Customer Reviews

20 Master Plots and How to Build Them

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

If you've looked inside the book yet then you've noted the twenty master plots that are exposed in this book. So I won't list them here.

For each one there is an example, an analysis of the example and a three-act structure for using the plot. There is also a checklist at the end of each plot so you have some idea what you should be doing to develop this plot in a successful manner.

eg plot 3 the pursuit: the checklist is
* the chase is more important than the people who take part in it
* Make sure there's a real danger of the pursued getting caught
* your pursuer should have a reasonable chance of catching the pursued; they may even catch them momentarily
* rely heavily on physical action
* Your story and your characters should be stimulating, engaging and unique
* Develop your characters and situations against type to avoid cliches
* keep your situations as geographically confined as possible; the smaller the area the greater the tension
* The first dramatic phase should have 3 stages. a) establish the ground rules for the chase b) establish the stakes and c)start the race with a motivating incident

okay this book does a slightly cookbook feel about plot developement, but for those new to the game, what's wrong with getting a little support and help? Consider it a training manual for plotting! And sure you might not agree with the checklists and the manner...but don't you see, that it's getting you thinking about it too! So even if you hate it, you still gain because it pushes you to refute or accept or partially accept what it presents, and this requires effort. Effort creates thought, which leads to understanding and the development of your own ideas! So where's the problem! The only problem is if you're looking for a 'do-it-for-me'...sorry you miss out here.

Apart from the exposition of each of the 20 plots there are chapters (as listed in the table of contents) involving triangular relationships, structure, motivations, the basics of plotting: the things that are always the same.

Seriously for $10 you get a lot of book. It has some really useful content here. I am an engineer and have written two fictional novels (neither published, since I never realy tried to get them published). Yeah scary huh? A literate engineer! That aside, it appeals to my 'generalize the solution space' nature and make a solution that is readily acceptable, decipherable and accessible (there was once a british engineer who went to the local library, found out the most popular childrens books, analyzed them for the common characteristics and plots and then wrote his own...hey it's ugly but it worked!)

Just remember that there is no substitute for actually writing. Nothing will write for you. It is not a panacea. It won't give you ideas nor will it make you a good wordsmith. It will guide and help you to develop one of the major stumbling blocks in writing: having a story that actually goes somewhere (you just have to be sure you avoid being 'formulaic' and applying a given plot too rigidly- remember it's a guide, not a blueprint!). Great characters doing nothing don't interest too many poeple outside of the literary criticism clique. I'm sure it makes them cringe because one doesn't do these things...circumventing the process of suffering for ones art.

Great value for money, well written, using examples we all know and it's cheap. What more could you want? Definitely 5 stars!

'20 Master Plots: And How to Build Them' is a well thought out idea that falls a little short in it's delivery, but in the end saves itself through originality.

The first chapter, titled 'Invisible Fiction', sets the mood for what's to come. The author expresses his opinions on plots and the many forms, how they all originate from a top three to be broken down into a 'top 20' for easier following. Chapter two, ' The Lowest Common Plot Denominators', discusses building tension through opposition, the three sections of a story (beginning, middle, and end), and other crucial things a plot requires to stay alive. Chapter 3, 'The Strong Force', is short in length, basically informing the reader what a 'character driven plot is' versus a 'plot driven' one.

Chapter four, 'Deep Structure', focuses on themes and moral arguments, while chapter five, 'Triangles', is an interesting, unique way to see characters and how they interact with each other.

After this, we finally begin the '20 plots', each divided by chapter. Each goes through all three 'acts' of the plot (again: beginning, middle, end), ending with a checklist to recap all that has been learned.

The wrap up chapter, 'Parting Shots', reminds you that the book is not a guide etched in stone and that rules are made to be broken. It's also stated that many times a plot is a mixture of two or more basic '20 Master Plots'.

At 232 pages, this book covers quite a bit. I was enthused as the sections, and recognized many of the 'patterns', but was left wanting in other areas. The information was useful, but if you read it straight through, many of the plot types repeat the same thing and it becomes redundant and dull. Also, some held examples of other novels and stories to illustrate what the author meant. I loved this; it enabled me to get a firmer grasp on things. Unfortunitely many of the plots don't have as many examples, or none at all, and I missed it when they did.

Wrapping up, this is a great resource guide for writers. If you have trouble with plotting, pick this up for a reasonable price. Heck, even if you don't, still pick it up for there are things out there you may not know about yet. On the downside it wasn't the most interesting thing to read, was a bit redundant, other times not being consistent enough.

