"Patch of Dirt:" 36 Dramatic Situations and 7 Basic Plots
The 36 Dramatic Situations
Each situation is stated; followed by the necessary elements for each situation.
1. Supplication o a Persecutor; a Supplicant; a Power in authority, whose decision is doubtful. 2. Deliverance o an Unfortunate; a Threatener; a Rescuer 3. Crime pursued by vengeance o a Criminal; an Avenger 4. Vengeance taken for kin upon kin o Guilty Kinsman; an Avenging Kinsman; remembrance of the Victim, a relative of both 5. Pursuit o Punishment; a Fugitive 6. Disaster o a Vanquished Power; a Victorious Enemy or a Messenger 7. Falling prey to cruelty/misfortune o an Unfortunate; a Master or a Misfortune 8. Revolt o a Tyrant; a Conspirator 9. Daring enterprise o a Bold Leader; an Object; an Adversary 10. Abduction o an Abductor; the Abducted; a Guardian 11. The enigma o a Problem; an Interrogator; a Seeker 12. Obtaining o (a Solicitor & an Adversary who is refusing) or (an Arbitrator & Opposing Parties) 13. Enmity of kin o a Malevolent Kinsman; a Hated or a reciprocally-hating Kinsman 14. Rivalry of kin o the Preferred Kinsman; the Rejected Kinsman; the Object of Rivalry 15. Murderous adultery o two Adulterers; a Betrayed Spouse 16. Madness o a Madman; a Victim 17. Fatal imprudence o the Imprudent; a Victim or an Object Lost 18. Involuntary crimes of love o a Lover; a Beloved; a Revealer 19. Slaying of kin unrecognized o the Slayer; an Unrecognized Victim 20. Self-sacrifice for an ideal o a Hero; an Ideal; a Creditor or a Person/Thing sacrificed 21. Self-sacrifice for kin o a Hero; a Kinsman; a Creditor or a Person/Thing sacrificed 22. All sacrificed for passion o a Lover; an Object of fatal Passion; the Person/Thing sacrificed 23. Necessity of sacrificing loved ones o a Hero; a Beloved Victim; the Necessity for the Sacrifice 24. Rivalry of superior vs. inferior o a Superior Rival; an Inferior Rival; the Object of Rivalry 25. Adultery o two Adulterers; a Deceived Spouse 26. Crimes of love o a Lover; the Beloved 27. Discovery of the dishonor of a loved one o a Discoverer; the Guilty One 28. Obstacles to love o two Lovers; an Obstacle 29. An enemy loved o a Lover; the Beloved Enemy; the Hater 30. Ambition o an Ambitious Person; a Thing Coveted; an Adversary 31. Conflict with a god o a Mortal; an Immortal 32. Mistaken jealousy o a Jealous One; an Object of whose Possession He is Jealous; a Supposed Accomplice; a Cause or an Author of the Mistake 33. Erroneous judgement o a Mistaken One; a Victim of the Mistake; a Cause or Author of the Mistake; the Guilty One 34. Remorse o a Culprit; a Victim or the Sin; an Interrogator 35. Recovery of a lost one o a Seeker; the One Found 36. Loss of loved ones o a Kinsman Slain; a Kinsman Spectator; an Executioner
The Seven Basic Plots are the basics of plot-writing. Overcoming the Monster. Rags to Riches. The Quest. Voyage and Return. Comedy. Tragedy. Rebirth.