Every possible storyline

November 7, 2005 12:47 AM

Someone, a long time ago, came up with a list of every possible plot / storyline - the idea being that every work of fiction basically follows one of a limited number of basic formulae (ie. Man gets girl. Man loses girl. Man goes on quest. Man gets girl back) Who wrote this list, and where can I find it? Google fails me.
posted by Jimbob to media & arts (18 comments total)

Northrop Frye?
posted by ori at 12:54 AM on November 7, 2005

I don't remember any such list, but could it be possible you're thinking of Plots Unlimited?

Or, if it's not that particular book, try reading the "people who bought this book also bought" lists on the Amazon page I linked to.
posted by orange swan at 12:56 AM on November 7, 2005

Not quite - It looks like Frye had a bit to say on the matter (list of "types" of comedy and "types" of tragedy) but not the list I'm looking for - from the language it was in I think it was several centuries old.
posted by Jimbob at 12:59 AM on November 7, 2005

You might want to read the entry on 'Archetypal Criticism' here and here..

Finally, here's the list.
posted by ori at 1:03 AM on November 7, 2005

That's a good link ori - I'll mark you best answer even if it's not the same list because...well...you did find what I asked for.

This was a stright list - numbered, but divided into a few categories, and a lot of the language referred to quite old fashioned characters.

For instance...

"Monarch is disposed from throne, finds comrades in exile and returns to regain power."

That is a complete fabrication, but it's the kind of storyline the list contained. The idea being that in the modern context, the "monarch" could be the chief of police or the intergalactic starship captain.
posted by Jimbob at 1:14 AM on November 7, 2005

George Polti's 36 Dramatic Situations?
posted by chrismear at 1:19 AM on November 7, 2005

We have a winner.
posted by Jimbob at 1:34 AM on November 7, 2005

Rats, chrismear beat me to it. But you might also enjoy an application of the list to RPGs or Polti's book.

In the same vein, you might be interested in the work of Joseph Campbell.
posted by kyleg at 1:42 AM on November 7, 2005

And you might be interested in the work of Vladimir Propp, a Russian structuralist who analyzed the common narrative elements of Russian folktales.
posted by dmo at 2:34 AM on November 7, 2005

I recall something similar from Omni Magazine, but it was a decision tree sort of thing for science fiction.
posted by Goofyy at 3:03 AM on November 7, 2005

I realize the question's been answered to the user's satisfaction, but Goofyy's comment also reminded me of this and this.
posted by kimota at 4:02 AM on November 7, 2005

Another "Yeah!" on Vladimir Propp. I took a class a few years ago where the professor used Propp's elements of folk tales to assess spy movies. It was fun.

In the process of digging around for background for that class, I found the Proppian Fairy Tale Generator, which is sorta nifty.
posted by mph at 4:47 AM on November 7, 2005

I'd also heard of this and been looking for sources so thanks. Picking up on one of the "also ordered" books from Ori's link it seem like Twenty Mast Plots and How to Build Them them might be a useful practical guide.

I also remember hearing that that the appearance of movies of the Indiana Jones type in the 80s caused people to argue that this was a brand new type of plot.
posted by rongorongo at 4:49 AM on November 7, 2005

Previous discussion of this question
posted by Hildago at 8:17 AM on November 7, 2005

I typed "list plots" into the search box.
posted by Hildago at 8:19 AM on November 7, 2005

Cool thread...great links; thanks!

I always liked this line:

There are only two stories; the Hero goes on a journey, and a Stranger comes to town.

I can hear the soundtracks warming up already...
posted by dpcoffin at 10:03 AM on November 7, 2005

There's only one story. Every stranger is just a hero from another town.
posted by 23skidoo at 12:06 PM on November 7, 2005

Humph. Bloody reductionists.
posted by dpcoffin at 4:31 PM on November 7, 2005