There of lots of plot types out
there. It’s important to find yours.
Plot Types :
1.
Love story
a. sub-type,
buddy salvation (can be friendship)
2.
Horror
a.
Uncanny—horrific
parts are astounding, but has rational explanation
b.
Supernatural—source
of horror is irrational (spirit realm)
c.
Super uncanny—keep
readers guessing as to source
3.
Western
4. War (can be setting for many plot types
including love story and science fiction)
a. About combat
b. If it’s prowar—military thriller (Dale
Brown, Tom Clancy)
c. If antiwar—political thriller (Venturian
Candidate)
5.
Coming of age
a.
Example—Bambi
6.
Redemption story
a. Character
driven, all about moral change within protagonist
b. Can
appear in any fiction genre
7. Punitive plot
a. More in mainstream, character driven books
b. Good guy turns bad and is punished
c. Example—Rage of Angels by Sidney Sheldon, Godfather I & II
8. Educational plot
a.Deep change in protag. view of life, people, or self
b. Example: Great Gatsby
9.
Disillusionment
plot
a.
Also Great Gatsby
10.
Comedy (ranges from parody to romantic to satire to black)
a. Can be gentle or caustic
b. Chick lit is example of comedy
c. Science fiction has comedic sub-genres
11.
Crime Plot
From whose point of view do we regard the crime?
a.
Murder mystery—detective pov
b.
Caper—criminals pov
c.
Detective—cop’s pov
d.
Gangster—crook’s pov
e.
Thriller/revenge—victim’s pov
f.
Courtroom—attourney’s pov
g. Newspaper—reporter’s pov
h. Espionage—spy’s pov
i.
Prison drama—inmate’s pov
12. Social drama
a. Deals w/ problems in
society. Story about cure/solution.
b. Much women’s fiction
has this.
c. Political drama—see
in thrillers and mysteries
d. Eco drama—battle to
save environment
e. Psycho dramas—mental
illness
13.
Action-adventure
a.
In many genres including science fiction, romance
b.
High adventure—fun
c.Disaster survival—more serious
14.
Historical drama
a.
Can be used in any genre, supra plot type
b.
Reader lives today, so must be pertinent to readers today
c.
Example—Dangerous Liaisons—central focus is still
pertinent—courtship as combat, battle for sexual supremacy
15.
Science Fiction
a.
Setting affects plot, can encompass many different plot types
16.
Sports
a. Tests characters
physically, mentally, emotionally
17.
Fantasy
a.
Action, love, politics can fit inside this.
b.
Certain conventions for every plot type. Example: disillusionment—change in values,
western—west setting, love story—someone meets someone, crime story—needs a
crime
The genre must accommodate expectations
of plot type and genre:
·
Comedy—no one gets hurt
·
Crime—need crime, sleuth, motivation, crime can’t happen too late
·
Have you read in this genre?
o
Know what you love in this genre?
o
Look at top 3 writers. What
do they do that works so well?
o
What do you find boring?
Exciting?
Make the limitations work:
·
These things work for you, not against you. This way you don’t have to reinvent the
wheel.
·
Writing talent is a muscle.
When you don’t have something to push against, it atrophies.
·
Love story—boy meets girl is not a cliché, it’s a
convention. Where cliché starts is in
how they meet. Do you have two dynamic
individuals who are forced to share an adventure?
·
Make the frustration work for you. Make your imagination come up with a good
idea.
·
Action/adventure—convention—protagonist at mercy of villain and
must turn the tables. This scene is
imperative and must test protagonist’s ingenuity and skill to survive. Test must happen. fresh—when Harrison Ford shoots “goliath”
wielding sword
·
Every fresh convention spawns new clichés.
·
Love story—biggest challenge is what’s going to keep them
apart. Menander—parents of girl oppose
the match. After that, blocking
characters were force opposed to love.
Shakespeare—both parents (Romeo and Juliet), 20th
century—parental approval no longer matters
o
Witness—blocking force is her culture
o
Harry met Sally—belief that friendship and love incompatible
o
Ghost—death is blocking character
