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TSA Writing Tips - Twenty Basic Plots

IDEAS, PLOTS & USIN T!E P"E#ISE S!EETS

A$ter yo% coe %p wit' yo%r own syste $or generating i(eas, t'e ne)t step is to

p%t t'e in soe recogni*a+le story $or t'e +asic plot i(ea, +%il( yo%r central

con.ict t'e story preise s'eet, t'en +%il( yo%r c'aracter an( %n(erlying t'ees

t'e t'eatic preise s'eet/

01 2UEST - t'e plot in3ol3es t'e Protagonist4s searc' $or a person, place or t'ing,

tangi+le or intangi+le +%t %st +e 5%anti6a+le, so t'in7 o$ t'is as a no%n8 i/e/,

iortality/

09 AD:ENTU"E - t'is plot in3ol3es t'e Protagonist going in searc' o$ t'eir $ort%ne,

an( since $ort%ne is ne3er $o%n( at 'oe, t'e Protagonist goes to searc' $or it

soew'ere o3er t'e rain+ow/

0; PU"SUIT - t'is plot literally in3ol3es 'i(e-an(-see7, one person c'asing anot'er/

0< "ES=UE - t'is plot in3ol3es t'e Protagonist searc'ing $or soeone or soet'ing,

%s%ally consisting o$ t'ree ain c'aracters - t'e Protagonist, t'e :icti & t'e

Antagonist/

0> ES=APE - plot in3ol3es a Protagonist con6ne( against t'eir will w'o wants toescape (oes not incl%(e soe one trying to escape t'eir personal (eons/

0? "E:ENE - retaliation +y Protagonist or Antagonist against t'e ot'er $or real or

iagine( in@%ry/

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0 T!E "IDDLE - plot in3ol3es t'e Protagonist4s searc' $or cl%es to 6n( t'e 'i((en

eaning o$ soet'ing in 5%estion t'at is (eli+erately enigatic or a+ig%o%s/

0 "I:AL"C - plot in3ol3es Protagonist copeting $or sae o+@ect or goal as anot'er

person t'eir ri3al/

0 UNDE"DO - plot in3ol3es a Protagonist copeting $or an o+@ect or goal t'at is

at a great (isa(3antage an( is $ace( wit' o3erw'eling o((s/

01 TE#PTATION - plot in3ol3es a Protagonist t'at $or one reason or anot'er is

in(%ce( or pers%a(e( to (o soet'ing t'at is %nwise, wrong or ioral/

011 #ETA#O"P!OSIS - t'is plot in3ol3es t'e p'ysical c'aracteristics o$ t'e

Protagonist act%ally c'anging $ro one $or to anot'er re.ecting t'eir inner

psyc'ological i(entity/

019 T"ANSFO"#ATION - plot in3ol3es t'e process o$ c'ange in t'e Protagonist as

t'ey @o%rney t'ro%g' a stage o$ li$e t'at o3es t'e $ro one signi6cant c'aracter

state to anot'er/

01; #ATU"ATION - plot in3ol3es t'e Protagonist $acing a pro+le t'at is part o$

growing %p, an( $ro (ealing wit' it, eerging into a state o$ a(%lt'oo( going $ro

innocence to e)perience/

01< LO:E - plot in3ol3es t'e Protagonist o3ercoing t'e o+stacles to lo3e t'at

7eeps t'e $ro cons%ating engaging in tr%e lo3e/

01> FO"BIDDEN LO:E - plot in3ol3es Protagonists o3ercoing o+stacles create(

+y social ores an( ta+oos to cons%ate t'eir relations'ip an( soeties

6n(ing it at too 'ig' a price to li3e wit'/

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01? SA="IFI=E - plot in3ol3es t'e Protagonist ta7ing actions t'at is oti3ate( +y a

'ig'er p%rpose concept s%c' as lo3e, 'onor, c'arity or $or t'e sa7e o$ '%anity/

01 DIS=O:E"C - plot t'at is t'e ost c'aracter-centere( o$ all, in3ol3es t'e

Protagonist 'a3ing to o3ercoe an %p'ea3els in t'eir li$e, an( t'ere+y (isco3ering

soet'ing iportant an( +%rie( wit'in t'e a +etter %n(erstan(ing o$ li$e i/e/,

+etter appreciation o$ t'eir li$e, a clearer p%rpose in t'eir li$e, etc/

01 W"ET=!ED EG=ESS - plot in3ol3es a Protagonist w'o, eit'er +y c'oice or +y

acci(ent, p%s'es t'e liits o$ accepta+le +e'a3ior to t'e e)tree an( is $orce( to

(eal wit' t'e conse5%ences generally (eals wit' t'e psyc'ological (ecline o$ t'e

c'aracter/

01 AS=ENSION - rags-to-ric'es plot (eals wit' t'e rise s%ccess o$ Protagonist (%e

to a (oinating c'aracter trait t'at 'elps t'e to s%ccee(/

09 DE=ISION - ric'es-to-rags plot (eals wit' t'e $all (estr%ction o$ Protagonist

(%e to (oinating c'aracter trait t'at e3ent%ally (estroys t'eir s%ccess/

NoteH Soeties 01 & 09 are co+ine( into rags-to-ric'es-to-rags or 3ice

3ersa o$ a Protagonist w'o (oes or (oesn4t learn to (eal wit' t'eir (oinating

c'aracter trait/

For an in-(ept' loo7 at t'ese plots, rea( t'e e)cellent 9 #aster Plots an( !ow To

B%il( T'e +y "onal( B/ To+ias a3aila+le t'ro%g' t'e TSA Writers Store/