Subject matter explained

Dramatica Theory
1

I asked Narravo to explain the idea of ‘subject matter’ in detail and I thought it did a good job.

Checklist for this step

  • Define what “subject matter” means in Dramatica (and where it sits in the process)
  • Distinguish it from storyform, theme/argument, and storyweaving/pacing
  • Show how subject matter “encodes” Storypoints with concrete examples
  • Offer guidelines, pitfalls, and a quick exercise to apply it to your story

What “subject matter” is in Dramatica

In Dramatica, “subject matter” is the concrete content you choose to represent the abstract structure of your storyform. It’s the people, places, props, situations, and activities you put on the page or screen to illustrate the underlying argument.

  • Storyforming answers: What is the story’s objective argument? (the Storyform: Domains → Concerns → Issues → Problems, plus Dynamics)
  • Storyencoding answers: What specific examples do we use to make that argument felt? These chosen examples are the story’s subject matter.
  • Storyweaving answers: In what order do we reveal those examples? (plotting, act order, POV)
  • Storytelling answers: How do we express all this? (voice, visuals, tone, prose)

In short: Subject matter is the content layer that “skins” the model. It is not the structure; it’s how you illustrate the structure.

Where subject matter fits in the Dramatica pipeline

Stage Focus Output Your job at this stage
Storyforming Abstract argument (the Storyform) A coherent set of Storypoints and Dynamics Pick the unique combination that says what you mean
Storyencoding (Subject Matter) Concrete illustrations for each Storypoint Specific characters, situations, activities, objects Choose examples that generate conflict in the precise way the Storyform specifies
Storyweaving Temporal arrangement Act/scene order, reveals, handoffs Sequence those illustrations for maximum clarity/impact
Storytelling Expression and craft Voice, style, staging, dialogue Communicate the experience (tone, aesthetics)

Subject matter lives entirely in Storyencoding: every structural item (Domain, Concern, Issue, Problem, etc.) gets a concrete illustration.

Methods of conflict vs. subject matter

Dramatica treats every choice (e.g., Universe → Progress; Physics → Obtaining; Problem = Pursuit) as a method of conflict. Subject matter must therefore demonstrate conflict arising in those specific ways—not merely decorate the story.

  • Example: OS Domain = Physics (External Activity)

    • Weak subject matter: “There’s a car chase.”
    • Strong subject matter: “The car chase is what causes setbacks, escalates stakes, and forces choices”—i.e., activity itself is the source of trouble, not just spectacle.

  • Example: OS Concern = Obtaining

    • Weak: “They want a prize.”
    • Strong: “Trying to secure, retain, or take away something generates the central problems—alliances form/break because possession changes, legal rights are contested, blackmail pressures the group.”

  • Example: Problem Element = Pursuit (paired with Solution = Avoid)

    • Weak: “They chase a villain.”
    • Strong: “Aggressively chasing (leads, people, trends) creates new inequities—burning contacts, spooking allies, triggering countersuits—and the eventual relief comes from strategically avoiding certain lines of pursuit.”

Subject matter is “good” when every illustration makes the chosen method of conflict unavoidable and felt.

Encoding examples: one structure, many subject matters

Suppose your OS Throughline is:

  • Domain: Physics
  • Concern: Obtaining
  • Issue: Attitude (counterpoint: Approach)
  • Problem/Solution: Pursuit/Avoid

You can encode this Storyform in wildly different subject matter:

  • Heist thriller

    • Subject matter: a crew tries to secure a data shard; rival crews chase the same prize; the protagonist’s relentless pursuit burns safehouses and contacts.
    • Why it fits: Obtaining is the trouble-source; Pursuit escalates conflict; Attitude vs. Approach colors tactics and friction inside the crew.

  • Workplace dramedy

    • Subject matter: a startup fights to obtain Series B funding; the COO’s chase of every investor leads to reputational damage; employees debate attitude (brand posture) vs. approach (sales-first vs. product-first).
    • Why it fits: Possession (funding) is central; pursuit generates HR/legal problems; issue-level friction frames scenes.

  • Sports underdog story

    • Subject matter: securing a league slot; the coach’s pursuit of star recruits alienates the team; alternating episodes highlight attitude problems in the locker room vs. approach changes on the field.
    • Why it fits: Acquiring/retaining resources (slots, players) is the source of conflict; pursuit harms cohesion; Attitude/Approach thematically colors decisions.

Same structure; different subject matter. Change the skin, keep the engine.

