The Basics of Storytelling: Plots

7 Basic Plots (more or less).  

Commonly recognized are: person faces nature; person faces person; person faces the environment; person faces machines/technology; person faces self; and person faces a deity/religion/philosophy. Some authorities say there may be as many as 40 basic plots, while others insist only three.  Almost all stories fit within these 7 basic forms.

PLOT THEMES.  A theme is the guiding idea of a story. Try this: review some favorite movies, books, or stories and identify the theme. Some popular and well-known themes include “love conquers all” (AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER); “family is important” (RV); “the quest” (STAR WARS); “to have friends be a friend”; etc.   List your favorite books, movies, & stories.  What do they have in common?  Why do you like them?

Speaking the Lingo of Literature

• GENRE= a style of writing (i.e., Mystery, Western, Adventure); 

• SETTING= Past, present, future; mountains, desert; empty house; 

• POINT OF VIEW= How the reader or listener gets their view of the story;

• PLOT = action of a story; 

• MYSTERY = story where action is hidden and must be revealed or discovered.