Poll: every plot can be simplified to one of 7, or something like that

[spartan231490]

I have heard this a few times now, and a) I want to know who came up with it. b) I want to know what those 7 plotlines supposedly are? and most importantly, this being a discussion forumy thingy(lol), I would like to know what you all think of the concept.

Personally, I'm pretty sure that even without hearing what these 7 plots are, that i disagree. i have read more books than i care to admit, watched hundreds of movies, played dozens of games, ect, and i'm pretty sure that i couldnt distill all the plots to a list under 50. Yes, many plotlines can be distilled down to be the same, but if you go too far with it, you invalidate what your saying, IMO. If I say that LOTR is about 9 people who go on a perilous journey to destroy a magical item and thereby save the world. I'd be technically correct, but the plot has a lot more to it than that, so much so that i feel that statement is not an accurate summation of the plot. well those are my thoughts, how do all of you feel?

 

[delet]

7? No, 2.

1) Shit happens.
2) Shit doesn't happen.

That covers just about everything...

 

[Aratus]

Do you want to know what those 7 plot lines are?

Not sure why the poll choices are there, but as for a discussion it wouldnt be hard to believe that there are only 7. Doesn't mean all stories are the same, just the foundation of the stories.

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

Well, you might want to read this [http://tobedwithatrollope.wordpress.com/2007/12/11/the-seven-basic-plots-wh-we-tell-stories-by-christopher-booker/] and see how you feel about it.

I think it was Shakespeare (I'm not sure, though) who said that every major kind of story that could be told has already been told. All we can do is vary things up.

 

[xdgt]

The number can be different, sometimes 7 sometimes not. It isn't about specific storyline as it is about a general category where a story can be put. In the case of LOTR it wouldn't be "9 people go on a perilous journey to destroy a magical item to save the world", it would be "the heroes go on a journey to save the world, which forces them to grow up". Sometimes it is a journey to save someone or something, sometimes it is to find something, sometimes it is a mix of some of those. Its like saying there are only 3 different vehicles - cars, boats and planes. It is correct in the most general sense but it doesn't offer any details about a specific item.

 

[Gray Monk]

One ring to rule them all muhauhahhahahaha

 

[delet]

7? No, 2.

1) Shit happens.
2) Shit doesn't happen.

That covers just about everything...

What plot has nothing happen?

The Bean Trees. A goddamn horrible book.

Sure, technically you could make the case that some type of shit happened, but no, I refuse that argument. The book is so damned bad, I give it negative credit enough to disqualify the small amount of shit that did happen from happening.

Such a horrid waste of my life when I could've been reading The Odyssey instead...

 

[theComposer]

There are only seven. So says TvTropes: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheSevenBasicPlots.

Obviously there are many ways to tell a story to make each one different, but when you boil them all down, they do fall into one of these categories. Anything else is either more difficult to do or just uninteresting.

 

[Jorias]

I think the bigger question would be what plots are considered "Main stream" in today's society?

i like to think that only one or 2 plots exists, that protagonist overcomes his/her/its barriers set in the way of its goals? or protagonist excepts/denies there fate?

i am probably totally wrong in what i just said, i suck at that kind of stuff.....

but i find the subject pretty intriguing, never really thought about categorizing plots...

 

[omegaT]

7? No, 2.

1) Shit happens.
2) Shit doesn't happen.

That covers just about everything...

What plot has nothing happen?

I'm pretty sure the definition of plot IS shit happening

 

[Mr. Omega]

7? No, 2.

1) Shit happens.
2) Shit doesn't happen.

That covers just about everything...

Beautifully put.

OT: Can I see what the 7 are? I can't judge until I know what I'm judging.

 

[delet]

7? No, 2.

1) Shit happens.
2) Shit doesn't happen.

That covers just about everything...

What plot has nothing happen?

The Bean Trees. A goddamn horrible book.

Sure, technically you could make the case that some type of shit happened, but no, I refuse that argument. The book is so damned bad, I give it negative credit enough to disqualify the small amount of shit that did happen from happening.

Such a horrid waste of my life when I could've been reading The Odyssey instead...

never heard of it. How does nothing happen?

EDIT: I dont think the plot of l4d is covered. you know, just trying to survive with no real goal.

Girl gets random Indian baby. Girl is annoying for the remainder of the book, as well as some random pregnant lady. Girl becomes guardian of Indian baby. The thing was entirely too long for what it covered and was overall a waste of my life.

 

[Kollega]

There are only seven. So says TvTropes: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheSevenBasicPlots.

Yeah, this.

What many people hardly realise, though, is that "basic plot" and "actual plot" are two entirely different things, and that difference is in the details. Both The Epic of Gilgamesh (the first known story EVER) and Ratchet & Clank have the same basic foundation - great evil is upon us, go murder it - but the one about Gilgamesh dosen't involve a furry space alien and his robot friend blowing things up with outrageously overpowered weapons, now does it?[footnote]If, contrary to expectations, it DOES, i have to read it pronto.[/footnote] That's what i'm talking about. You can't just claim those are "exactly the same", because they aren't the same beyond the basest plot foundation.

 

[delet]

I find it funny when people oversimplify books but it does not sound fun.
ps: A freind of mine did that to 1984. "a guy writes a diary and gets a chick. then they get taken away and brainwashed" I loled.

Honestly though, that's about all that happened. I'll un-oversimplify it for ya.

Girl gets a shit car and decides to leave her home. She has no plan, so she decides she'll just live wherever she runs out of gas. Half way through, she stops somewhere, and when she comes back to her car, there's an Indian baby in her car. She continues driving with the baby.

She comes to some town, ends up getting a job with tires, makes friends with some pregnant lady with issues with some guy, and there were probably some old people involved somewhere. Boring, everyday life occurs for a while.

At the end of the book, the girl finds a way to get the Indian baby to legally be hers, does that, and then that's that.

Utterly horrible. I never even got to read 1984! I was stuck in the lower English class that year for some ungodly reason where the teacher gave us 2 weeks(!) to read 12 pages! Sure, I aced the class, but it was absolutely horrid and I missed out on so much good literature.

 

[SimuLord]

7? No, 2.

1) Shit happens.
2) Shit doesn't happen.

That covers just about everything...

What plot has nothing happen?

I'm pretty sure the definition of plot IS shit happening

Especially if it's the plot of a German porn film.

 

[delet]

if you have a library near by go there and ask. It is kinda likebraid or bioshock or more appropriatly half life 2 (you'll get it if you read it then go and play the first level) as the well less stupid people appreciate them and love them. the librarians will know it and hopefully have it.

Trust me, I would, but I've already got 11 books qued up to read. I've got to finish up the Necronomicon, then reread through the Black Company novels up to book 6, at which point I can finally start on the final 4 books and finish the series. I've been doing a hell of a lot less reading lately as sleep has become more of a priority, though. I also have to check out 'House of Leaves.'

I'll get to it some day, but it's going to be some day way far out.