Mastering Dramatica

Live workshop series · 6 weeks · Rated 4.9 (44 reviews)
Investment: $1450 (includes a complimentary year of Dramatica Plus — a $500 value). Payment plans are available at checkout.
Build mastery of Dramatica theory, put it into practice, and design your next great story with Subtxt/Dramatica and the new multi-agentic Narrova narrative intelligence.

👉 Enroll now to reserve your seat

TIP

Want first access to the next live series and payment plan details? Select Get course updates at the bottom of this page and we will keep you informed.

Hosted by: Jim Hull — Story Consultant for Canada's 2023 Oscar selection
Previously at: Disney · DreamWorks Animation · Warner Bros. · Sony Pictures Animation

Course Overview 🧠

🧠 Transform your understanding of story by pairing Dramatica's predictive narrative theory with Subtxt/Dramatica's practical toolset. The technology now exists for storytellers to think their next great story into existence. By matching a rigorous framework with an AI interface that understands the meaning behind what you say and type, you can mold a story from start to finish—complete, compelling, and rooted in rich thematic argument.

🎬 Welcome to Mastering Dramatica, an immersive six-week workshop that makes the future of narrative design tangible. You will decode the theory, stress-test it through hands-on drills, and channel it directly into your current project. Whether you are developing the next cinematic hit or exploring emerging media, this course shows you how Subtxt/Dramatica and Narrova's multi-agentic narrative intelligence can elevate every beat of your story.

🚀 With Subtxt/Dramatica's groundbreaking approach, you will develop an intuitive grasp of storyform and story dynamics. The implications for gaming, interactive storytelling, and new platforms are clear: storytellers who combine predictive AI with a sophisticated model of story will define what comes next. That is exactly what you will master here.

✨ Since 2017, Subtxt/Dramatica has transformed how thousands of writers approach story. Whether you are writing screenplays, novels, or immersive games, this program equips you with the theory, the workflows, and the live feedback to craft stories that are not just good—they are inevitable. Across six weeks (plus guided follow-through), you will unlock AI-assisted narrative design and become the author who leads the next wave of storytelling innovation.

Why This Course? 🚀

Grounded in Dramatica Theory 🧭

Dive deep into the Four Throughlines, Signposts, and Storyform dynamics that power meaningful narratives. Learn how to diagnose inequities, articulate Premises, and build arguments that land.

Practice-Driven Application 🛠️

Convert theory into daily habits—and into pages. Through live labs, narrative breakdowns, and build-along exercises, you will work directly inside Subtxt/Dramatica and Narrova to refine structure, character arcs, and thematic expression.

Powered by Narrative Intelligence 🤖

Experience how the multi-agentic Narrova narrative intelligence collaborates with you—testing assumptions, surfacing story beats, and aligning every choice with the Dramatica model.

Expert Guidance 🎓

Benefit from Jim Hull's decades of feature animation, series development, and AI design—and his talent for translating theory into action. As the creator of Subtxt/Dramatica and an early pioneer of narrative AI, Jim demystifies the model and keeps you moving from concept to execution.

Explore These Essential Elements of Narrative Design 🎯

• 🧭 Craft your stories with the Four Throughlines of Conflict. Use the I, You, We, and They perspectives to structure narratives that feel dynamic and enduring.
• 🎭 Master plot and character. Balance plot-driven and character-driven storytelling by mastering structure, conflict resolution, and multi-dimensional character design.
• 🛡️ Storyform as thematic guardrails. Keep your narrative aligned with its core meaning while retaining the freedom to explore.
• 🔄 Transform your narrative approach. Use Storyform as your guide to design thematically rich, cohesive, and flexible stories with room for creative exploration.

What Is Included 📦

• 🎤 Live sessions with Jim Hull. Interactive workshops that provide real-time coaching.
• ♾️ Lifetime access. Revisit course content and recordings whenever you need to.
• 🤝 Community of peers. Stay accountable alongside like-minded professionals.
• 🏅 Certificate of completion. Showcase your new skills to employers and collaborators.
• 💳 Flexible payment options. Get reimbursed by your company or leverage bulk purchases for teams.

