Unveiling the Writing Truth: Only 5 Plots Exist, and You Can Master Them!

The idea that there are only 7 basic plots is a lie! In this video I explain how there are only really 5, and point you in the right direction to mastering them all!
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#writing #storytelling #Writers #plottwist

[@AdegaOutlaw]

“These aren’t the plot points you are looking for.” 😂

[@commiedeer]

Thank you Professor Script Doctor for that little insight

[@billsprestonesq.226]

I once heard regarding music that, "Originality is overrated. You need to be authentic." Great breakdown for writers. Thanks. In the five main plots, I don't know where many of Shakespeare's plays would fit, particularly the tragedies. While some of the comedies' main plots can be classified as "rebirth", the tragedies are often centered around a downfall that isn't part of the five. What do you think?

[@Avarn388]

@billsprestonesesq.226 Originality is the equvialent of a person walking in the middle of the street dressed up in a clown getup or something very flashy. Sure, folks eyes will be drawn to it but if that's all; it just comes off as very superficial and a gimmick. Gimmicks do not lead to good stories. Being authentic does matter but also really understanding your story inside and out and being able to convey it effectively is what sets apart a good writer from a great writer. Tolkien did this well with Lord of the Rings. Very simple premise: evil ring needs to be destroyed before dark lord gets it and destroys Middle Earth. But the depth comes from the characters, and the journey. And seeing Frodo being eroded by the one ring mentally, physically, and spiritually and all the obstacles he faces from it.

[@ScriptDoctor]

This is where Christopher Booker got it wrong. He paid more attention to the reputation of Shakespeare's work and less on the content. Shakespeare is known for his sonnets, comedies, and tragedies, but those are umbrella terms. A characters downfall is part of rebirth. There is a point in the rebirth plot where the character changes in the third act. The change is not always positive. This is why I added The Godfather as an example to Rebirth, because while it leads it him gaining power it is at the expense of his soul. Hamlet has a mix of Rebirth to it because his obsession Overcoming The Monster that is his uncle, feeds his madness. Twelfth Night is a comedy, but it is a comedy that covers the plots of Rags to Riches and Voyage and Return.

[@FunkyKikuchiyo]

Gonna practice with Ghostbusters... It is a "rebirth" story, as it focuses on Venkman's sense of validity as a doctor. He is shamed in the beginning, and the two act breaks and midpoint all involve this. The second act is his journey to justify himself to Dana Barrett as a real doctor after being shamed by Columbia university and his coworkers, and being insulted by the EPA. Ultimately, he realizes he's the only one who can use his grift/sarcasm to win over the mayor at the end, and is reborn into a new version of himself, a more confident version of the original one. It is fun to practice with movies we've seen a lot, because sometimes we can't see the forest through the trees. This is probably why sequels/reboots miss the mark... they can't see the forest through the trees, either.

[@fishjones4618]

Not to mention the climax where the Ghostbusters realize that to close the door they have to cross their proton pack streams which may result in their deaths. Veinkman jokingly slaps Ray and says he’s glad he’s part of a crazy plan. But what has happened is that the snarky, juvenile, self serving con man has grown and accepted that there is something far greater than his own self interests and he was prepared to lay down his life for it. Powerful stuff

[@Avarn388]

Great video, Script. It's great you mentioned this because I was doing something similar with my own work, examining different genres and plots and then zeroing in on what kind of plot I wanted to tell. For example, Iron man 1 I find is a very good example of the Rebirth plotline and one of things I really like about that film is how it handles setup and payoffs with Tony's arc-reactor. It's the only thing keeping him alive, hence the reason why he built it in the first place, and we even get an excellent bit of payoff with how(SPOILER ALERT) we see Obidaih steal Tony' new arc reactor and needing to use his old one. It's setup really well with Pepper changing Tony's old reactor which reinforces how much he trusts her and also how she sends it to him, in spite of asking her to destroy it, saying he does have a heart. The context being Stark for the entire time was shown to be a flippant narcisstic whose actions before becoming Iron man as being callous. So Tony taking that old reactor not old resolves him not dying; it represents all the work that went into crafting it and the folks he cared about(Yensin) and those around, Pepper, who helped him(SPOILER END). All in all, it's indicative of the care and effort that went into the story. If plots are like blueprints; it's the details that make up the building blocks. If they aren't well thought out and not well connected, audiences can spot them. But a good writer smooths them out and makes it so that way they are all connected seamlessly. That is what storytellers should strive to do; make everything cohesive and consistent.

[@DarthPlato]

So, then, Rocky would be Rags-to-Riches? Trading Places seems to have two main characters--one is experiencing the voyage and return, and the other is Rags-to-Riches? Hunger Games is Voyage and Return? Where does Schindler's List fall--the Quest?

[@HrvojeMikovic]

"But these aren't the plot points you're looking for" - waves his hand in Jedi fashion... :D

[@darrenoconnell2891]

It would be a cosmic event if Script and the Drinker did a video together discussing story telling and writing.

[@brothatisfunny]

This might be one of the most important video of my life, thank you Script

[@titusvarughese5071]

Do you think that newer writers failing creatively is because they are not versed in old literature, learning previous writings styles?

[@DarthPlato]

Yes--current writers seem to draw from young audience tv shows.

