Give your story a solid foundation - a plot that engages readers from start to finish
The best stories linger in the hearts and minds of...
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reviews
Oct 30, 2011
Elf
rated it: 
There are dozens of books that promise to list out all of the plots possible. From Heinlien's famous three to George Polti's The Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations, writers have been attempting to codify what makes a plot a plot.
Tobias' contribution is certainly in that same vein, but this is probably one of the weaker books in my "how to write" collection. The first hint that something is amiss is the cover, which has scenes from movies rather than books (although how you wo More...
Tobias' contribution is certainly in that same vein, but this is probably one of the weaker books in my "how to write" collection. The first hint that something is amiss is the cover, which has scenes from movies rather than books (although how you wo More...
Aug 31, 2010
Adrienne
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I found this book extremely helpful. I don't think it would be helpful for someone simply looking for plot ideas. That's not what it's about. There are a million other books with that aim. Without an idea in mind, I can see how the text would seem vague, as another reviewer mentioned. But I think the idea is to bring an idea to the book, search through the plot descriptions to find the one that best suits your story idea, and then use it to keep your plot focused. If you're coming to this
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Jul 08, 2010
Barry
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I picked this book up as a reference source for my writing. I have a horrible time coming up with plot, so I figured this would help. That part is bordering on success. It's a good general tool, and the author reminds the reader several times that there is no true way to writing plot. However, there are still some major weaknesses with the book. This is a general overview of 20 master plots, and when I say general I mean some parts are so diluted and water down they make no sense. The further I
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Jun 02, 2009
JM
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I took screenwriting from Ron in 1993 so I read the first book at that time. He was an amazing teacher due to his way of simplifying even the most complicated works. This is how this book works, too. If you need to get the basics, which is all anyone really needs, here's the best place to start. Once you figure this stuff out, it's a fast road to developing your own touches.
Thanks to this book I was a finalist in the AMPAS Nicholl Screenwriting Competition of 1993 and I won the b More...
Thanks to this book I was a finalist in the AMPAS Nicholl Screenwriting Competition of 1993 and I won the b More...
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Oct 02, 2011
Thomas
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Eine gute Referenz für klassische Plotstrukturen, aber mir fehlte eine Anleitung zum Mischen dieser Plots mit dem Ziel der Erzeugung von Haupt und Nebensträngen. Die Beispiele sind - verständlicherweise - in erster Linie der angloamerikanischen Literatur entlehnt und daher für mich nicht immer nachvollziehbar. Die Sprache ist flüssig. Der Stil allerdings mitunter verglichen mit anderer Creative Writing Literatur etwas gravitätisch und altbacken, aber das Buch ist ja auch schon etwas älter. Nachh
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Apr 28, 2011
Kate
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This was an informative book on general plots. The author listed 20 themes that have been used in literature. What I liked about this book is that the author gave an overview of basic plot structure, as well as examples from past literature to illustrate his points. At the end of each Plot chapter, he listed several questions to help the writer make sure they are hitting the main points of that particular type of plot.
While this book is general, it does help someone new to writing g More...
While this book is general, it does help someone new to writing g More...
Apr 06, 2011
Anne
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I found this book to be very useful in helping me choose a plot for a story I'm working on. I have a longish story I'm planning to expand into a novel, but I wasn't sure exactly what kind of plot it would have. Reading through the examples here helped me clarify my ideas. The introduction was very interesting, too, going over types of plots, their uses and evolution. It even delves into the ramifications of the number of characters you have. I suspect it will make a good reference for future pro
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Apr 12, 2010
Shauna
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A simple breakdown of the phases of different types of plots and the different elements and types of characters one needs for each. As with many Writer's Digest books, the amount of content is skimpy for the price. However, I've never seen this material laid out in this way before, so the price was worth it to me.
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Feb 12, 2012
Tracey
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I admit that I'm addicted to technical books about writing, and as plot books go, this is a really good one. It's nicely detailed with sufficient popular culture references (books, and movies) to provide easy-to-understand examples. If you're a serious writer, consider adding this one to your reference library.
Sep 09, 2008
Laura
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The author does an excellent job of discussing 20 of the most well-known story plots. Besides the discussion, he gives examples sprinkled with humor, knowledgeable insights and down to earth advice on crafting stories using these tried-and-true plots. Also, at the end of each "plot" chapter, he provides a checklist to help the reader focus on structuring the story, something akin to guidelines. Though he repeatedly tells the reader, that their story can and maybe should deviate from th
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Dec 19, 2008
Phillipylorna
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This as a killer book for those people who like to write. It had lots of info on writing plots and gave 20 examples of plots that are used in almost every story or movie. This would be a great help to anyone writing a book.
Dec 03, 2011
Megan
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More like 3.5 stars. I found this book nicely unpretentious, and it was helpful in a "here are some ideas to try" kind of way instead of the typical "this is a cookie-cutter writing program that will work for you" kind of way.
Mar 01, 2011
Jerilyn
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Interesting summary of common plots. It hasn't helped me a ton in my writing yet, but I think it has some useful information in understanding the structure of plots, common threads, and their differences.
Dec 09, 2010
Dionna
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This book is OUTSTANDING. It belongs on every writer's bookshelf. Essential for novelists and screenwriters. Writer's Digest has published many excellent books, and this is one of the best.
Jan 11, 2012
Kevin
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If you have read any book on screenwriting or taken a workshop or course, 20 Master Plots will be nothing new but I did find it a useful refresher. It's good reference material.
Nov 18, 2009
Serena
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Excellent overview of different types of plot with good instructive examples. A must-read for anyone who wants to understand the history and uses of various story plots.
Feb 19, 2010
Ana
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Sure you've seen them before. But it's nice to have them all laid out for you--especially when you're stairing down a blank page and need a little jump start.
Feb 11, 2011
Johnny
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Character and Plot, Character and Plot, Some writers have it and some do not.
This I'll tell you brother, you can't have one without the other.
This I'll tell you brother, you can't have one without the other.
Jan 31, 2012
Leah
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It really isn't geared to the writing I have been doing, but somehow that was a boon. I found parts of this book very useful.
Dec 18, 2009
Theresa
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This book may be useful if you're stuck or dealing with an unwieldy first draft. It might help you find the core of the plot.
Aug 05, 2011
C. Teresina
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Worth reading if you're a writer. It takes basic themes from literature and boils them down to the basic steps.
Mar 01, 2011
Anthony
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This was okay. Maybe useful if you're writing the sort of freelance fiction that requires a book of formulas for added color or a sense of completion. But it was also more a collection of plot summaries than a really insightful read. Still had it's moments though.
Sep 06, 2010
Lambcurry0wnzme
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you'll love this book if you are a beginning fiction writer like me with little understanding of story structure!
Oct 20, 2009
Kit
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The thing I liked best about this book was the author's general idea that plot isn't a skeleton but in fact is every part of the story.
Feb 11, 2009
Deborah
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The only reason I picked this up was because it was in the library on the shelf near another book I'd come for. I generally don't have trouble with my plots, nor do I tend to do fill-in-the-blank plotting before starting to write a story.
I think someone who has trouble with plots or is a beginning writer may find this book very useful. I certainly felt it was a nice review of what makes up good writing and an interesting look at how various fiction plots are put together.
I think someone who has trouble with plots or is a beginning writer may find this book very useful. I certainly felt it was a nice review of what makes up good writing and an interesting look at how various fiction plots are put together.
