The Ultimate Chart of Narrative Structure: A Giant Wad of Subjectivity

Emerging from the shifting sands of opinion-based story structure

The recently popularized “Ultimate Chart of Narrative Structure” should really be called "The Giant Chart of Subjective Bias.” Why? Because it encapsulates in one single frame how all these seemingly different narrative models are, in essence, highly interchangeable and ultimately subjective. It’s a beautiful mess, and therein lies its strength and weakness.

Let's break down why this chart, while visually comprehensive, reveals the flaw in using subjective approaches to narrative structure and how Subtxt’s objective model stands above the rest.

The Shifting Sands of Subjective Narrative Models

The chart starts with classic models of the three-act structure, five-act structure, Hero's Journey, and more modern methods like Save the Cat! and the Sequence Approach. What becomes glaringly apparent with even a cursory glance is how remarkably fluid these models are. They can blend, overlap, morph, and often contradict each other.

Within Subtxt, we even show how this works out in the practical development of a story. With the tap of a button, storytellers can instantly transform one subjective narrative paradigm into another. Want your story organized by Save the Cat!? Tap a button. Want the same story re-organized by Dan Harmon or the Hero’s Journey? There’s a button for that as well.

Contrast that with the unique narrative blueprint that is the Storyform within Subtxt. Just by altering one Storypoint, you end up transmuting all of them to tell a different story. The narrative aspects within a Storyform only exists through relationships, and therefore can’t be easily transformed from one paradigm to the next.

Both Subtxt and these subjectively biased narrative paradigms are looking at the same thing: a story. But only one of them is grounded in the kind of objectivity that is meaningful and helps communicate the Author’s unique take on the world to their audience through thematic relationships.

The “Aspects” of Subjective Bias

The reason why these paradigms are so easily transferable is because their terminology, their “concepts”, are simply labels invented by the individual behind the sequence of events.

The chart’s supposed clarity becomes its downfall. Each of these models claims to offer the “best” way to frame a narrative. But since they’re all so malleable and customizable, it becomes a giant exercise in picking whatever pieces fit your fancy. They are transportable, which makes them ultimately meaningless and entirely in the eye of the beholder.

Aristotle brought the Three-Act Structure to the world with Beginning, Middle, and End. Syd Field brought this into the screenplay world in the 80s with his Pinch Points breaking up the middle Act of Setup, Confrontation, and Resolution. Joseph Campbell made popular Separation, Initiation and Return with Crossing the Threshold and the Master of Two Worlds. Blake Snyder came up with Fun and Games and Dark Night of the Soul to essentially describe the same, and on and on.

All of these are based on a subjective experience from the character or Audience’s point of view, dealing primarily in emotional shifts of growth. The “beats” within the structure attempt to codify the experience of moving from primitive integrity towards consummate happiness, all the time working through an assumed progression through various stages of grief that always move from setup to resolution.

In short, the authors of these narrative structures are simply projecting their lives’ experience onto Beginning, Middle, and End.

Which is why they are ultimately meaningless.

Objectivity in Narrative: The Subtxt Approach

Enter Subtxt’s narrative framework, a development of the Dramatica theory of story, which brings objectivity into the mix, breaking away from the chaotic subjectivity of these traditional models. Subtxt relies on fundamental principles and thematic relationships that are consistent and reproducible, ensuring a complete and balanced narrative.

The Storyform is a blueprint of meaning: a carrier wave meant to communicate the Author’s dramatic argument to an Audience. The narrative structure contained within a Storyform is not intended to make things easier for an Author as much as it is to make things possible for an Author.

Subjectively biased notions of story structure are simply folders to throw events into; an objective appreciation of narrative structure is a frequency of effective communication with an origin firmly rooted in Author’s intent.

Key Principles of Subtxt:

Four Throughlines:

• Objective Story (What everyone is concerned with)
• Main Character (Personal point-of-view)
• Obstacle Character (The "You" perspective)
• Relationship Story (The "We" perspective)

Four Domains of Sources of Conflict:

• Universe (external states of conflict)
• Physics (external processes of conflict)
• Mind (internal states of conflict)
• Psychology (internal processes of conflict)

Granular Thematic Structure:

• Domains → Concerns → Issues → Problems
• These layers represent increasing levels of detail of conflict, creating a comprehensive narrative model.

Example of Subtxt’s Strength

Consider the film The Fugitive starring Harrison Ford. Let’s walk through how Subtxt objectively handles its narrative structure, providing concrete examples for clarity:

Objective Story in Universe: The main plot revolves around "Dr. Richard Kimble" (Harrison Ford) being wrongfully accused of murdering his wife. The conflict is rooted in a fixed external state—Kimble's status as a fugitive and the relentless pursuit by U.S. Marshal Gerard.

Example: Kimble’s predicament of being a convicted murderer becomes a situation he must continually navigate, illustrating the stuck and unchanging nature of his external state. This is seen when Kimble is cornered at a Chicago St. Patrick’s Day parade, highlighting his constant external predicament.

Main Character in Physics: Kimble’s personal conflict revolves around his active efforts to clear his name and find the real killer. His journey is filled with external activities—running, investigating, and evading capture.

Example: Kimble actively breaking into the one-armed man’s apartment to gather evidence illustrates the process of investigation as a means to clear his name, demonstrating the external physical activities that drive his story.

Obstacle Character in Psychology: Deputy U.S. Marshal Samuel Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones) serves as the Obstacle Character. Gerard’s internal ways of thinking—his initial belief in Kimble's guilt and his relentless pursuit—create ongoing conflicts.

Example: Gerard’s determination to capture Kimble, shown when he orders the to be drained to find him, reflects his unwavering psychological stance of pursuit at all costs.

Relationship Story in Mind: The dynamic bond between Kimble and Gerard evolves over the course of the story. Initially adversaries, their relationship shifts as Gerard’s perspective on Kimble changes.

Example: The pivotal moment in the hospital, where Gerard decides to listen to Kimble instead of immediately capturing him, marks a transformation in their relationship. This shift from antagonism to a more nuanced understanding shows the change in their mental states and attitudes.

By anchoring The Fugitive in these objective principles, Subtxt ensures that the narrative is cohesive and fully fleshed out. Each Throughline and Domain offers a structured and balanced way to understand character motivations, plot progression, and thematic depth.

Conclusion: Celebrating Objectivity in Narrative

The Ultimate Chart of Narrative Structure does a brilliant job of showcasing the subjectivity and transposability of traditional narrative models. However, this strength also belies its weakness—it reveals how these models can become pointlessly convoluted.

Subtxt, however, offers a refreshing, objective stance. It refuses to dig into the arbitrary but instead creates a definitive framework that provides clarity and coherence to storytelling. In the end, the “Giant Chart of Subjectivie Bias” becomes a testament to Subtxt’s superior objective method, a method that transforms the chaos of narrative relativity into an ordered, meaningful structure. 🌟

Be wise and objective in your storytelling—embrace Subtxt.