[@ScriptDoctor]

Yes. Also, their ignorance thinking creativity is ruined by influence of older works doesn't help either. I've read many stories where the writers thought they were original ideas, only to see them use a very common concept executed poorly.

[@FairPlayGaming]

It is hard to pin down what you mean in regards to 'newer writers', but from what I have observed in relation to this specific topic, the issue of newer/modern TV/Movie/Show/Games writers failing to be 'creative,' specifically within the Western entertainment industry, is a relatively complex problem that goes beyond lacking knowledge about old literature/writing styles and has more to do with culture and academia. Don't get me wrong; being aware of what is out there in terms of stories, etc., is most certainly a good thing, but it cannot fix the fundamental problems we're seeing today, which is that the wrong people, who have been poorly educated to begin with, are getting into the profession for the wrong reasons.

[@DarthPlato]

@@FairPlayGaming I agree. In my experience, focus groups/workshops encourage getting involved in wider media and instruct inserting social binary logic, emphasizing that we ought to be ashamed of our past and "get pissed off" as we go forward into the world. My interaction with these folks convinces me that they really do believe that they are "fixing" the world.

[@CJStigen]

This is very inspiring, I hope to see more!

[@lobstereleven4610]

great video Script! thanks!

[@KosmicVader]

Another exercise is to pick an actor and search for examples of each plot within their body of work [ _Pro Level Handicap: No Meryl Streep, Jon Voight, Tom Cruise, Al Pacino, Christian Bale_ ] Ie: Jean Claude Van Damme *Overcoming The Monster* (Kickboxer) *Voyage And Return* (Timecop) *Rebirth* (Universal Soldier) *The Quest* (Cyborg) *Rags To Riches* (This is the tricky one, the closest example would be The Quest)

[@R.J.Godzilla81]

I wonder if these could work: #1) The Quest: The original Jason and the Argonauts, Troy, or even Robin Hood #2) Overcoming the Monster: The original Clash of the Titans #3) Rags to Riches: Trading Places (at least for Eddie Murphy’s character) #4) Rebirth: also Trading Places (but for Dan Aykroyd’s character) also the Mel Brooks film “Life Stinks” #5) The Voyage Home: Alice in Wonderland or The Odyssey

[@RevanR]

Almost mistook this as Literature Devil video of writing prompt lol But 8:33 is important part of this video, its easy to get lost in writing so breaking it down is the easy way to get on track

[@ScriptDoctor]

Thanks for the compliment. Lit Dev is a cool guy.

[@narpassword5675]

Let's not overlook the overused plot: The Prequel.

[@Eidolon1andOnly]

The "Seven Basic Plots" including "comedy" and "tragedy" as plots was just foolish. I would have replaced those _genres_ with plots like *_solving a mystery,_* which I'd consider distinct from The Quest plot since it doesn't require traveling or adventuring.

[@zoddlander]

what you are touching on in this vid is part of why I dont like the Netflix Avatar the Last Airbender! they reveal the origins of Aang(the Avatar) to early in the series! but that is just part of the problems I have!

[@matthewwade920]

Since when is the idea of the torpedos entering the target one at a time part of the plot? Interesting, but I've never heard it before and if it was intended, its underplayed in the movie

[@ScriptDoctor]

The plot point is Luke finally using the force for the first time. While visually it is a blink and you'll miss it moment, as I have shown in the video, both torpedoes are side by side as they approach the exhaust port, and then one unnaturally slows down so that the other can enter first, followed by the second torpedo. Remember, this is done without the aid of Luke's X-Wing computer targeting system. Luke is using the force to slow down one of the torpedoes to guide them into the exhaust port individually. This reinforces the set-up and the comment by Red Leader, who, after his run, remarked how the torpedoes impacted on the surface. Had Luke not listened to Obi-wan and used the computer his result would be the same as Red Leader, but instead, Luke used the force for the first time and successfully completed the trench run.

[@matthewwade920]

@@ScriptDoctor That's a clever interpretation, but of course it is a retcon and should be categorized as such - it's not described that way in drafts of the screenplay nor the original novelization.

[@ScriptDoctor]

@@matthewwade920 No it is not a retcon, it is described that way in the editing and with the FX team. Are you suggesting that when Obi-wan tells Luke to use the force, that he is not doing so when he turns off the computer and fires the torpedoes? Because that would be a retcon. In the original cut, Luke used the computer and failed to blow up the death star. He then went back into the trench, used the force and succeeded. Marcia Lucas felt that four trench runs in total was one too many and sticking with the rule of three combined both of Luke's trench runs into a single attempt. A novelization would not acknowledge such things because the novelization was completed before the final edit of the film. All novelizations are adaptations of the shooting screenplay, and the shooting script to Star Wars is not the same as the final cut. That is the case with most movie to novel adaptations.

[@pillow4casestudies]

Sorry, but this is utterly pointless for a new writer. These ideas on how to analyze stories, come after the work is done. It happens with art movements as well. How many great stories has Robert McKee written? The starting point for a new writer should be reading a lot of books, not limiting the understandinging of stories by looking them in the context of overly simplified systems. I'm talking about my own experience, reading Story made my writing a whole lot worse. No great writer has born from studiying these systems and techniques, there are no shortcuts, it takes years to understand the very basics of writing.

[@Eidolon1andOnly]

I heartily disagree.