Navigating the Twists

How Desire-Lines and Closed Loops Harmonize into Compelling Narrative Operettas.

Conventional storytelling wisdom often pits tightly scripted 'through-lines' against the complex layers added by 'desire-lines.' But what if I told you that these two elements can coexist, even harmonize, to create a fecund narrative ecosystem?

As an architect by training, I understand the allure of structure. Yet facing off against us were those urban planners, the Montagues to the architectural Capulets. Those of us on the architectural side of the tracks prided ourselves on our straight lines, our captive grids. Sure, a curved line was the hero of many a parti, but we avoided complex curves because they meant pure pain when building models. But I digress. How do the Storyteller's narrative 'desire-lines' entangle with those 'romantic' urban planners? Via their meandering paths, the faint tracks in the narrative grass. Paths which aren't arbitrary signatures of human experience, but salient ones.

'Desire-lines,' an urban planning term, are paths people carve out—completely unplanned but glaringly obvious, if only in retrospect—of the landscape and often the urban fabric. They reflect the organic, unpredictable journeys that individuals prefer. This principle can—and should—be applied to the characters in your story. They deserve explicit desires, which in turn offer uncertain paths forward. These form narrative pivots, intrigues that keep your reader glued to the page. It is a perfect mixture of intention and surprise.

Having said that, narrative desire-lines still need endpoints. Open story loops or unresolved threads are essentially broken promises to the reader. These paths must lead somewhere meaningful, or you risk creating a narrative maze with no exit, punishing the reader and testing their forbearance. Close the loops, dear writers; it's the least you can do.

So here's the trick: aim for equilibrium. Your characters' strong desires provide the narrative thrust, while their unpredictable paths supply the twists and reversals that keep your reader engaged. As you pen your story, imagine the intersections: your through-lines are the straight paths, and your desire-lines are the arcs. Ensure each Desire arc intersects periodically with the linear plotlines critical for propelling everything forward. Mix them to craft a story that is architecturally sound yet emotionally vibrant.

In essence, consider your story a living cityscape. Let your characters wander the alleys, but guide them toward their ultimate destination. Doing so ensures t