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figthefruit's review against another edition
3.0
Solid read. Helps identify the type of plots you might use particularly in the early stages of developing your story. It can be a bit outdated at times, for example, the author discusses queer romance under forbidden love for about two paragraphs in a slightly judgy/negative tone and that's it. A good place to start thinking and clarifying plot for your story.
chylu's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed the first section of this book, which focuses on the differences between story and plot, and how to build up to the former and make it unputdownable, written in an engaging tone and easy to read.
Then, when the meat of the book arrived in the form of a list of the author's 20 plots, while I found some ideas helpful, it felt like some of them were more theme than plot, and could've easily been switched out/combined with others in his list. An interesting read, and I'd definitely recommend it for the beginning section alone.
Then, when the meat of the book arrived in the form of a list of the author's 20 plots, while I found some ideas helpful, it felt like some of them were more theme than plot, and could've easily been switched out/combined with others in his list. An interesting read, and I'd definitely recommend it for the beginning section alone.
mamaorgana80's review against another edition
4.0
It has been so long since I've been in a classroom/instructional setting re: writing, and this was a great refresher, one I needed to find direction in my current work. I found my conflict by applying some of the structure mentioned in this book.
lanko's review against another edition
3.0
I remember the first quarter of this book was pure gold (it didn't talked about any master plot yet).
But when said 20 master plots enter the fray, it doesn't work for me, because it's pretty much a checklist of strict rules. And nowadays many authors are just blending many plots in the main story, even if one of them gets the central stage. Also, sub-plots.
And some of the said plots didn't felt really unique or even different from another. This could've been worked much better. Some articles on the Internet felt much more useful. The examples weren't great either, you probably saw them everywhere else.
Also felt too short and without much details.
But when said 20 master plots enter the fray, it doesn't work for me, because it's pretty much a checklist of strict rules. And nowadays many authors are just blending many plots in the main story, even if one of them gets the central stage. Also, sub-plots.
And some of the said plots didn't felt really unique or even different from another. This could've been worked much better. Some articles on the Internet felt much more useful. The examples weren't great either, you probably saw them everywhere else.
Also felt too short and without much details.
brianwork's review against another edition
3.0
This book has some decent tips in it that make it worth a read, but it isn't the sort of writing book I would refer back to constantly. So much of the book is spent reiterating things that have already been said, and certain aspects of the worldview are now dated. I do like the examples that are given in the book with plot breakdowns, and the first six chapters about plots in general (before going into the individual ones) are the best part of the book, and well worth a read on their own.
That said, I'm not actually a fan of the "20 Master Plots" the book uses. To Tobias's credit, he does state that plots can be broken down into any number, and this is just the way he separates them. I see many of his categories as more theme than plot, and some of the books/movies listed under certain plots seem to be there based more on a subplot or famous scene than for the main plot of the story. Even then, there are still good observations to be gleaned from many of the sections, whether you look at them as plots or themes.
When it comes to breaking down a story into its main plot, I prefer Blake Snyder's system from "Save the Cat." It feels more relevant to finding similarities in the story being told than what is found here, and although "StC" is specific to screenwriting, I find that its breakdown of genre (or plot) applies equally well to fiction. His second book, "Save the Cat Goes to the Movies," goes into more depth on this and would be the better choice for someone looking for a book purely about genre or plot.
That said, I'm not actually a fan of the "20 Master Plots" the book uses. To Tobias's credit, he does state that plots can be broken down into any number, and this is just the way he separates them. I see many of his categories as more theme than plot, and some of the books/movies listed under certain plots seem to be there based more on a subplot or famous scene than for the main plot of the story. Even then, there are still good observations to be gleaned from many of the sections, whether you look at them as plots or themes.
When it comes to breaking down a story into its main plot, I prefer Blake Snyder's system from "Save the Cat." It feels more relevant to finding similarities in the story being told than what is found here, and although "StC" is specific to screenwriting, I find that its breakdown of genre (or plot) applies equally well to fiction. His second book, "Save the Cat Goes to the Movies," goes into more depth on this and would be the better choice for someone looking for a book purely about genre or plot.
lou_wilham's review against another edition
3.0
There was some good information in this book, but it largely felt academic instead of instructive. I still stick by Save the Cat as the go to "book planning" book.