# Is there a term ...

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term/542373>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [June 8, 2010, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term/542373 "2010-06-08T01:07:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2010, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term/542373/1 "2010-06-08T01:07:21Z")

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… for a story that unfolds exactly the way you expect it to? “Formulaic” doesn’t seem quite right, because that implies that the story is following a common model that a lot of other stories have used in the past. I’m talking about an original story where the premise leads straight an obvious resolution without any unexpected developments or twists.

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**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2010, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term/542373/2 "2010-06-08T01:08:57Z")

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Predictable?

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**Author:** ![ladydisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@ladydisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladydisco)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2010, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term/542373/3 "2010-06-08T02:10:49Z")

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Predictable…because of foreshadowing?

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**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2010, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term/542373/4 "2010-06-08T07:39:37Z")

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Predictable, or maybe linear.