7 BASIC PLOTS

Overcoming the Monster

The protagonist sets out to defeat an antagonistic force
which threatens the protagonist and/or protagonist's
homeland.
Examples: Perseus , Theseus , Beowulf ,

Dracula , War of the Worlds , Nicholas

Nickleby , The Guns of Navarone ,
Seven Samurai and its Western-style remake
The Magnificent Seven , James Bond ,
Star Wars: A New Hope , and Die Dollar
Die: Fall of the American Colossus .[2]
Rags to Riches

The poor protagonist acquires things such as power,

wealth, and a mate, before losing it all and gaining it
back upon growing as a person.
Examples: Cinderella , Aladdin , Jane Eyre

, Great Expectations , David Copperfield

.[2]
The Quest
The protagonist and some companions set out to acquire
an important object or to get to a location, facing many
obstacles and temptations along the way.
Examples: Iliad , The Pilgrims Progress ,

King Solomon's Mines , Watership Down

.[2] The Wizard of Oz , The Lord of the
Rings , Harry Potter and the Deathly
Hallows , "Tenacious D and the Pick of
Destiny "

Light and humorous character with a happy or cheerful

ending; a dramatic work in which the central motif is the
triumph over adverse circumstance, resulting in a
successful or happy conclusion.[3]

Night's Dream ,
Much Ado About Nothing , Twelfth
Night , Bridget Jones Diary , Music and
Lyrics , Sliding Doors , Four Weddings
and a Funeral , Mr Bean
Examples: A Midsummer

Tragedy
The protagonist is a villain who falls from grace and
whose death is a happy ending.
Examples: Breaking Bad , Macbeth , The

Picture of Dorian Gray , Carmen ,

Bonnie and Clyde , Jules et Jim , Anna
Karenina , Madame Bovary , John
Dillinger , Romeo and Juliet , Julius
Caesar .[2]
Rebirth
The protagonist is a villain or otherwise unlikable
character who redeems him/herself over the course of
the story.
Examples: Sleeping Beauty , The Frog

Prince , Beauty and the Beast , The

Snow Queen , A Christmas Carol , The
Secret Garden , Peer Gynt .[2], Life Is a
Dream , Despicable Me
36 DRAMATIC SITUATIONS

Supplication

a Persecutor; a Suppliant ; a power

in authority, whose decision is doubtful.
o the persecutor accuses the suppliant
of wrongdoing, and the power makes a
judgment against the suppliant. Example:

Voyage and Return

The protagonist goes to a strange land and, after
overcoming the threats it poses to him/her, returns with
nothing but experience.
Examples: Odyssey , Alice in Wonderland ,

Goldilocks and the Three Bears , Orpheus

, The Time Machine , Peter Rabbit ,
Brideshead Revisited , The Rime of the
Ancient Mariner , Gone with the Wind ,
The Third Man .[2] "Chronicles of Narnia
"
Comedy

The Trial
Deliverance

an unfortunate; a threatener; a
rescuer
o the unfortunate has caused a
conflict, and the threatener is to carry out
justice, but the rescuer saves the
unfortunate. Example: Ifigenia in

Tauride

Crime pursued by vengeance

o a criminal; an avenger
o the criminal commits a crime that

will not see justice, so the avenger seeks

justice by punishing the criminal.
Example: The Count of Monte

Cristo

ability to reach the seeker's goals.

Example: Oedipus and the Sphinx

Obtaining

Vengeance taken for kin upon kin

o Guilty Kinsman; an Avenging
Kinsman; remembrance of the Victim, a
relative of both.
o Two entities, the Guilty and the
Avenging Kinsmen, are put into conflict
over wrongdoing to the Victim, who is
allied to both. Example: Hamlet
Pursuit
o punishment; a fugitive
o the fugitive flees punishment for a
misunderstood conflict. Example: Les

Misrables

Discord
Enmity of kin

a vanquished power; a victorious

enemy or a messenger
o the power falls from their place after
being defeated by the victorious enemy or
being informed of such a defeat by the
messenger. Example: Agamemnon

Kinsman
o The Malevolent Kinsman and the
Hated or a second Malevolent Kinsman
conspire together.
Rivalry of kin

Rivalry
o The Object of Rivalry chooses the
Preferred Kinsman over the Rejected
Kinsman.