2

Subject matter at each level (how to encode)

  • Domain (Class): Choose the broad “kind” of trouble to illustrate

    • Universe (fixed external state): quarantines, borders, hierarchies, jurisdictions
    • Physics (external activity): operations, chases, builds, heists, rescues
    • Psychology (internal processes): schemes, deceptions, role-play, identity games
    • Mind (fixed attitudes): prejudice, obsession, denial, mania, steadfast beliefs

  • Concern (Type): Pick a specific area under that Domain that generates long-term trouble

    • Physics → Obtaining: custody battles, acquisitions, black markets, inheritance fights
    • Universe → Future: succession, looming annexation, closing window for migration
    • Psychology → Being: pretending to be someone, maintaining appearances
    • Mind → Subconscious: appetites, cravings, fears pressuring choices

  • Issue (Variation): Color scenes with the finer tension at stake

    • Obtaining → Attitude vs. Approach: posture vs. method; brand image vs. sales tactics; clubhouse vibe vs. training regimen

  • Problem/Solution (Element): Nail the “grain” of conflict and its resolution

    • Pursuit → Avoid: problems arise from chasing; relief comes from strategic non-engagement
    • Control → Uncontrolled: problems arise from over-control; relief arrives when loosening grip

For each Storypoint, ask: “What would this look like in my world—and how does it cause trouble?”

Guidelines for strong subject matter

  • Lead with conflict, not décor

    • Don’t just set a story in a hospital; make hospital-ness (triage, protocols, credentialing) the source of problems if your Domain demands Universe or Physics.

  • Keep illustrations consistent with the chosen method of conflict

    • If your OS is Psychology → Being, ensure scenes hinge on role adoption/appearance, not purely on action logistics.

  • Rephrase Storypoints as “gist” prompts

    • Turn “Obtaining” into “fighting over who gets to keep X,” “smuggling Y,” or “securing legal rights to Z.” These gists keep your encoding concrete.

  • Vary how you illustrate, not what you illustrate

    • You can change settings, props, and cast while maintaining the same structural pressure.

  • Test your encoding

    • Remove the subject-matter detail from a scene. If the conflict remains (because it’s tied to the structural choice), your encoding is sound. If conflict evaporates, you’ve encoded the wrong thing or only added décor.

Common pitfalls

  • Confusing subject matter with structure

    • “It’s a heist; therefore OS Concern must be Obtaining.” Not necessarily—if constant doing (raids/training) is the true source of friction, “Doing” might be right.

  • Treating elements as labels, not engines

    • If “Pursuit” is just a word that shows up, but the scenes’ conflict comes from something else (say, Control), your subject matter isn’t aligned.

  • Over-encoding Issues while ignoring Problem/Solution

    • Interesting Attitude vs. Approach debates are great, but they’re color; the Element-level problem is the engine. Make sure it visibly drives losses and wins.

Quick exercise to build subject matter from a Storyform

Pick any one Throughline and try this 10-minute drill.

  1. Fill this sentence for each level:
  • Domain: “Trouble comes from [kind of thing].”
  • Concern: “Specifically, it’s about [area] going wrong.”
  • Issue: “We keep arguing over [Issue] vs. [Counterpoint]—the ‘why’ behind our tactics.”
  • Problem/Solution: “The losses keep coming from [Problem]; when we finally [Solution], pressure releases.”
  1. Brainstorm three concrete scene illustrations that naturally create conflict from those statements.

Example (Physics → Obtaining, Attitude vs. Approach, Pursuit/Avoid)

  • “Trouble comes from operations in motion.”
  • “Specifically, it’s about securing and keeping the whistleblower’s ledger.”
  • “We argue over posture vs. method (flashy exposés vs. quiet subpoenas).”
  • “Losses come from chasing leads too hard; things improve when we sidestep traps and stop engaging bait.”

Scenes:

  • Press conference backfires (Attitude clash) as the team pursues clicks over admissible evidence.
  • Sting operation collapses because a relentless tail spooks the courier (Pursuit causes failure).
  • Win arrives when they decline a televised debate (Avoid), starving the enemy of oxygen and letting paperwork close the case.

How subject matter interacts with genre

  • Marketing genre (sci‑fi, western, romance) is largely subject matter + storytelling style.
  • Dramatica “genre” (in the theory sense) emerges from which Domains the four Throughlines inhabit and which Concern family you choose—subject matter can imply those, but doesn’t determine them.
  • You can set the same Storyform in outer space or a courtroom drama; the argument remains if the methods of conflict stay the same.

Takeaway

  • Subject matter = your concrete illustrations of the Storyform’s abstract methods of conflict.
  • It lives in Storyencoding and must be chosen so that conflict, not décor, originates exactly where the Storyform says it should.
  • Great stories keep the subject matter flexible and fresh while keeping the structural pressure consistent.

Validation: This explanation distinguishes subject matter from structure, theme, and weaving; ties it to Storyencoding; and shows how to encode each level with conflict-driven examples consistent with Dramatica theory.