Course Schedule 📅

Investment: $1450 (includes a complimentary year of Dramatica Plus — $500 value). Payment plans are available at checkout.

Twelve live workshops · 10 lessons · your one project · countless breakthroughs. Sessions run Tuesdays and Thursdays at 12:00 PM Pacific with guided async labs that deepen your Subtxt/Dramatica practice and Narrova workflows.

INFO

Next Workshop Begins: January 2026

Week 1 · Storymind Foundations 🧠

• Storymind Fundamentals — map the narrative mind powering every story and identify core conflicts.
• Complete Story Architecture — assemble the spine of plot and character with Dramatica's structural lenses. (Free preview available.)
• Storyform Setup Studio — async lab to seed your Subtxt/Dramatica project with a complete storyform.

Week 2 · Plot Systems & Throughlines 🧩

• Plot Systems — explore drivers, transits, and how they energize the objective story.
• Players and Throughlines — link your cast to the Four Throughlines and clarify every perspective.

Week 3 · Character Momentum 💃

• Character Arcs in Motion — track growth across signposts and journeys.
• Pivotal Elements Lab — align motivations, methodologies, and purposes for every role.

Week 4 · Calibration Intensive 🧪

• Mental Sex Diagnostics — async clinic to confirm perspectives and storyform alignment.
• Storyform Calibration — async workshop to fine-tune choices before the final build.

Week 5 · Narrative Dynamics 🎛️

• Objective Story Transits and Drivers — async practicum to orchestrate act-level transitions.
• Main Character Transits, Progressions, and Events — async practicum to weave personal stakes with precision.

Week 6 · Bringing It Together 🎬

• From Storyform to Treatment — turn your chosen storyform into a production-ready treatment.
• OC & RS Transits and Plotting — integrate obstacle, relationship, and objective perspectives into one cohesive arc.
• The Mind of a Story Capstone — async studio to finalize your deliverables and next steps.

Extended Support 🤗

• 🧠 Post-program Narrova office hours for continued narrative intelligence workflows.
• 📚 Template library for Subtxt/Dramatica arguments, scene weaving, and character diagnostics.
• 🚀 Peer accountability pods that keep momentum going after graduation.

Industry Praise 🌟

"This is such a powerful tool...the best is that it demands you put in deep thought. No surface-level 12 steps for Heroes here. I am blown away...blown away. I also do not think I actually exist anymore. This is all The Matrix."
— John Dusenberry, Head of Story, Warner Bros. Animation

"So often, writing a script made me feel like being up Sh** Creek without the proverbial paddle...when I was ready to throw the paddle overboard and scuttle the boat, who came rowing through that turgid brown water? Sh** Creek's resident paddle expert, Jim Hull."
— David Collard, Screenwriter (Blacklist 2020)

"After working with Jim, I am now in a spot where I am doing exactly what I have always wanted—create stories, make shows and series, collaborate and compose with other people, and make a good living from it."
— Daniel Williams, Award-winning Audio Drama Writer-Producer

"Jim Hull is the only story consultant I have ever met who goes beyond dumbing down an idea into a set of steps but instead guides you to flesh out your ideas, showing you where to find the depth and complexity in your story."
— Sebastien de Castell, Bestselling Author of Traitor's Blade and Spellslinger

"Your know-how, professionalism, and creativity really helped get the project to a new level. Honestly, my story would be so much poorer if not for your help. Thanks to working with Jim, I sold four novels, with the first scheduled for a 2022 release."
— Cearnach Grimm, Four-time Published Novelist

What Participants Are Saying 💬

"Objective Story - Spring 2024 Cohort, Main Character - Dev (me), Obstacle Character - Jim (Instructor), Relationship Story - Mentee/Mentor, MC Domain - Universe, MC Concern - Past (history of failure in using Dramatica), OC Domain - Mind, OC Concern - Memory (years of experience and wisdom), MC Resolve - Changed, Story Goal - understanding how to write stories using Dramatica and Subtxt/Dramatica, Outcome - Success, Judgment - Good. If you do not know what the above terms mean, just know that this cohort will greatly help you achieve the story goal of writing better stories."
— Dev, Screenwriter, Spring 2024