Murderous adultery

figure)

o
o

a tyrant; a conspirator
the tyrant, a cruel power, is plotted
against by the conspirator. Example:

Julius Caesar (play)

Daring enterprise

a bold leader; an object; an

adversary
o the bold leader takes the object from
the adversary by overpowering the
adversary. Example: Queste del

Saint Graal
Abduction
o

an abductor; the abducted; a

guardian
o the abductor takes the abducted from

of

The enigma

o
o

two Adulterers; a Betrayed

Spouse

Revolt

Troy

the Preferred Kinsman; the

Rejected Kinsman; the Object of

(play)
Falling prey to cruelty/misfortune
o an unfortunate; a master or a
misfortune
o the unfortunate suffers from
misfortune and/or at the hands of the
master. Example: Job (biblical

the guardian. Example: Helen

a Malevolent Kinsman; a
Hated or a reciprocally-hating

Disaster

(a Solicitor & an adversary

who is refusing) or (an arbitrator &
opposing parties)
o the solicitor is at odds with the
adversary who refuses to give the
solicitor what they object in the
possession of the adversary, or an
arbitrator decides who gets the object
desired by opposing parties (the solicitor
and the adversary). Example: Apple of

a problem; an interrogator; a seeker

the interrogator poses a problem to
the seeker and gives a seeker better

Madness

Two Adulterers conspire to kill the

Betrayed Spouse. Example:
Clytemnestra and Aegisthus

o
o

a Madman; a Victim
The Madman goes insane and
wrongs the Victim.
Fatal imprudence
o the Imprudent; a Victim or an Object
Lost
o The Imprudent, by neglect or
ignorance, loses the Object Lost or
wrongs the Victim.
Involuntary crimes of love
a Lover; a Beloved; a Revealer
The Revealer betrays the trust of
either the Lover or the Beloved.
Slaying of kin unrecognized
o the Slayer; an Unrecognized Victim
o The Slayer kills the Unrecognized
Victim.
Self-sacrifice for an ideal

o
o

a Hero ; an Ideal ; a

Hater

Creditor or a Person /Thing

sacrificed
o The Hero sacrifices the Person or
Thing for their Ideal, which is then taken
by the Creditor.
Self-sacrifice 'for kin'
o a Hero; a Kinsman; a Creditor or a
Person/Thing sacrificed
o The Hero sacrifices a Person or
Thing for their Kinsman, which is then
taken by the Creditor.
All sacrificed for passion
o a Lover; an Object of fatal Passion;
the Person/Thing sacrificed
o A Lover sacrifices a Person or Thing
for the Object of their Passion, which is
then lost forever.
Necessity 'of sacrificing loved ones'
o a Hero; a Beloved Victim; the
Necessity for the Sacrifice
o The Hero wrongs the Beloved
Victim because of the Necessity for their
Sacrifice.
Rivalry of superior vs. inferior
o a Superior Rival; an Inferior
Rival; the Object of Rivalry
o A Superior Rival bests an Inferior
Rival and wins the Object of Rivalry.

The allied Lover and Hater have

diametrically opposed attitudes towards
the Beloved Enemy.

Ambition

o
o

The Ambitious Person seeks the

Thing Coveted and is opposed by the
Adversary.
Conflict with a god

a Mortal; an Immortal
The Mortal and the Immortal enter a
conflict.
Mistaken jealousy

o
o

a Jealous One; an Object of

whose Possession He is Jealous; a
Supposed Accomplice; a Cause or an
Author of the Mistake
o The Jealous One falls victim to the
Cause or the Author of the Mistake and
becomes jealous of the Object and
becomes conflicted with the Supposed
Accomplice.
Erroneous judgment
o a Mistaken One; a Victim of the

Adultery

two Adulterers; a Deceived

Spouse
o Two Adulterers conspire against the
Deceived Spouse.
Crimes of love
o a Lover; the Beloved
o A Lover and the Beloved enter a
conflict.
Discovery of the dishonour of a loved one
o a Discoverer; the Guilty One
o The Discoverer discovers the
wrongdoing committed by the Guilty
One.
Obstacles to love
o two Lovers; an Obstacle
o Two Lovers face an Obstacle
together.
An enemy loved
o a Lover; the Beloved Enemy; the

20 MASTER PLOTS
1. Quest

an Ambitious Person; a Thing

Coveted ; an Adversary

Remorse

Mistake; a Cause or Author of the

Mistake; the Guilty One
o The Mistaken One falls victim to the
Cause or the Author of the Mistake and
passes judgment against the Victim of the
Mistake when it should be passed against
the Guilty One instead.

a Culprit ; a Victim or the Sin;

an Interrogator
o The Culprit wrongs the Victim or
commits the Sin, and is at odds with the
Interrogator who seeks to understand the
situation.
Recovery of a lost one
o a Seeker ; the One Found
o The Seeker finds the One Found.

Loss of loved ones

o

a Kinsman Slain ; a Kinsman

Spectator; an Executioner
o The killing of the Kinsman Slain by
the Executioner is witnessed by the
Kinsman Spectator.
The hero searches for something, someone, or
somewhere. In reality, they may be searching for
themselves, with the outer journey mirrored internally.
They may be joined by a companion, who takes care of
minor detail and whose limitations contrast with the
hero's greater qualities.

