20 Master Plots and How to Build Them by Ronald B. Tobias
279 pages in paperback. Published by Writer’s Digest BOOKS ISBN 978-1-59963-537-8
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As a “wanna-be-writer”, getting my hands around the concept of plot has been troublesome.
What is a plot? Is it a summary of the story, a description of what the story is? How do you develop a plot? Doing research on the internet (Bing and Google) provided some answers. But I still did not have all the information I needed. I purchased the book because of the title “20 Master Plots”. I figured that I would learn what these 20 are. I left with a better understanding of what a plot is and is not. And the basics of creating a plot. This book provides clearer answers. It explains each type of plot in one chapter. This makes it easier to locate the plot you want to work on. At the end of each chapter, the author included a checklist. A summary that you can check to make sure the plot you are developing conforms to the plot you desire.
There is an ONLINE BONUS, FREE PDF checklist for each of the 20 plots but no is no longer available when I looked.
I cannot compare this to other books by other authors on the same subject. The author states that there are 20 basic plots, and he gave ample examples of the 20 plots to differentiate each. There can be over 20 types of plots, depending on how you package things.
I am not familiar with all the stories he used as examples. But he provided enough information about the stories so you can follow what he is trying to explain.
Over all, a good book. It is a wonderful guide in starting your story and how to create the basic plot.
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