Family drama is the bread and butter of storytelling because, as Leo Tolstoy famously wrote, "every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." Whether you’re writing a screenplay or just looking for your next binge-watch, 1. The Archetypal Storylines
A long-held secret (an affair, a hidden debt, a different parentage) is revealed, causing a "house of cards" collapse of the family identity. Family drama is the bread and butter of
The juice of the drama is found in the specific "roles" members play: as Leo Tolstoy famously wrote