Steal This Plot

if necessary, but get it onto your shelf of writers' indispensable books. The authors identify the 13 basic story patterns--Vengeance, Catastrophe, Love and Hate, the Chase, Grief and Loss, Rebellion, Betrayal, Persecution, Self-Sacrifice, etc., and draw upon classic examples to illustrate the obligatory beats to each story pattern. First, this will help you identify which pattern your story draws from; then, it will remind you of what you've forgotten--that's making your version of the story not work. Remember T. S. Eliot's comment: "Immature poets borrow. Mature poets steal." Yes, the Nobles also deal with the issue of "plagiarism," but that's NOT the focus of this excellent book.

Steal this plot isn't about stealing, its about borrowing ideas from popular fiction to create new stories. This is an older book, with an unremarkable cover that you can probably find only used, but its well worth tracking down if you can find a copy. I like the authors' breakdown of primary plot line and story 'spicer's (an interesting concept I think I will want to use), and the examples the authors give are well written and interesting. On the flipside, I didn't think each motivation needed to be quite so thoroughly explained as motivational forces such as "self-sacrifice" should be well understood by the average reader. In particular, I liked the examples the authors gave on how to incorporate Greek/Roman myth into modern writing. 5 stars. Well worth picking up, some aspects a little pedantic, overall good.