The Four Throughlines

The Four Throughlines are at the heart of every great story. They provide a framework for weaving together plot, character, and relationships into a cohesive and compelling narrative. On this page, you’ll define these essential perspectives, which will guide the storytelling process in Subtxt.

What Are the Four Throughlines?

The Four Throughlines explore the key perspectives in your story:

1. Objective Story Throughline (The Plot): This is the A-line of your story—the big picture conflict that impacts all characters. It’s what the story is about at a broad level.
2. Main Character Throughline: The personal journey of your protagonist. This Throughline dives into their internal struggles, their unique baggage, and their growth.
3. Obstacle Character Throughline: The Obstacle Character represents a contrasting worldview or approach that challenges the Main Character, pushing them toward change.
4. Relationship Story Throughline: At the core of your story lies a meaningful relationship that evolves and grows. While this is often the bond between the Main and Obstacle Characters, it could be any key relationship that shows growth and direction.

When all Four Throughlines are developed, they create a rich tapestry of perspectives, ensuring that your story feels balanced and multidimensional.

Getting Started with Your Throughlines

1. Define Each Throughline First: Begin by brainstorming the core ideas for each Throughline. Think of the central conflict for the Objective Story, the Main Character’s personal struggles, the Obstacle Character’s alternate perspective, and the evolving emotional dynamic within the Relationship Story.
2. Blended Throughlines Synopsis: Once you’ve worked out the Four Throughlines, you’ll be able to see how they interact and “blend” together. Subtxt helps you surface this connection into a Blended Throughlines synopsis—a high-level summary of how these perspectives combine to shape your story.

How to Add, Edit, and Manage Perspectives

Adding Perspectives

To add a Perspective:

• Click the Add button and describe the central idea for that Throughline. Once saved, it becomes part of your story’s structure.

Editing Perspectives

To edit a Perspective:

• Click the pencil icon next to any Perspective to open it for changes.
• When editing, a red delete icon appears, allowing you to remove the Perspective entirely if needed.

Duplicating Perspectives

Need to build variations of an idea? Click the two-box icon to duplicate a Perspective. You can adjust the copy to create a new version without starting from scratch.

Automate and Reset: Narrative Agents Dropdown

The Narrative Agents dropdown in the Four Throughlines page gives you powerful tools to shape your story:

1. Generate Four Throughlines: Automatically populate the Four Throughlines based on your Logline Overview. This feature uses Narrative Agents to craft the key perspectives for your story, giving you a quick and comprehensive starting point.
2. Clear Storytelling: Want to start fresh? Use this option to remove all storytelling from your Perspectives while leaving the core structure intact.

Why It Matters: The Heart of Your Story

The Relationship Story Throughline is often the emotional heartbeat of your narrative. Whether it’s the bond between the Main and Obstacle Characters or another meaningful connection, this Throughline explores the growth, challenges, and resolution of a key relationship. In many ways, this perspective serves as the thematic glue for your entire story.

Meanwhile, the Objective Story Throughline provides the backbone of your plot, tying together the A-line events that drive the action forward.

By focusing on these perspectives, you’ll bring balance, depth, and emotional resonance to your story.

This structure makes the Four Throughlines not just a tool for organizing your story but a guide for creating something truly memorable. Ready to dive in? Let’s start crafting!