| Logos |
An ancient Greek principle describing the underlying order of reality, where opposing forces maintain balance. |
Acts as the source of cause and effect, ensuring that when balance is broken, a correction pulls the system back. |
Shaped character dynamics in Greek tragedy, laying the foundations for contemporary narrative. |
Opposing forces must be balanced. Overstepping leads to corrective action. |
| Story World |
A self-regulating entity with its own agency and power, functioning as the narrative's logos. |
Drives the plot by intervening to restore balance, rewarding characters aligned with the favoured value and punishing those who side with the rejected one. |
Identifies the protagonist as misaligned and forces them to change or face consequences. |
The Story World always wins. Acceptance of its favoured value is non-negotiable. |
| Systemic Imbalance |
A state where one value has exceeded its limits at the expense of another. |
Serves as the catalyst for the story's existence. Triggers the Story World to favour the suppressed value. |
Creates the conflict the character must navigate. |
The story exists to resolve the excess of one value over another. |
| Character Arc |
The process of a character transitioning from a state of misalignment to alignment with the Story World. |
Unifies plot and theme through the character's reaction to the Story World's underlying logic. |
The protagonist is the specific individual targeted by the system for correction. |
Defiance of the favoured value is impossible to sustain. Alignment is the only true option for survival. |
| Meaning |
The thematic expression demonstrated through the consequences characters face for their actions. |
Emerges from the internal consistency of the Story World's system rather than structure alone. |
Created through the character's alignment or rebellion against the Story World's values. |
Meaning is designed through a system of consequences, not just a sequence of beats. |