In which the seven basic plot types are described. Try and think of any story you can and see which one they fit into. You'd be surprised how snug that fit is!
1.Bob loses his Keys
Bob returns home and when he goes to open the door he realises his keys aren't there. Bob sits down, later passing out from fatigue and eventually dies from malnutrition.
Examples:
Citizen Kane, The Odyssey, Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure
2.Bob finds his keys
Very similar to 1. but Bob finds his keys after looking in his pockets. Bob then proceeds to eat a roast chicken dinner with his family.
Examples:
Se7en, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Transformers
3.Bob has no problems with his keys
Again almost identical to plot 1. except that Bob uses the time not wasted looking for his keys to read some mainly inconsequential letters before his roast chicken dinner.
Examples:
Fargo, Ulysses, Hamlet
4.Bob has someone else's keys
Bob goes to open the door and finds that he has keys that are not his own. This leads to half an hour of mystery and intrigue, in which he tries to figure out the labyrinthine mystery that ensues. This is purely internal and is only portrayed through Bob's actions and expressions outside of his front door. He then remembers these are his wife's keys he borrowed and opens the door to enjoy a cooling roast chicken dinner.
Examples:
The Rock, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Pinocchio
5.Bob has no keys
In a scenario similar to plot 1 we see Bob go to open the door but he has no keys. He sits down and appears to be passing out from fatigue at which point it is revealed he is wearing a straight jacket and rocking back forth in a padded room.
Examples:
Casablanca, The Canterbury Tales, Pride and Prejudice
6.Bob makes a list, eschewing plot and character development
A more recent post-modern development, with some literary precedent, Bob gets to the door takes out a pen and paper and creates a list which has little in the way of narrative thrust but instead is intended to convey mood and texture. Bob again passes out from fatigue and eventually dies from malnutrition.
Examples:
Dialogues, East Enders, The X Files
7.Whack a mole attack!
The least used but conversely most popular plot type; these describe, in very precise detail, the game of whack a mole.
Oedipus Rex, Titanic, The Audacity of Hope
1.Bob loses his Keys
Bob returns home and when he goes to open the door he realises his keys aren't there. Bob sits down, later passing out from fatigue and eventually dies from malnutrition.
Examples:
Citizen Kane, The Odyssey, Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure
2.Bob finds his keys
Very similar to 1. but Bob finds his keys after looking in his pockets. Bob then proceeds to eat a roast chicken dinner with his family.
Examples:
Se7en, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Transformers
3.Bob has no problems with his keys
Again almost identical to plot 1. except that Bob uses the time not wasted looking for his keys to read some mainly inconsequential letters before his roast chicken dinner.
Examples:
Fargo, Ulysses, Hamlet
4.Bob has someone else's keys
Bob goes to open the door and finds that he has keys that are not his own. This leads to half an hour of mystery and intrigue, in which he tries to figure out the labyrinthine mystery that ensues. This is purely internal and is only portrayed through Bob's actions and expressions outside of his front door. He then remembers these are his wife's keys he borrowed and opens the door to enjoy a cooling roast chicken dinner.
Examples:
The Rock, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Pinocchio
5.Bob has no keys
In a scenario similar to plot 1 we see Bob go to open the door but he has no keys. He sits down and appears to be passing out from fatigue at which point it is revealed he is wearing a straight jacket and rocking back forth in a padded room.
Examples:
Casablanca, The Canterbury Tales, Pride and Prejudice
6.Bob makes a list, eschewing plot and character development
A more recent post-modern development, with some literary precedent, Bob gets to the door takes out a pen and paper and creates a list which has little in the way of narrative thrust but instead is intended to convey mood and texture. Bob again passes out from fatigue and eventually dies from malnutrition.
Examples:
Dialogues, East Enders, The X Files
7.Whack a mole attack!
The least used but conversely most popular plot type; these describe, in very precise detail, the game of whack a mole.
Oedipus Rex, Titanic, The Audacity of Hope