Ronald B. Tobias

This well written and interesting book would be useful to any writer regardless of where they are in their current project. If you are just starting to let the new ideas percolate you could find the structure of a plot to suit your fancy. If you are finished or have substantial work in progress you can use Tobias’ work to check the structure you have created. I noticed a weakness in manuscript and was able to plug the hole thanks to this book. The examples, taken from literature and film, make the text enjoyable reading even if you are not a writer.… (more)

This book categorizes fiction plots into twenty categories, then systematically goes through to discuss each of them.

Each plot is divided into three parts, the author discusses each part and uses well-known examples from literature to help characterize them. They are easy to understand and to follow and provide a basic outline for any basic fiction plot.

My only complaint would be that the analysis is overly broad, but that’s what the author promised. I enjoyed the book and will probably use it for reference in the future.… (more)