# the 7 story types **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [October 12, 2007, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-7-story-types/422505 "2007-10-12T20:26:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![refinnej1982](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3d9bf3/32.png) [@refinnej1982](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/refinnej1982)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-7-story-types/422505/1 "2007-10-12T20:26:35Z")
to the posting on whether there are only seven types of story plots I wanted to refer the questioner and author to an informative article from the washinton post article called once upon a time a review by dennis dutton, that I found at: > **[Once Upon a Time](https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/05/AR2005050501385_pf.html)** > > Search Washington, DC area books events, reviews and bookstores from the Washington Post. Features DC, Virginia and Maryland entertainment listings for bookstores and books events. Visit http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/eg/section/books today. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-7-story-types/422505/2 "2007-10-12T22:12:05Z")
It’s helpful to put in a link to the original column so that everybody knows what you’re referring to. You seem to be talking about [What are the seven basic literary plots?](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/001124.htm). Booker’s book appeared five years after the column, so we can give Cecil a pass on not knowing about it. Just this once. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2007, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-7-story-types/422505/3 "2007-10-16T05:04:59Z")
There’s alleged to be another short list; the seven worst mistakes a writer can make. I like to know how many stories are on both lists. 😉 No, never mind. That’s probably not true. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2007, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-7-story-types/422505/4 "2007-10-16T05:22:06Z")
In “Please Don’t Eat the Daisies”, a play producer states that every plot can be reduced to Cinderella or Goldilocks. I kinda like it. ---
**Author:** ![Boulter\_s\_Canary](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Boulter\_s\_Canary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boulter_s_Canary)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-7-story-types/422505/5 "2007-10-17T12:30:05Z")
[QUOTE=Inner Stickler] In “Please Don’t Eat the Daisies”, a play producer states that every plot can be reduced to Cinderella or Goldilocks. I kinda like it. [/QUOTE] I think it was Isaac Asimov who said that there are 3 SF plots: “What if?” “If only” and “If this goes on …” ---
**Author:** ![HelloKitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecccb3/32.png) [@HelloKitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelloKitty)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-7-story-types/422505/6 "2007-10-17T14:22:07Z")
I recently read somewhere that there are two stories: A man goes on a journey A stranger comes to town ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2007, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-7-story-types/422505/7 "2007-10-22T06:02:44Z")
As stated in the article theres are a lot of divisions of storytelling. It’s not QUITE the same thing but I’m relatively fond of Northrop Frye’s theory of archetypes. They have the different stages (Winter: Irony/Satire, Spring: Comedy, Summer: Romance, Autumn: Tragedy) and then substages and allowance for certain oens ot intersect at points. Also note we’re talking literary terms not modern pop-terms so Comedy - Rise of New Society/General "victory Romance - Heroic tales (think Beowulf). To put things simply of course. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2007, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-7-story-types/422505/8 "2007-10-23T01:58:29Z")
[QUOTE=Jragon] As stated in the article theres are a lot of divisions of storytelling. It’s not QUITE the same thing but I’m relatively fond of Northrop Frye’s theory of archetypes. They have the different stages (Winter: Irony/Satire, Spring: Comedy, Summer: Romance, Autumn: Tragedy) and then substages and allowance for certain oens ot intersect at points. Also note we’re talking literary terms not modern pop-terms so Comedy - Rise of New Society/General "victory Romance - Heroic tales (think Beowulf). To put things simply of course. 😛 [/QUOTE] _Beowulf_ is hardly a “romance” in the sense that _The Winter’s Tale_ is. (I assume that Harlequin is right out.) ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2007, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-7-story-types/422505/9 "2007-10-24T03:05:20Z")
[QUOTE=Boulter’s Canary] I think it was Isaac Asimov who said that there are 3 SF plots: “What if?” “If only” and “If this goes on …” [/QUOTE] No, it was Robert Heinlein.