Book Review of
20 MASTER PLOTS (And How to Build Them)
by Ronald B. Tobias
1993, Writer's Digest Books

WORTH STUDYING

20 Master Plots: (And How to Build Them), by Ronald B. Tobias, provides an interesting analysis of plot, in general, and then a chapter-by-chapter countdown of twenty specific master-plot scenarios. Whether you believe there are really only one or two basic patterns upon which all stories are built, or whether you believe there are an infinite number of possibilities, 20 Master Plots is worth studying.

The first five chapters offer a detailed study of plot in general. The remaining chapters are each dedicated to one of the master plots: Quest, Adventure, Pursuit, Rescue, Escape, Revenge, Riddle, Rivalry, Underdog, Temptation, Metamorphosis, Transformation, Maturation, Love, Forbidden Love, Sacrifice, Discovery, Wretched Excess, Ascension, and Descension.

The author provides a recap checklist at the end of each chapter, but no exercises. An index is available for easy reference.

The final chapter helps put the concept of master plots in perspective. Not all stories fit nicely into the master-plot scenarios. Some stories are a combination of two or more master plots. The characteristics of each master plot are not rigid rules; they're guidelines to be used, discarded, or molded to fit the needs of the story.

Critics of the book may disagree with the whole concept of master plots, or they may disagree on how many basic plots there are. Some of the material seemed redundant, but overall I found the presentations enlightening and the concepts useful.

Learn more about this author, Mike Klaassen.
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