Block
A block (also called a storyblock or pillar) is a major act of the deck. It sits between the arc and the loop: an arc has 2–4 blocks; a block contains several loops.
Each block carries one pillar of the Big Idea. The blocks together must be MECE — exclusive of one another, collectively covering the case the deck makes.
Block-level decisions
- Which pillar of the Big Idea does this block defend?
- What is the block's Claim — its subtesis?
- Where is the block's centre of gravity — opener, middle, or closer?
- What tension does it open and close?
Block structure
A typical block has:
- Block opener — names the pillar, sets local stakes.
- 2–4 loops — each defending one point that supports the pillar.
- Block closer — synthesises the pillar's so-what.
The block opener and block closer are the two most-watched slides in the block. Make the action titles count.
Failure modes
- No pillar. A block that exists for completeness, not for argument.
- Two pillars in one block. Block runs long, audience loses the thread. Split into two.
- Pillar overlap. Two blocks defending the same point in different language. Fold.
- No opener / no closer. Loops without a block frame. The audience cannot tell where one block ends and the next begins.
Canonical phrasing
A block is one pillar of the Big Idea, opened, defended, and closed. Three or four blocks. No more.