Ronald B. Tobias must have written this book with me in mind. I've published and edited non-fiction for years, but now trying my hand at writing fiction. Scary! I usually advise people to stay away for books on how to write, believing it can't be taught. But Tobias chops through the undergrowth and reveals very practical information on structuring your work.

Almost all of the books I've worked on as inhouse editor suffer from lack of structure. Intelligent people seem clueless when it comes to shaping their manuscripts and making them commercially viable. 20 Master Plots offers much more than plot ideas. It succinctly puts forth a wealth of information on how to think about what you're doing and where you are going with your work. I'm so jazzed by this book, I woke up after three hours' sleep to write this review and get back to my novel. Exciting!

As an author and writing teacher, I've looked at other books on master plots and found them very wanting. This one , however, is dynamite. I found multiple ways to use it - it helped clarify in my mind what kinds of plots I had used in the past to write my novels, it gave me ideas for master plots I hadn't yet tried and it gave me a window into several courses I plan to teach in the near future, one on plotting and one in memoir, where I plan to challenge the students to find the master plots in their life stories.Tobias' ideas on just what the master plots are make sense, unlike many other books on the subject, plus he offers the reader lots of original insights into how these plots work, what the "rules" of each plot are and how to look deeper into the themes within each plot. Helpful prompts and checklists at the end of each chapter make this a natural for any aspiring writer who wants to work on plot, or any writing teacher who wants to clarify the subject for students of any age. This one's going in my Best Books shelf!

I have been working on a mystery novel and I picked up 20 Master Plots to help me structure the story. Since I've already got my basic plot (Mystery) I was able to use the book to help me make sure that I had my ducks in a row.

However, the book will not go much deeper than getting you started in any master plot type. It essentially delivers a magazine article about every plot type -- a great starting place.

The book is a great reference book and should sit in the writers library. From there it will deliver wisdom in 10-minute shots and get you going on any story.

I have three big boxes of books on writing I'm going to sell and just keep this one. I almost didn't buy this book because I don't want to write formula fiction and was put off by the title. But this isn't about formulas -- it's about understanding the dynamics of story and what the reader needs.
It's well written, concise and unexpectedly entertaining. But best of all, it has helped me break down the elements of my novel to better understand what's working and what's not -- and how to fix it. I wish I'd bought it when it first came out. For the writer struggling with plot, this is the book for you.

I see that some reviewers find Tobia's stuff obvious. I don't; it's exactly what I need. Plot is my bete noir. I have no trouble with style, and characterization and dialogue are fun, but plot--argh! So who cares if Tobias could have used some line-editing? He knows what I want to find out, and he explains it in a way I can understand. His image of plot as process rather than skeleton was enormously helpful. Bless him!

I had been trying to pen my first novel for eleven years, but, in spite of all my reading of other writing books as well as immersing myself in the kind of fiction I was trying to create, I didn't have the critical acumen to define how to do it. This book tells you what you want to do, how to achieve it, and why it's important. Tobias does this with clarity, authority, grace, and humor. This book gave me everything I needed to write my book. Thank you, Ron!

I have no problems with writing narrative or dialogue, and can sometimes create interesting charcters. But I always get stuck on plot. And without plot, one's novel will run out of steam very quickly. Well, maybe yours won't, but mine always do....

That's why this book is good. Twenty plots, each described in some detail, with examples from film or literature, the three dramatic phases (beginning, middle, and end), and final checklist.

While I do not agree with the author opinion that these 20 master plots constitute a definitive list, this is still an excellent primer and starting point.

I especially found the short final checklist right at the end to be very useful. Thinking up answers helps one to clarify where one's story is going.

On the downside, a complex and well-written novel will take many twists and turns, it will not just have the simple 3-fold structure recommended here. An interesting story will also combine several of these plots and themes; if you use just one you will end up with a very cliche'd story. And I am still not decided on Tobias' view that even so there should only be one major plot.

To sum up, not the whole story in writing plots by any means, but an invaluable edition to any fiction-writer's library.

Tobias does a good job breaking down common plotlines into their respective patterns. His book provides a method to analyze storylines and identify their basic components, making it easier to understand the underlying structure of the novel or screenplay. He illustrates his ideas through well-chosen examples from the classics as well as modern day literature.

Tobias has taken the time to find out what many great authors said and wrote about the nature of their craft. My favorite is a quote attributed to Somerset Maugham: "There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately no one knows what they are." This book attempts to identify the rules for story construction in a way that many aspiring novelists will find useful.