2. Adventure

with the help of friendly others).

The protagonist goes on an adventure, much like a quest,

but with less of a focus on the end goal or the personal
development of hero hero. In the adventure, there is
more action for action's sake.

10. Temptation

3. Pursuit
In this plot, the focus is on chase, with one person
chasing another (and perhaps with multiple and
alternating chase). The pursued person may be often
cornered and somehow escape, so that the pursuit can
continue. Depending on the story, the pursued person
may be caught or may escape.
4. Rescue
In the rescue, somebody is captured, who must be
released by the hero or heroic party. A triangle may form
between the protagonist, the antagonist and the victim.
There may be a grand duel between the protagonist and
antagonist, after which the victim is freed.
5. Escape

In the temptation plot, a person is tempted by something

that, if taken, would somehow diminish them, often
morally. Their battle is thus internal, fighting against
their inner voices which tell them to succumb.
11. Metamorphosis
In this fantastic plot, the protagonist is physically
transformed, perhaps into beast or perhaps into some
spiritual or alien form. The story may then continue with
the changed person struggling to be released or to use
their new form for some particular purpose. Eventually,
the hero is released, perhaps through some great act of
love.
12. Transformation
The transformation plot leads to change of a person in
some way, often driven by unexpected circumstance or
event. After setbacks, the person learns and usually
becomes something better.
13. Maturation

In a kind of reversal of the rescue, a person must escape,

perhaps with little help from others. In this, there may
well be elements of capture and unjust imprisonment.
There may also be a pursuit after the escape.
6. Revenge
In the revenge plot, a wronged person seeks retribution
against the person or organization which has betrayed or
otherwise harmed them or loved ones, physically or
emotionally. This plot depends on moral outrage for
gaining sympathy from the audience.
7. The Riddle
The riddle plot entertains the audience and challenges
them to find the solution before the hero, who steadily
and carefully uncovers clues and hence the final
solution. The story may also be spiced up with terrible
consequences if the riddle is not solved in time.
8. Rivalry
In rivalry, two people or groups are set as competitors
that may be good hearted or as bitter enemies. Rivals
often face a zero-sum game, in which there can only be
one winner, for example where they compete for a
scarce resource or the heart of a single other person.
9. Underdog
The underdog plot is similar to rivalry, but where one
person (usually the hero) has less advantage and might
normally be expected to lose. The underdog usually wins
through greater tenacity and determination (and perhaps

The maturation plot is a special form of transformation,

in which a person grows up. The veils of younger times
are lost as they learn and grow. Thus the rudderless
youth finds meaning or perhaps an older person re-finds
their purpose.
14. Love
The love story is a perennial tale of lovers finding one
another, perhaps through a background of danger and
woe. Along the way, they become separated in some
way, but eventually come together in a final joyous
reunion.
15. Forbidden Love
The story of forbidden love happens when lovers are
breaking some social rules, such as in an adulterous
relationship or worse. The story may thus turn around
their inner conflicts and the effects of others discovering
their tryst.
16. Sacrifice
In sacrifice, the nobler elements of the human sprit are
extolled as someone gives much more than most people
would give. The person may not start with the intent of
personal sacrifice and may thus be an unintentional hero,
thus emphasizing the heroic nature of the choice and act.
17. Discovery
The discovery plot is strongly focused on the character
of the hero who discovers something great or terrible

and hence must make a difficult choice. The importance

of the discovery might not be known at first and the
process of revelation be important to the story.
18. Wretched Excess
In stories of wretched excess, the protagonist goes
beyond normally accepted behavior as the world looks
on, horrified, perhaps in realization that 'there before the
grace of God go I' and that the veneer of civilization is
indeed thin.
19. Ascension
In the ascension plot, the protagonist starts in the virtual
gutter, as a sinner of some kind. The plot then shows
their ascension to becoming a better person, often in
response to stress that would defeat a normal person.
Thus they achieve deserved heroic status.
20. Descension
In the opposite to ascension, a person of initially high
standing descends to the gutter and moral turpitude,
perhaps sympathetically as they are unable to handle
stress and perhaps just giving in to baser vices .
31 FUNCTIONS OF A FAIRYTALE
ABSENTATION: A member of a family
leaves the security of the home environment. This
may be the hero or some other member of the
family that the hero will later need to rescue. This
division of the cohesive family injects initial
tension into the storyline. The hero may also be
introduced here, often being shown as an ordinary
person.
INTERDICTION: An interdiction is addressed
to the hero ('don't go there', 'don't do this'). The hero
is warned against some action (given an
'interdiction').
VIOLATION of INTERDICTION. The
interdiction is violated (villain enters the tale).
This generally proves to be a bad move and the
villain enters the story, although not necessarily
confronting the hero. Perhaps they are just a lurking
presence or perhaps they attack the family whilst
the hero is away.
RECONNAISSANCE: The villain makes an
attempt at reconnaissance (either villain tries to find
the children/jewels etc.; or intended victim
questions the villain). The villain (often in disguise)
makes an active attempt at seeking information, for
example searching for something valuable or trying
to actively capture someone. They may speak with
a member of the family who innocently divulges
information. They may also seek to meet the hero,
perhaps knowing already the hero is special in
some way.