"This course is a ton of work. It will kick your butt. But it will also, I believe, revolutionize the way you approach your writing, and you will end up with a product that is massively better than if you had not taken this course and used Subtxt/Dramatica to help plan your piece."
— Cathy, Retired Librarian, Spring 2024

"Amazing in-depth course on Narrative Structure. And Jim is the best!"
— Vicky (Vic), Language Tutor and Posture Reeducation Practitioner at SomatoSofia, Winter 2024

"You get what you put into this course, and Jim matches that, and then some. This course really stepped up my own personal understanding of Dramatica. With thinking not as the main character, but as the author. As someone familiar with the theory and working with Dramatica, there were still inklings of confusion that not only were cleared up, but the integrated and cooperative exercises within the course made it engaging and thought-provoking. With constant Q/A this is the course if you really want to create a strong foundation."
— Josh, Teacher, Spring 2024

"Jim H. and Narrative First's Subtxt/Dramatica are brilliant! What I have learned about writing a complete story—and now by using Subtxt/Dramatica—has improved my storytelling and elevated it by 80 percent. Invest in yourself with Jim's training and you and your novels will soon be ahead of the rest of the writing class!"
— JB / Blaze, Bon Vivant at Party of One, Weekend Workshop Q1

"I prefer to learn at my own pace, so I am never interested in cohorts. But I had gotten to a point where I reached my limit of what I could comprehend about Subtxt/Dramatica and Dramatica on my own. I needed help, so I signed up for this cohort. And I am glad I did! It was priceless. Not only did it help me get past areas where I was previously stuck, but I also learned about concepts I did not know existed. Jim gave me specific tools to help me learn faster and more effectively than if I had tried on my own."
— Michael, Novelist at Vaudeverse LLC, Fall 2023

"Working with this method has leveled up my writing across the board, from story structure skills, to the depth of my characters, and insight into the intricacies that make a story compelling."
— Wendy Terrien, International Bestselling Author

"I have started writing! And to know where I am, and where to go next, is awesome! I have been worried about the writing process, how it would be affected by the framework. But so far, the Storybeats feel like playgrounds where creativity can unfold and explode."
— Angela Hagen, First-time Novelist

"I really admire how you teach. You make room for our perspectives and allow us to explore where we may be right and where our train of thought may be off. It is a great learning environment to be in."
— Dan Bernitt, Screenwriter

"Jim's course goes deeper than just using AI and prompts as writing tools. He takes time to steer your thought process in the right direction, and back on track when you inevitably go astray."
— Bill Neary, Screenwriter

"You manage to make a complex topic fun and friendly while not holding back your depth of knowledge. My grasp of Dramatica and Subtxt/Dramatica skyrocketed."
— Danno Sullivan, Comedy Writer

"I have taken this course before and thought it was great. I signed up again and, wow! The second iteration solidified my understanding and enabled no more second act blues."
— Julian Gustasson, Novelist

"This is the foundation of the narrative course I have been looking for for years. With this course, I left with a story I am sure will become a fully-fledged novel."
— Victoria Paris, Novelist

"Excellent course to understand the fundamentals of storytelling. Works best if you have a solid story idea that you can put through the process."
— Alistair Dyte, Novelist

"With this course, Jim Hull takes you on a journey through a complex theory. He brings it all together as you are guided through creating a Storyform while conceptualizing your own story using a powerful SaaS."
— Anthony Tilke, Novelist

"The outlining method Jim teaches starts from meaning and builds everything about the story out from there. Jim has taken the incredibly insightful Dramatica Theory of Story and made it practical."
— Georgina Perry, Novelist

"Maybe you are like me: you wanted to know how to unearth that complete version of the story you desperately needed to tell. If that is what you seek, Jim Hull is absolutely not your guy. Try McKee or that Hero's Journey thing!"
— Jason Loftus, Peabody Award-winning Filmmaker, Director of Ask No Questions and Canada's Oscar contender 2023, Eternal Spring

Meet Your Instructor 👋

Jim Hull wears many hats—animator, storyboard artist, director, story consultant, and AI app builder. He solo-developed Subtxt/Dramatica to serve storytellers across the globe and has spent more than 25 years in animation working on over 15 films for Disney and DreamWorks, including Tarzan, Shrek 2, and How to Train Your Dragon.

