There are only so many ideas, the rest is variation....

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I remember having this conversation here a couple of years ago so there is no way I'll be able to find the thread for this.

So, I am asking, especially you writers:

It has been said that there are only so many ideas to be written, I think the number was 7. Most things written fall into one of the 7 catagories. Does anyone remember the catagories?

I am asking because I have been asked to take part in a small workshop on how to get started in filmmaking. One of the things I wanted to talk about is coming up with ideas that take a different approach than what they have already seen and give an example.

Does anyone remember hearing this or having this conversation?

-- spinner :cool:
 
You mean like man vs. man, man vs. machine, etc.?
 
Yes, I remember the conversation, and there are also a few books about it..

The seven basic story plots are:

Man vs Nature, Man vs. Man, Man vs. Environment, Man vs. Machines/Technology, Man vs. Supernatural, Man vs. Self, Man vs. God/Religion

However, another way of looking at it is presented by Ronald Tobias in his book the Twenty Basic Plots... suggesting that the twenty basic plots are: quest, adventure, pursuit, rescue, escape, revenge, riddle, rivalry, underdog, temptation, metamorphosis, transformation, maturation, love, forbidden love, sacrifice, discovery, wretched excess, ascension, and decision.

Of course, if you break any of those down to it's bare elements, it will fit within one of the seven basic plots, so it's not quite as specific. It's also more likely that the twenty basic plots would be combined, so you may have a story about an underdog trying to escape, overcome temptation and win his love -- all of which is likely to be an adventure, but when boiled down it's going to fit nicely into one of the seven basic plots, and while it may at times feel like it could belong to multiples of the seven, it really would only perfectly fit into one.
 
You might also have good results working this into your workshop:

harry_potter.jpg

Because while it may be a comedic example, it's also a pretty illuminating one. ;)
 
Thanks! you guys! I knew I was coming to the right place!

I think even though I am talking to people who may or may not be screenwriters, when coming up with a good idea for a film of some sort, these catagories will help them out alot. :yes:

...and Will!
Thank you so much for the Star Wars/Harry Potter sysnopsis! The people I will be talking with will be grade schoolers, so they will definitely get a big kick out of this!

-- spinner :cool:
 
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