Kurt Vonnegut's wanted to write an MA thesis on the common shapes of stories: he was told it was too simple. He can be found in various interviews and presentations waxing lyrical about the shape stories take.
His are: 1) Cinderella: needs no elaboration. Applies to implemental steps of progress, radical failure then absolute glory.
2) Boy Meets Girl similar: we know it. Applies to any story of desire for something, its loss, then recovery. Also romcom territory.
3) Man in a Whole: things go bad, then you get out of your whole. Shawshank Redemtion. Martian. Haruki Murakami wrote a novel in which the protagonist was really down a well much of the time. I feel I'm most inclined to relate to and to write this one.
4) New Testament: like Cinderella–gifted things, which are then taken away before being returned with interest.
5) Old Testament: gifted things that are taken away forever.
6) Creation Stories: God made Earth in seven days ...
7) From Bad to Worse: And it never gets better. Says it all. Fallen.
8) Which Way Is Up: That ambiguity in life where we don't know what is good or bad from actions and events. Probably the hardest to sustain. Hamlet.
The shape of stories
Kurt Vonnegut's wanted to write an MA thesis on the common shapes of stories: he was told it was too simple. He can be found in various interviews and presentations waxing lyrical about the shape stories take.
His are: 1) Cinderella: needs no elaboration. Applies to implemental steps of progress, radical failure then absolute glory.
2) Boy Meets Girl similar: we know it. Applies to any story of desire for something, its loss, then recovery. Also romcom territory.
3) Man in a Whole: things go bad, then you get out of your whole. Shawshank Redemtion. Martian. Haruki Murakami wrote a novel in which the protagonist was really down a well much of the time. I feel I'm most inclined to relate to and to write this one.
4) New Testament: like Cinderella–gifted things, which are then taken away before being returned with interest.
5) Old Testament: gifted things that are taken away forever.
6) Creation Stories: God made Earth in seven days ...
7) From Bad to Worse: And it never gets better. Says it all. Fallen.
8) Which Way Is Up: That ambiguity in life where we don't know what is good or bad from actions and events. Probably the hardest to sustain. Hamlet.
What you get if you use a plot generator
Have a go with Plot Generator
Of far better use is TV Tropes, which is a cross-media analysis of story types, with examples and links to the authors.