• Shaped Disney's Tangled series and contributed to Canada's 2023 Oscar selection Eternal Spring.
• Collaborated with Mike DiMartino (Avatar: The Last Airbender), Sebastien de Castell, and Dave Collard (Blacklist 2020 top three spec script).
• Mentored creators behind hits like The Mitchells vs. The Machines and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
• Written and storyboarded for Warner Bros.' Chuck Jones; directed for Sony Pictures Television and DreamWorks TV.
• Recognized as the world's leading expert on Dramatica through direct collaboration with the theory's co-creators.
• Taught more than 120 live-workshop participants, hundreds at CalArts, and thousands worldwide. Payment plans are available if needed.

Learning Works Better Together 🤝

• 🛠️ Active learning, not passive watching. Expect async workshops, hands-on exercises, and plenty of doing.
• 🌐 Gain a new support system. Join a community that leans on each other—and on Jim—for support during and after the course.
• ⚡ Receive real-time feedback. Continuous Q&A and Narrova-assisted critique ensure you grow faster and more confidently.

Free Resource: Unlocking a Complete Story with AI 📘

Download the companion PDF to master the Four Throughlines and transform your story ideas into compelling narratives. Get a sneak peek into the Future of AI and Storytelling workshop and learn how complex narrative concepts can elevate your writing.

Unleash your story potential—start with the free resource and step into the series when you are ready.

Frequently Asked Questions ❓

• What happens if I can't make a live session?

  Every class is recorded and uploaded to the private student forum within a couple of hours, so you never miss the breakthroughs.

• What is your real-world experience developing stories professionally?

  Jim has supported teams on Disney TV's Tangled, the #3 script on the 2020 Black List (Neither Confirm, Nor Deny), Netflix's The Mitchells vs. the Machines, and more.

• I work full-time—what is the expected time commitment for assignments?

  Assignments are opt-in. You'll get stretch exercises each week, but you can tailor the workload to your schedule and current project.

• What is the community experience like?

  Enrollment includes lifetime access to our Discord community plus private cohort channels—direct lines to peers, Narrova sessions, and Jim.

• What is Subtxt/Dramatica?

  Subtxt/Dramatica is the only writing environment built on the Dramatica model and predictive narrative AI. Your seat includes a free year (a $250 value).

• What is Narrative First?

  Narrative First is Jim's story consultancy and the home of hundreds of deep-dive articles, analyses, and resources for writers.

• What if I can't afford the enrollment fee?

  Flexible payment plans and company reimbursement letters are available—just reach out before checkout if you need a custom setup.

• What time is the class and how long do sessions last?

  Live workshops run Wednesdays at 12:00 PM Pacific for roughly two hours, with additional Narrova office hours scheduled across time zones.

• What will I leave the course with?

  Six weeks in, you'll own a validated storyform, a Subtxt/Dramatica workspace humming with beats, and the confidence to repeat the process solo.

• What happens at the end of the course? Will you completely abandon me?

  Nope! You keep access to the private channels, new templates, and Narrova upgrades so the work continues after graduation.

• Can I defer my enrollment to a future series?

  Yes. We run 5–6 cohorts a year, and you can move your seat to any future series before kickoff.

• Are there any fees for deferring to a later series?

  No extra fees. Your original payment travels with you.

• How do I defer my enrollment to a future series?

  Email us at least five days before the series launches and we'll slide you into the cohort that fits your calendar.

Stay in the Loop 🔔

Be the first to know about upcoming series, company reimbursement options, and bulk purchase opportunities. Tap Get course updates, explore payment plans, and prepare to master narrative design with Dramatica, Subtxt/Dramatica, and Narrova.

👉 Enroll now and start mastering Dramatica

Refund Policy

• Refunds are available up to seven days before the first live session.
• Once you attend any live session, refunds aren’t available.
• If you can’t continue, we’ll offer credit toward a future cohort or equivalent 1:1 time.