Screenwriting: Plots and other Structural Devices
I like lists. Sometimes a keyword is all you need for inspiration.
When an idea is born for a script, at first it doesn’t matter what kind of story it is. A great idea is a great idea, right? Just run with it and leet your imagination go. But, defining the story type, underlying themes, and genre, will give it structure and direction and determine where it falls commercially.
Dictionary definitions of what a story is just don’t cut it, i.e., “an account of incidents or events,” or “An account of imaginary or real people and events told for entertainment,” or…the part of a building comprising all the rooms that are on the same level.” Couldn’t resist the last definition since some screenwriting gurus like to compare the construction of a script to the building of a house.
When it comes to story types, genres and plot types, the number of different types ranges from 1 to whatever, as you'll see below. Drama is conflict, and that's the first place to start in defining types.
- Conflicts might include:
- Human vs. self
- Human vs. human
- Human vs. nature
- Human vs. environment
- Human vs. technology (machine)
- Human vs. supernatural
- Human vs. god
Usually there’s a human involved, but conflict can certainly be animal vs. animal, as in animation, children’s stories, parables.
In Christopher Booker’s, The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories, the 7 plots are:
- Overcoming the monster
- Rags to Riches
- The Quest
- Voyage and Return
- Comedy
- Tragedy
- Rebirth
Blake Snyder shoots for 10 basic plot types in his, Save the Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need:
- Monster in the House
- Out of the Bottle (Wishes and curses)
- Whydunit
- Golden Fleece (Quest; Journey)
- Rites of Passage
- Institutionalized
- Buddy Love
- Superhero
- Dude with a Problem
- The Fool Triumphant (Underdog)
Ronald Tobias doubles 10 to 20 in, 20 Master Plots: And How to Build Them:
- Quest
- Adventure
- Pursuit
- Rescue
- Escape
- Revenge
- The Riddle
- Rivalry
- Underdog
- Temptation
- Metamorphosis
- Transformation
- Maturation
- Love
- Forbidden Love
- Sacrifice
- Discovery
- Wretched Excess
- Ascension & Descension
Georges Polti ups the ante in, The Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations:
Supplication
Deliverance
Crime Pursued by Vengeance
Vengeance taken for kindred upon kindred
Pursuit
Disaster
Falling Prey to Cruelty of Misfortune
Revolt
Daring Enterprise
Abduction
The Enigma (temptation; riddle)
Obtaining
Enmity of Kinsmen
Rivalry of Kinsmen
Murderous Adultery
Madness
Fatal Imprudence
Involuntary Crimes of Love (Incest)
Slaying of a Kinsman Unrecognized
Self-Sacrificing for an Ideal
Self-Sacrifice for Kindred
All Sacrificed for Passion
Necessity of Sacrificing Loved Ones
Rivalry of Superior and Inferior
Adultery
Crimes of Love
Discovery of the Dishonor of a Loved One
Obstacles to Love
An Enemy Loved
Ambition
Conflict with a God
Mistaken Jealousy
Erroneous Judgement
Remorse
Recovery of a Lost One
Loss of Loved Ones
Clearly some of the listings, going by title alone, are a bit obscure, and require reading the book to understand in greater detail.
More:
- Anecdote
- Apologue
- Bedtime Story
- Captivity
- Chivalric romance
- Creation myth
- Etiological myth
- Fable
- Factoid
- Fairy tale
- Farce
- Fish-Out-Of-Water
- Folklore
- Folkloristics
- Ghost story
- Joke
- Legend
- Myths
- Oral tradition
- Parable
- Political myth
- Popular belief
- Popular misconception
- Satire
- Short Story
- Tall tale
- Tales around the campfire
- Urban legend
Clearly there’s a fair amount of overlap in these lists. Genres are similar to story type, or more accurately, story types fall within certain genres.
- Action
- Adventure
- Animation
- Biography
- Comedy
- Coming of Age
- Courtroom
- Crime
- Epic
- Erotica
- Fantasy
- Film Noir
- Historical
- Horror
- Mystery
- Philosophical
- Political
- Religion
- Romance
- Saga
- Satire
- Science fiction
- Slice of Life
- Spy
- Supernatural
- Thriller
- Urban
- War
Well, there are actually hundreds of film and TV genres, criss-crossing fiction genres and maybe a few music genres as well. Obviously it would take a book to go into all the various types in detail, so I’ll focus on just a few less obscure ones.
Themes are equally numerous. The more common ones include:
- Redemption
- Resurrection
- Prodigal Son
- Transformation
- Vengeance
- Innocence
- Justice
- Sacrifice
- Jealousy
- Friendship
- Fate
And the biggest one of all: Love.
Monster
A fairly easy type to understand, monsters include everything from the supernatural to aliens and dinosaurs, and of course, classic monsters like Freddie and even Hannibal Lecter. Monsters are scary. It takes courage to do battle against monsters.
Adventure
Another fairly easy category to grasp, Indiana Jones, Around the World in 80 Days, Titanic, Matrix, Robin Hood, Lord of the Rings, Back to the Future, to name a few.
Adventure stories are usually heroic (even when the character is ordinary), fast paced with lots of action, overcoming larger-than-life obstacles, and take us to exotic places.
Rags to Riches
Rags to Riches stories usually have happy endings, where a downtrodden character overcomes numerous obstacles and rises above his/her limitations. The story or character arc doesn’t necessarily have to be financial. Even Rocky could be deemed rags to riches. Cinderella, a fairy tale, is perhaps the most popular. Other examples: My Fair Lady, Slumdog Millionaire, Scarface and Trading Places.
Buddy Stories
Numerous buddy stories abound, friends who might be good, bad or ugly. Rain Man is about 2 brothers who become best friends. Lethal Weapon is two cops. Thelma & Louise is a tragic tale of two women so close, they’re willing to die together.
Superhero
Superheroes are not always comicbook, such as Gladiator or A Beautiful Mind. But then, when we think of superheroes, we think of the stories that launched our childhoods: Batman, Spiderman, Superman.
Perhaps as a writer, shaping your story into types and genres might seem limiting. But rest assured, everyone is going to ask you, "What is your story about," especially those who have the power to sell it commercially.