Moments

A Moment is a storytelling device unique to the Author. It could be a Chapter, a Scene, a Refusal of the Call, or a Fun and Games "moment." Whatever intuitive sequencing devices you use to put your story together—what you're used to using—use that to delineate various Moments.

Once you have a bunch of Moments added to an Act, you then weave the various Storybeats from all the different Throughlines into those different Moments.

Why Moments?

The most important moments of any complete story are those that reflect the Storybeats of a meaningful structure. Whether considered scenes, sequences, fun and games, story blocks, or the crossing of thresholds, these concepts of storytelling hold the meaning in place—making them convenient constructs for Authors when writing their stories.

The more Storybeats you have in a Moment, the more important it will appear thematically to your reader or viewer.

Moments are represented in Subtxt as cards labeled "Untitled" by default. You can customize the name of your Moment by clicking on the word "Untitled" and entering a title that reflects its role in your story.

Moments in Subtxt bridge the gap between deep thematic structure and the functional outline of a treatment. This is where the Author weaves the threads of the individual Throughlines into distinct "moments" that inspire specific instances of storytelling.

Confining Storybeats to a Specific Transit

While Authors of complete stories have freedom in weaving Moments, Subtxt enforces one rule: only the Storybeats of a single Transit in time can be woven together.

Each Transit (often analogous to "Acts") sets and explores conflict within a specific context. For example:

• The Objective Story Throughline might explore conflict in Doing during the First Transit.
• The Main Character Throughline might focus on personal conflict tied to the Past.

By isolating the type of context in each Transit, the narrative examines and exhausts its options for resolving conflict, before moving on to another context.

In Subtxt, when you click on a specific Transit under Moments, you will only see the relevant Transits, Progressions, and Events developed for that Transit across the Four Throughlines.

Differences Between Storybeats and Moments

To clarify the distinction between Storybeats and Moments, let’s explore their roles in your narrative and how they work together within Subtxt.

Storybeats vs. Moments

• Storybeats represent the temporal progression of events within your story. They track how the plot unfolds over time, marking key transitions and meaningful moments within a single Throughline.
• Moments, on the other hand, are higher-level narrative structures that encompass multiple Storybeats, often integrating Storybeats from different Throughlines.

A single Moment can consist of:

• Four Transits,
• Each Transit transitioning through four Progressions,
• Each Progression progressing through four Events.

Moments serve as an opportunity for the Author to weave Storybeats together into a more unified and cohesive storytelling tapestry.

Why There Might Be Confusion

When asking tools like Muse to generate story content, it’s important to understand this distinction. If you request a Storybeat that integrates different Throughlines, Muse might interpret your request as seeking a Moment—since Moments naturally combine Storybeats across multiple Throughlines.

This can sometimes lead to Muse providing suggestions that appear inconsistent with your intended Progressions. Rather than focusing on an individual Storybeat, it may try to create a higher-level narrative structure that feels more like a Moment.

By recognizing the distinction between Storybeats and Moments—and clearly communicating your intent—you can more effectively integrate cohesive narrative elements and maintain consistency within your story.

Managing Moments

Adding Moments to Your Story

When you first click into a Transit, your story will not have any Moments identified yet.

To add a Moment and begin weaving your Storybeats:

• Click the blue Add button at the top of the screen.

You can add as many Moments as you need. Subtxt will organize and number them within your story automatically.

Labeling a Moment

When labeling Moments, use a storytelling system that resonates with you. Moments can align with scenes, sequences, or paradigms like the Save the Cat! "Beat Sheet." Subtxt's flexibility allows you to tailor Moments to fit any storytelling framework.

The Storybeat Basement

Storybeats that are not yet assigned to a Moment reside in the Storybeat Basement at the bottom of a specific Transit.

Storybeats in the Basement will not appear in your final Treatment. While some Storybeats might have been crucial during development, you may decide they are unnecessary for the final story.

To explore the process of weaving Transits, Progressions, and Events in depth, refer to the article Traversing the Storybeats of a Complete Story.

Adding Storybeats to Moments

To attach a Storybeat to a Moment:

1. Drag the Storybeat from the Basement and drop it onto the desired Moment.
2. Alternatively, use the Add Storybeat button (a folder icon with a plus sign) and select the Moment.

Subtxt locks the Storybeat to that Moment, adding thematic meaning to your story. If needed, you can move the Storybeat between Moments or return it to the Basement.

Interacting with Storybeats

• Use the Downstairs button to quickly return a Storybeat to the Basement.
• To reference a Storybeat within its Throughline, click the Jump to Throughline button.
• Rearrange Storybeats or Moments using the up/down arrows, which works particularly well on mobile devices.

Subtxt prevents you from moving Storybeats or Moments outside of permissible boundaries, ensuring consistency in your story structure.

Weaving Storybeats

There are no strict rules for weaving Storybeats across Throughlines. You can mix and match them as needed to fit your creative vision. For example, a Main Character Transit might precede an Objective Story Progression, followed by Events from several Throughlines.

Monitoring the Sequence of Storybeats

While weaving Storybeats, it’s important to respect their original sequence within a Throughline to maintain your story's meaning.

• Subtxt highlights out-of-sequence Storybeats in red.
  For example, if Objective Story Event 20 is placed before Objective Story Event 19, Subtxt will flag this as out-of-sequence.

To correct the issue, adjust the position of the Storybeat until it is no longer highlighted.

Summarizing Moments

Subtxt can help summarize Moments by generating a title based on their associated Storybeats. Click on the Moments icon in the top-left corner of a card to use this feature.

Transitioning from Moments to Treatment

Once you’ve woven your Storybeats, click on the Treatment tab in the Writing section to see the resulting narrative. Your treatment will reflect key, purposeful Moments tied directly to your story’s thematic Premise.

Weaving the Moments of a Television Series

The structure of a television series or episode is no different from that of a screenplay or novel. For an example of weaving Storybeats in an episode, refer to the article The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Season One Pilot) Second Act Treatment.