20 Master Plots: And How to Build Them

Written by Ronald B. Tobias

Narrated by Barry Abrams

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Feb 26, 2019
• ISBN: 9781977343949

Ronald B. Tobias

Ronald B. Tobias is a professor of science and natural history filmmaking in the School of Film and Photography at Montana State University. He was a producer for the Discovery Channel for fifteen years and has produced, written, and directed more than thirty natural history films, many of which have appeared on the Discovery Channel and Animal Planet.

Reviews for 20 Master Plots

[drardavis · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This well written and interesting book would be useful to any writer regardless of where they are in their current project. If you are just starting to let the new ideas percolate you could find the structure of a plot to suit your fancy. If you are finished or have substantial work in progress you can use Tobias’ work to check the structure you have created. I noticed a weakness in manuscript and was able to plug the hole thanks to this book. The examples, taken from literature and film, make the text enjoyable reading even if you are not a writer.

[nodosaurus · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book categorizes fiction plots into twenty categories, then systematically goes through to discuss each of them.Each plot is divided into three parts, the author discusses each part and uses well-known examples from literature to help characterize them. They are easy to understand and to follow and provide a basic outline for any basic fiction plot.My only complaint would be that the analysis is overly broad, but that’s what the author promised. I enjoyed the book and will probably use it for reference in the future.

[jakohnen · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book covers the 20 fundamental plots and I've returned to it many times. Analysis and examples help to outline benefits and warnings for writers. This is a helpful tool for all writer to have.

[serenayates · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent overview of different types of plot with good instructive examples. Interesting for both beginners and advanced writers, as well as for anyone who wants to know more about the kinds of stories they have encountered. A must-read for anyone who wants to understand the history and uses of various story plots.

[scott.bradley · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Hugely disappointing. One of the worst books on writing that I have read (or not read really, as I was unable to trudge through the whole thing). The numerous grammatical errors in this book are distracting enough to undermine the credibility of the book as a book about writing. The so-called master plots are not really plots at all, but broad story types. The "how to build them" part is just not really there. For a more solid plot-centric book about writing, I recommend Christopher Vogler's Writer's Journey, which is based on the work of Joseph Campbell.

[sageness · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Published in 1993. The politics and world-view is dated, and the overt homophobia and ingrained Judeo-Christian moral sensibility are a little surprising. Likewise, the race and class issues are rampant, but the determined use of female and male pronouns in his examples is both welcome and sort of adorable in that "awww, early 90s! Look at you being inclusive!" way.

The plot examples from literature and film are very good. The world has changed a fair bit in 19 years, however, so the way he describes relationship dynamics reads as overly simplistic to me.

I do wish he'd addressed multiple plot. Yes, there needs to be a main plot, but subplots are essential for a story to have depth and wrangling them successfully can be difficult. I suppose that was beyond the scope of this book, sadly.

[rmagahiz · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The most common plots in fiction, with plenty of examples.

[anneearney · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I found this book to be very useful in helping me choose a plot for a story I'm working on. I have a longish story I'm planning to expand into a novel, but I wasn't sure exactly what kind of plot it would have. Reading through the examples here helped me clarify my ideas. The introduction was very interesting, too, going over types of plots, their uses and evolution. It even delves into the ramifications of the number of characters you have. I suspect it will make a good reference for future projects, as well.

[claude_lambert_10 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What is the difference between a plot and a story? What is the importance of developing a plot? What are the main characteristics of a quest? What do you have to be attentive to if you write the story of an underdog? These are interesting questions for a young writer, indeed for any reader. The book is fairly simple, full of examples and interesting to read. It is also deceptively simple. It is easy to think "I knew that" and much more difficult to practice it. Each chapter has a checklist that should help a student to write a better essay. There are lots of examples from classic literature. Of course one may consult many more complex and authoritative books, but I like this one because it really makes you think about your own project.