In the last blog we defined throughlines, loglines and taglines. Now let’s look closer at throughlines—the most important of the three.
Throughlines Dissected
Throughlines come in many forms. They can follow the plot, character, theme, mood, an idea, a motif, a belief. It is the short version that explains why the protagonist does what she does and reveals why a reader should keep turning pages. Throughlines are the element that connects scenes to the story itself by providing a spine for all that comes with the story—the character, plot, theme, etc.
Typically there are one to three throughlines in a story, depending on the length and type of story being told. There is a dominant or prevailing throughline that exists through the entire story from beginning to end. Then there are up to two smaller throughlines that appear less frequently. These smaller lines should appear at least three times, but can appear as often as every three chapters or so.
The prevailing throughline is the most important idea behind the story. The BIG idea. The point the author is trying to make by telling the story in the first place.
The other two lines play a supporting role and help shape the story by filling it out with added meaning. This may take the place of thematic elements. Or it can take the place of a symbol (a sacred tree, a cursed object, a lost item being sought).
How to Create a Throughline
Before you begin writing, think about your story. Why do you want to tell it? What do you want your audience to come away with? What are the main ideas? Those answers are the rough material for your throughline.
Think of it as the main objective that drives your character’s decisions and actions. It is what determines the direction they take, the choices they make, and the resolution they experience.
It’s about motivation. The great acting coach, Constantin Stanislavski wanted actors to know not only what they were doing, but what they hoped to achieve in each scene and in the whole of the story.
This is why J.K. Rowling told Alan Rickman how Severus Snape’s story ended long before the final film. She knew the resolution of his story would affect the choices he made playing the character in earlier films. That advanced knowledge helped create the version of Snape we all loved. Had he not known the truth about Snape, his performance would have lacked the internal conflict that drove him.
Throughlines inform action. They reveal motivation. They grow and change with the characters, but retain their core. They also help writers find the connection that drives the story from start to finish.
Think of them as the guide that leads the reader through the story. It’s like a rope set up from the house to the barn in a blizzard that helps the rancher find his way from the comfort of his fire to feed the animals resting in the barn without getting lost in the snow. There may be whiteout conditions, but the rope keeps the rancher safe and on the right path. This is what a throughline provides your protagonist—a path to follow that ultimately leads to the end. It may have detours and setbacks along the way. It certainly won’t be as short or direct as a rope from the house to the barn, but it will determine each step along the way.
As you write, keep your throughline in mind and stick to it. If every decision and action your character takes keeps to that line, your story will make sense and have direction.
Throughlines are a constant in the story, even if the protagonist sees it differently in the end.
Keeping this throughline or spine in mind when you plot your story will help you organize all the elements around a central guiding principle, which will keep you safely on a path your readers can follow.