for star ratings. One and two.

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An example of star ratings leading to extortion.

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How you can improve algorithmic recommendations from Goodreads—an algorithm that does not seem to pay attention to the context of your reviews.

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The 60 most reviewed books on Goodreads from the past five years.

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The Goodreads mission statement.

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A hoax xenophobic rating and review.

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A deep dive into why ambiguous rating scales fail people and companies, specifically looking at NPS scores.

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Amazon bookstore closures, where they stocked books that were four stars and above.

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The bot problem on Goodreads creates a trust problem.

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People do put some trust in algorithms.

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The Michelin Guide some people credit with starting the star rating fad.

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Mariana Starke, whom some people credit with inspiring what would become star ratings.

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The StoryGraph app that promotes rating and reviewing books with more context than star ratings give.

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A critical look at several UI and UX problems on Goodreads.

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How positive star ratings can sometimes seem too good to be true.

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An HBR article about problems with and solutions for the star rating system.

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Reasons to not care about star ratings.

200 Words a Day Challenge

If you follow me on Twitter, you might have seen me tweet with the hashtag #200wordsaday. This comes from The Bestseller Experiment’s 200 Words a Day Challenge.

The basic premise is this: the best way to learn to write is to write consistently. Consistency builds habits, making what can feel like a chore—such as forcing yourself to sit in front of a screen and poke at a keyboard on a nice day—more like an everyday routine. So, if you’re struggling to build a writing habit, set a smaller writing goal that takes less time to complete, such as 200 words a day—which typically takes around 10–20 minutes, give or take, depending on your draft.

What a lot of people see from setting this goal is that they often surpass it; they unexpectedly end up sinking their teeth deeper into what they’re writing, and they become oblivious to opening their jaws and letting go. And on days when they do the bare minimum 200 words, they still feel good, because the challenge helped them with one of the most important parts of writing. It got them closer to finishing.

Back to the hashtag. Part of the 200 Words a Day Challenge is using the official website to document how much you write each day. This helps you stay accountable. Once you add your word count—I set a daily reminder—the Challenge recommends you tweet how much you wrote. This celebrates the work you did, encourages others to do the same, and it promotes the challenge to other writers—a hat-trick of benefits.

You can learn more on their site, or by listening to the Bestseller Experiment’s podcast, where they regularly mention the wins writers had from the challenge.

Happy writing.