1. Seven Basic Plots

2. Overcoming the Monster Jack and the Beanstalk Dracula Independence Day Most episodes of Dr. Who

3. Rags-to-Riches Cinderella The Horse and His Boy Matilda Superman Pretty Woman Jane Eyre

4. The Quest Jason and the Golden Fleece The Odyssey Lord of the Rings (Frodo’s quest) Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone The Wizard of Oz Raiders of the Lost Ark The Catcher in the Rye

5. Voyage and Return Alice in Wonderland The Magician’s Nephew Gulliver’s Travels The Hobbit The Time Machine Gone with the Wind The Inferno by Dante

6. Comedy Shakespeare’s comedies Most TV sitcom episodes (‘My Family’; ‘Friends’) Most romantic comedies Most of Jane Austen’s works

7. Tragedy Macbeth, King Lear, Hamlet A Streetcar Named Desire Bonnie and Clyde The Picture of Dorian Gray Of Mice and Men The Diary of Anne Frank

8. Rebirth Sleeping Beauty Shrek Prince Caspian (Eustace) Silas Marner It’s a Wonderful Life

9. Plot conventions help writers… These are building blocks. They can be moved around and combined in various ways Writers can put their own spin on a plot type, using a similar classic story as a guide. Knowing why classic stories are still compelling will help writers produce more broadly appealing stories.