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20 Master Plots: And How to Build Them | 
 enlarge | Author: Ronald Tobias
Publisher: Writers Digest Books
Category: Book
List Price: $14.99
Buy New: $6.21
You Save: $8.78 (59%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  35 reviews
Sales Rank: 37484
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 240
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 9.2 x 6.5 x 0.7
ISBN: 1582972397
Dewey Decimal Number: 808
UPC: 035313108891
EAN: 9781582972398
ASIN: 1582972397
Publication Date: January 17, 2003
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Book Description
This book shows the reader how to take timeless storytelling structures and make them immediate, now, for fiction that's universal in how it speaks to the reader's heart and contemporary in detail and impact. Each chapter includes brief excerpts and descriptions of fiction from many times, many genres - myth and fairy tale, genre and mainstream fiction, film plots of all types, short story and novel. Find 20 fundamental plots that recur through all fiction - with analysis and examples - that outline benefits and warnings, for writers to adapt and elaborate in their own fiction. Ronald B. Tobias has spent his career as a writer moving from genre to genre, first as a short story writer, then as an author of fiction and nonfiction books and finally as a writer and producer of documentaries for public television. He is currently a professor in the Department of Media and Theatre Arts at Montana State University and the author of The Insider's Guide to Writing for Screen and Television. He lives in Bozeman, Montana.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 30 more reviews...
More than a how-to.... May 31, 2008
I was very pleased to find that this "how-to" guide is actually a very well written introduction to and analysis of the major plots found in all storytelling media in our culture.
The writing is crisp, enjoyable, accessible, yet also deep with critical insights valuable to any writer or wannabe.
I've already recommended it to several friends without hesitation! Read, learn, apply, enjoy!
 Anatomy of a novel February 4, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
There is a theory that states that every story ever told fits into one (or more) of a small number of plot structures. These "master plots" are usually something like the quest, love, rivalry, etc. I'm still not entirely convinced that this theory is true. However, looking through the 20 master plots listed in this book, I will admit that I find it difficult to think of a story that doesn't fit into one or more of these categories.
"20 Master Plots" is not so much a writing manual, as the sort of book you would expect to be set if you were taking a university level writing or literature course. Although it does provide advice on how to write a novel which fits into one of these plot structures, most of the book is made up of analyses of existing books and movies that fit into one of these categories. Nevertheless, as an aspiring novelist, I have found this book to be of far more use to me than any of the writing manuals which I own. I find this book to be incredibly useful when I am starting a novel and trying to develop the plot. Although, I don't follow the prescribed plot structures religiously, I find that the plot structures provide me with useful suggestions as to elements that I might like to include in my story. If this book is even only half as useful to you as it is to me, it will be well worth your money.
Thank you thank you thank you, Tobias February 2, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I must thank the universe and Tobias for this incredibly clear and helpful book. I am a published novelist, and have turned to this book many times in order to improve and better organize my stories. Tobias is so right when he speaks of the importance in connecting events, the cause and effect spark that happens from scene to scene in a tight plot, and many helful reminders on how to ignite the fire that brings a good story its drama. People who believe that plots naturally write themselves may have their points, but its important not to misinterpret Tobias's approach to what it means to have structure. He teaches that PLOT is not a skeleton which you hang your story over, artificially and easily, but an organic FORCE that you must find within your protagonists---having to do with his path---that propells your story along in the most dynamic way possible. This book has been the most essential gift to my career so far and I pass it on to all aspiring writers as well as experienced writers who are still in the process of serious edits. I recently began reading it from cover to cover and wish this would have been required reading when I was in writing school. I attended a master's program at USC, and after all the how-to books I've read, this remains my bible.
Helpful January 22, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
This is a helpful book for the writer to own. However, imagination and courage is something that can not be learnt. But if you already have these attributes than this is a book is one you that you should read.
 Not a bad option but not a great one either January 16, 2008
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
This book intrigued me when I saw it on the shelf at Barnes and Noble. I picked it up and have just recently started reading through it.
At first it looks like a book that will give a solid basis for building a plot by finding the patterns each plot has. The reality is that this book shows how to give SOME basis to building your plot. Where the author isn't taking up paragraphs to say what could be said in a sentence (and usually what he is saying is painfully obvious) he has a clear bias against certain genres. He doesn't come out and say "commercial fiction is contrived, formulaic garbage and you're an idiot if you buy it - just read literally fiction instead, it's so much more refreshing!" but if you read the other reviews for this book you'll see that I'm not the only one who feels that he was trying to convey that message.
Is it worth the money? That depends. Spending $10, $20, even $40 on a book that only has one concept that makes you think, puts what you know in a different perspective, or in any other way changes how you look at what you write is more than worth the money. Whether or not this book has that concept is up to the individual to decide.
You could do a lot worse than "20 Master Plots And How to Build Them" but there are many better books too. And most of those don't talk down to you for enjoying a piece of fiction that's backed by a large label or producing studio.
Edit August 5 2008 Instead of this, I would recommend the "Write Great Fiction" series and "Novelist's Boot Camp."
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