ABSTRACT
Screenwriters should consider the source material, the audience, and their own inclination as storytellers when deciding on an approach—active or didactic, traditional or non-traditional. Traditional/Didactic approach is one where the theme is clearly articulated in dialogue, the theme is simple and easy to understand, and it is a central, unifying theme that remains consistent through the story and teaches the protagonist a lesson. Traditional stories typically focus on a single theme or on complementary themes that are often connected to a character flaw that a protagonist must overcome by story's end. Didactic themes are common in superhero stories, which are often morality tales for teenagers and young adults. Non-traditional screenwriters work with messy and complex themes—often multiple, contradictory themes rooted within various characters—instead of prescribing a clear lesson or moral to the story. The storyteller is not designing the story to create a change in the audience.
