Story plots and how to get the most from yours; Part Five

This week we look at the final four of Ronald Tobias’ twenty story plots.

Click the link below to review the first four.

http://darkeconteur.wordpress.com/2012/02/27/story-plots-and-how-to-get-the-most-from-yours/

Click the link below to review the second four.

http://darkeconteur.wordpress.com/2012/03/05/story-plots-and-how-to-get-the-most-from-yours-part-two/

Click the link below to review the third four.

http://darkeconteur.wordpress.com/2012/03/12/story-plots-and-how-to-get-the-most-from-yours-part-three/

Click the link below to review last week’s four.

http://darkeconteur.wordpress.com/2012/03/19/story-plots-and-how-to-get-the-most-from-yours-part-four/

Now, onto the final four.

17. Discovery

With Discovery, our Hero learns something, either good or bad, and must make a difficult choice. How important this discovery is, may not be known at first, but it is important to the overall storyline as its true significance is revealed.

 

18. Wretched Excess

I’ve never heard of this story plot before and it seems a little over the top for a plot idea. With a Wretched Excess plot, character behaviour is pushed past the accepted normality. Things are done to the extreme as the world looks on. I’m not sure how well of a plot this could be as it seems only geared for a horror story.

 

19. Ascension

In this plot, our Hero begins the story in the most dire of circumstances. Perhaps he is virtually in the gutter, maybe a criminal or someone on the fringes of society. The plot depicts their them becoming a better person; often to stress that would defeat a normal person, and therefore achieving the rightly deserved heroic status.

 

20. Descension

The opposite to ascension, our Hero comes from a place of prominence. Due to factors within his life (and the story) we watch as he tumbles into a downward spiral of moral or social depravity, possible as the result of not able to handle the stress he finds himself under

 

There you have it. The 20 plot ideas for your novel. While the majority of them did intrigue me, I found several that could be used more efficiently as sub-plots.

Have you written a story with these plot elements?

Story plots and how to get the most from yours; Part Four

Last week I posted four more story plots, and this week we’ll look at four more;

Click the link below to review the first four.

http://darkeconteur.wordpress.com/2012/02/27/story-plots-and-how-to-get-the-most-from-yours/

Click the link below to review the second four.

http://darkeconteur.wordpress.com/2012/03/05/story-plots-and-how-to-get-the-most-from-yours-part-two/

Click the link below to review the third four

http://darkeconteur.wordpress.com/2012/03/12/story-plots-and-how-to-get-the-most-from-yours-part-three/

Now, onto this week’s four.

13. Maturation

With the maturation plot, our Hero grows up, either literally or mentally. The often reckless abandonment of youth are lost as they learn hard lessons and grow. This plot is not necessarily restricted to the young. Any character can find new meaning or purpose to their journey. It also goes a long way in showing character development.

14. Love

The love story (in my opinion) one of the oldest plots created. Two people find each other, fall in love, but are usually separated and must overcome obstacles in order for either their love to survive, or to be reunited. The end is generally the same, as no one wants a sad ending to a love story.

15. Forbidden Love

A good plot ripe with possible conflict, Forbidden Love happens when two people break social rules to carry on a secret love affair. The story revolves around their inner conflicts and the possible effects the affair could have on others if their secret is found out. This would be a good tension plot as the characters would always be on their guard or paranoid about someone finding out. This kind of tension can either strengthen their relationship, or pull it apart.

16. Sacrifice

For the Sacrifice plot, our Hero must show great honour and give much more of himself than most people would. Most likely, this is not the original intent of our Hero but as the situation becomes more desperate, it ends up being the only solution, emphasizing the heroic nature of the Hero and the act.

Like last week’s four, this week’s four again, have something in common. The extreme nature that a character can, or will go through for the sake of the goal. For the most part, they are a better person at the end, but a great emotional or physical toll has been exacted, and sometimes these circumstances alone stay with the character even when the goal has been accomplished.

 

Have you written a story with these plot elements?