Turning to Faith in Search of Story Structure

Finding value without understanding requires belief.

When people struggle with the Dramatica theory or don’t accept some of the givens, they turn it into a religion. They don’t understand Mental Sex, or they don’t buy it, so it’s easier to try and turn it into something that needs to be believed.

I get that. They need faith when they’re not willing or ready to accept the evidence sitting right in front of them.

And by evidence I mean something as simple as how “right” something like the plot progression feels both in the Transit order and the Plot Sequence Report. Presumably, they appreciate and use the tool because they recognize some value in it--yet, they struggle to accept how the givens that led to those sequence of events.

A Meaningful Progression of Plot Points

Plot Progression is based in large part on the concept of Mental Sex--on the difference between Male and Holistic Problem-solvers. Male thinkers solve through cause and effect; holistic thinkers solve through a balancing of relationships.

As a story serves as an analogy to a single human mind trying to solve a problem, it only follows that the mental "operating system" of that mind--Male or Holistic--would naturally set the temporal progression of concerns through that problem-solving process.

Those familiar enough with the power and predictability of a Plot Progression based on Male or Holistic thought naturally accept the concept of Mental Sex, of a Problem-Solving Style for a story.

Those who reject this notion, yet still turn to the Plot Progression for clues as to how to tell their story, need "faith" in order to continue--the faith that somehow some other way these Transits and Sequences magically fall into this order.

If this approach words for the individual that's great--but the Plot Progression/Act Order is not repeatable based on faith.

It is on Problem-Solving Style.

Matters of Certainty

The engineers at SpaceX didn’t turn to faith when it came to landing Falcon Heavy’s rocket boosters in tandem. They decided to allow theoretical concepts of physics (Newtonian or otherwise) to guide them in their decision making.

The storyforms and analysis found in Subtxt are provided to give everyone an opportunity to see how these concepts of story structure play out in other works of fiction. Yes, most are simply the Storypoints themselves, but if one is so inclined--much can be learned from watching or reading those stories and following along with the storyform.

It all depends on how much value you find in the Dramatica Storyforming process and how the research into that area can save you from exploding on the launch pad of your story.

(Which I understand, in certain cases with SpaceX, is not the best analogy!)