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| Photo image Anna |
These basic plots are from the Tennessee Screenwriters Association, but I thought it would be helpful to share them with you all. Many writers believe that there is only a certain number of “basic plots” that make up a story, 20 to be exact, and it all depends on how you develop these stories. This is similar to how there are only a certain number of quantifiable plot lines, and that all of our stories fall into a certain genre. This doesn’t mean you can’t create something unique of your own, because you can change these elements, but when stripped down to their bare essentials – nothing is truly unique. These recognizable story forms work, and that’s why they’re used over and over again. Here are 20 basic plots-
1. QUEST the main character is looking for something (person, place, thing or idea) and is in the process of finding it.
2. ADVENTURE - the main character is looking for movement but must leave home to do so.
3. CHASE - a game of hide and seek, a group or a person likes to follow another group or person.
4. RESCUE - the main character is looking for someone or something that needs to be saved - usually has the parameters of protagonist, victim and antagonist.
5. ESCAPE the main character wants to escape from any problem in the process of finding a solution to escape.
6. REVENGE - revenge on others for wrongdoing.
7. PUZZLE - the protagonist's actions to find the hidden meaning of something.
8. COMPETITION - the protagonist is competing for the same goal or object with others.
9. UNDERDOG - the protagonist makes a huge unexpected profit and faces many difficulties while trying to achieve his goal.
10. TEMPTATION - the protagonist is tempted to do something that is not objective, wrong, or immoral.
11. TRANSFORMATION - the protagonist's physical features actually change from one form to another.
12. TRANSFORMATION - the protagonist goes through a phase of life, moving from one important character state to another.
13. GROWTH - the protagonist is faced with a problem that forces them to learn from and grow.
14. LOVE - the protagonist overcomes obstacles that prevent him or her from achieving true love.
15. FORBIDDEN LOVE - the protagonist overcomes obstacles that prevent him or her from achieving true love, but sometimes realizes the price is too small to pay in order to continue living.
16. SACRIFICE - the protagonist is motivated by a higher purpose such as love, honor, and charity or the good of humanity.
17. DISCOVERY - the protagonist, having overcome a life-changing event, discovers a deeper meaning to life that changes their perspective.
18. EXTREME - the protagonist pushes the limits of acceptable behavior to an extreme and is forced to deal with the consequences.
19. ASCENSION This rags-to-riches plot is about the protagonist's rise through a dominant personality trait that ultimately leads to their success.
20. DECISION - This riches-to-poor plot is about the protagonist's settling down due to a dominant personality trait that ultimately leads to their failure.
It's easy to see that there are many stories that can fit into some of these story types, and you can build your own around some of these basic plots. Generally, one story will fit into one genre more than another. There are many references to basic plots, and not all authors have the same views, so it's helpful to do our own research. I just thought this might give you some extra motivation or help you build a better story.
(Kris Noel)