DELIVERY: The villain gains information

about the victim. The villain's seeking now pays off
and he or she now acquires some form of
information, often about the hero or victim. Other
information can be gained, for example about a
map or treasure location.
TRICKERY: The villain attempts to deceive
the victim to take possession of victim or victim's
belongings (trickery; villain disguised, tries to win
confidence of victim). The villain now presses
further, often using the information gained in
seeking to deceive the hero or victim in some way,
perhaps appearing in disguise. This may include
capture of the victim, getting the hero to give the
villain something or persuading them that the
villain is actually a friend and thereby gaining
collaboration.
COMPLICITY: Victim taken in by deception,
unwittingly helping the enemy. The trickery of the
villain now works and the hero or victim naively
acts in a way that helps the villain. This may range
from providing the villain with something (perhaps
a map or magical weapon) to actively working
against good people (perhaps the villain has
persuaded the hero that these other people are
actually bad).
VILLAINY or LACK: Villain causes
harm/injury to family member (by abduction, theft
of magical agent, spoiling crops, plunders in other
forms, causes a disappearance, expels someone,
casts spell on someone, substitutes child etc.,
commits murder, imprisons/detains someone,
threatens forced marriage, provides nightly
torments); Alternatively, a member of family lacks
something or desires something (magical potion
etc.). There are two options for this function, either
or both of which may appear in the story. In the
first option, the villain causes some kind of harm,
for example carrying away a victim or the desired
magical object (which must be then be retrieved).
In the second option, a sense of lack is identified,
for example in the hero's family or within a
community, whereby something is identified as lost
or something becomes desirable for some reason,
for example a magical object that will save people
in some way.
MEDIATION: Misfortune or lack is made
known, (hero is dispatched, hears call for help etc./
alternative is that victimized hero is sent away,
freed from imprisonment). The hero now discovers
the act of villainy or lack, perhaps finding their
family or community devastated or caught up in a
state of anguish and woe.
BEGINNING COUNTER-ACTION: Seeker
agrees to, or decides upon counter-action. The hero
now decides to act in a way that will resolve the
lack, for example finding a needed magical item,
rescuing those who are captured or otherwise
defeating the villain. This is a defining moment for
the hero as this is the decision that sets the course

of future actions and by which a previously

ordinary person takes on the mantle of heroism.
DEPARTURE: Hero leaves home;

FIRST FUNCTION OF THE DONOR: Hero

is tested, interrogated, attacked etc., preparing the
way for his/her receiving of a magical agent or
helper (donor );
HERO'S REACTION: Hero reacts to actions
of future donor (withstands/fails the test, frees
captive, reconciles disputants, performs service,
uses adversary's powers against him);
RECEIPT OF A MAGICAL AGENT: Hero
acquires use of a magical agent (directly
transferred, located, purchased, prepared,
spontaneously appears, eaten/drunk, help offered by
other characters);
GUIDANCE: Hero is transferred, delivered or
led to whereabouts of an object of the search;
STRUGGLE: Hero and villain join in direct
combat;
BRANDING: Hero is branded
(wounded/marked, receives ring or scarf);
VICTORY: Villain is defeated (killed in
combat, defeated in contest, killed while asleep,
banished);
LIQUIDATION: Initial misfortune or lack is
resolved (object of search distributed, spell broken,
slain person revived, captive freed);
RETURN: Hero returns;

PURSUIT: Hero is pursued (pursuer tries to

kill, eat, undermine the hero);
RESCUE: Hero is rescued from pursuit
(obstacles delay pursuer, hero hides or is hidden,
hero transforms unrecognisably, hero saved from
attempt on his/her life);
UNRECOGNIZED ARRIVAL: Hero
unrecognized, arrives home or in another country;
UNFOUNDED CLAIMS: False hero
presents unfounded claims;
DIFFICULT TASK: Difficult task proposed to
the hero (trial by ordeal, riddles, test of
strength/endurance, other tasks);
SOLUTION: Task is resolved;

RECOGNITION: Hero is recognized (by

mark, brand, or thing given to him/her);
EXPOSURE: False hero or villain is exposed;

TRANSFIGURATION: Hero is given a new

appearance (is made whole, handsome, new
garments etc.);
PUNISHMENT: Villain is punished;

WEDDING: Hero marries and ascends the

throne (is rewarded/promoted).