Four Throughlines
The Four Throughlines are the heart of every Dramatica Storyform. Subtxt gives each Throughline its own dedicated workspace inside Develop so you can examine the narrative from all four Perspectives: Overall Story, Main Character, Influence Character, and Relationship Story.
Why the Throughlines matter
- Complete arguments – A strong Storyform addresses the story's central conflict from every angle. Working through each Throughline ensures no essential perspective is missing.
- Emotional clarity – The gradients between personal, relational, and global stakes become obvious when you see how every choice cascades across the set.
- Consistent storytelling – When it is time to Surface your work, you can weave scenes that reflect the same meanings you clarified in subtext.
Navigating a Throughline
- Review the structural core under the gradient arc. Domains, Concerns, Signposts, and Storypoints appear exactly as you selected them elsewhere in Develop.
- Explore guidance prompts tailored to that Perspective. Subtxt suggests questions and examples rooted in Jim Hull's teaching so you can articulate the conflict clearly.
- Capture storytelling hooks in the Surface fields. These notes inform the outlines and beat sheets you will shape in Storytelling.
IMPORTANT
If you adjust a Throughline here, NarrativeSync keeps the other three in harmony. Expect prompts that help you resolve conflicts and maintain the integrity of the overall Storyform.
Bringing the Throughlines together
After refining each Throughline, visit Overviews to see how they complement one another, then head into Storytelling to Surface the insights into audience-ready material. The clearer each Throughline is in Develop, the easier it is to deliver a cohesive narrative that feels inevitable to your readers.