I have my own screenplay paradigm. People who have studied Syd Field and Joseph Campbell will recognize elements in it. Perhaps even a dash of Carl Jung. The component parts are not what make it different, but rather the synthesis of them all.



Narrative Throughline looks at the screenplay universe as two parts:

The External World of Actions and Dialogue, what I call the Plotline.

The Internal World of Intention and Subtext, what I call the Themeline.



The Plotline has 10 major plot points.

The Themeline has 4 movements in the Protagonist’s transformation.



In scenes and on the printed page, these two realms of the screenplay universe coexist, each moment an interweaving of the two.



I’ve revised one of my class lectures and made it available here. I’ve also added a link to it under Lists.



This background lecture not only lays out the various elements of Narrative Throughline, it provides a detailed analysis of The Silence of the Lambs.



Now the usual caveat: Every writer is different. Every story is different.



Narrative Throughline is not the perfect solution for every writer and every story.



However, a majority of my students have let me know that they find Narrative Throughline helpful in the storycrafting process.



Comment Archive