History Main / RuleOfDrama

In real life, to avoid headaches and hassles, one prefers to plan ahead (sometimes months in advance), organize, analyze, take your time, be conservative, play it safe, stick to what you know will work, keep it simple, think it out thourougly, have a backup plan, have a backup to the backup plan, practice, rehearse, and drill. This, of course, is all well and good for planning the perfect family vacation, but makes for a dull adventure story. In fiction, Rule of Drama means that things are going to be much more drawn out, messy, unpredictable, and complicated, even if you are a CrazyPrepared Chessmaster. Also, in fiction, even the [[TheSmartGuy ones known for their intelligence]] tend to make stupid mistakes, act impulsively or anything else just to get them embroiled in an adventure. Because there is no drama in being too smart to either avoid or prevent most nasty situations or having already intricately planned for every contingency. Essentially, the journey is widely considered more important than the destination, so everything can't run too smoothly, not even for the sake of the characters' peace of mind.

In real life, to avoid headaches and hassles, one prefers to plan ahead (sometimes months in advance), organize, analyze, take your time, be conservative, play it safe, stick to what you know will work, keep it simple, think it out thourougly, have a backup plan, have a backup to the backup plan, practice, rehearse, and drill. This, of course, is all well and good for planning the perfect family vacation, but makes for a dull adventure story. In fiction, Rule of Drama means that things are going to be much more drawn out, messy, unpredictable, and complicated, even if you are a CrazyPrepared Chessmaster. Also, in fiction, even the [[TheSmartGuy ones known for their intelligence]] tend to make stupid mistakes, act impulsively or anything to get them embroiled in an adventure. Because there is no drama in being too smart to either avoid most nasty situations or having already intricately planned for every contingency. Essentially, the journey is widely considered more important than the destination, so everything can't run too smoothly.

In real life, to avoid headaches and hassles, one prefers to plan ahead (sometimes months in advance), organize, analyze, take your time, be conservative, play it safe, stick to what you know will work, keep it simple, think it out thourougly, have a backup plan, have a backup to the backup plan, practice, rehearse, and drill. This, of course, is all well and good for planning the perfect family vacation, but makes for a dull adventure story. In fiction, Rule of Drama means that things are going to be much more drawn out, messy, unpredictable, and complicated, even if you are a CrazyPrepared Chessmaster. Also, in fiction, even the [[TheSmartGuy ones known for their intelligence]] tend to make stupid mistakes, act impulsively or anything to get them embroiled in an adventure. Because there is no drama in being too smart to either avoid most nasty situations or having already intricately planned for every contingency.

In real life, to avoid headaches and hassles, one prefers to plan ahead (sometimes months in advance), organize, analyze, take your time, play it safe, stick to what you know will work, keep it simple, think it out thourougly, have a backup plan, have a backup to the backup plan, practice, rehearse, drill, and generally act more conservatively. This, of course, is all well and good for planning the perfect family vacation, but makes for a dull adventure story. In fiction, Rule of Drama means that things are going to be much more drawn out, messy, unpredictable, and complicated, even if you are a CrazyPrepared Chessmaster. Also, in fiction, even the [[TheSmartGuy ones known for their intelligence]] tend to make stupid mistakes, act impulsively or anything to get them embroiled in an adventure. Because there is no drama in being too smart to either avoid most nasty situations or having already intricately planned for every contingency.

Does everything look conflict-free? [[YourPrincessIsInAnotherCastle Not so fast]]. Something new and unpleasant must be introduced out of the blue. This is why happy couples tend not to last (unless writers can find good conflict without breaking them up).

Without drama and {{conflict}}, [[StoryExistenceFailure There Is No Show]]. A show where everyone gets along and nothing unpleasant happens will bore everyone. This is the reason for the RuleOfDrama. For adding drama, just [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=316AzLYfAzw push this button.]]

The only place where the Rule of Drama does not apply is the {{Denouement}}; the show is supposed to end there. But even then, you can wind up with an SequelHook.

[[quoteright:330:[[RoseOfVersailles http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/marie_antoinette_melodrama.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:330:[-Any phrase is better when said melodramatically.-] ]]

* DramaticShattering

* DramaticWind

-->--'''[[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0584.html Vaarsuvius]]''', ''OrderOfTheStick''

-> '''[[ChandlersLaw Chandler's Law]]'''

* BelligerentSexualTension

* DramaticWind

* DysfunctionJunction
* DisasterDominoes - Mishaps will enough collateral damage to enhance the plot, no more and no less.

* IdiotBall

* MillionToOneChance - If the unlikelihood of a random outcome is deemed too low to be of concern, the likelihood of its occurrence will instead be based on the dramatic potential of that outcome.

RaymondChandler once described [[ChandlersLaw this sub-rule]]:

* DramaticDownstageTurn

* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotHeinous

->''"[[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0584.html And once again, Probability proves itself willing to sneak into a back alley and service Drama as would a copper piece harlot.]]"''
-->--'''Vaarsuvius''', ''OrderOfTheStick''

Without drama and {{conflict}}, [[StoryExistenceFailure There Is No Show]]. A show where everyone gets along and nothing unpleasant happens will bore everyone. This is the reason for the RuleOfDrama.

->''"And once again, Probability proves itself willing to sneak into a back alley and service Drama as would a copper piece harlot."''

* DisposableWoman, StuffedIntoTheFridge

* HandWave (how bad writers preserve the RuleOfDrama in the face of potential conflict-quenching rationality when they don't want to resort to PoorCommunicationKills)

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[[ phrase is better when said melodramatically.-] ]]