Plot Lines

     In the writing of this post, I was going to introduce you to the three main plot lines: Tragedy, Overcoming, and Uprising. These can be represented by three lines: an upwards-pointing arrow (Rags-to-Riches, or Overcoming), a slightly upwards arrow (Journey, and Overcoming), a slightly downwards-pointing arrow (I want to curse when I come across this, but also known as an obtaining-wisdom story), and a downwards-pointing arrow followed by a flat-line (tragedy).

     These (minus the Obtaining Wisdom plot line) were my first choice of writing story-lines, and I’ll get around to explaining them soon. However, when Googling story-lines, I found that they actually were NOT the only story-lines. I do consider those mentioned before the basics, but there are quite a few of sub-genres, as you can see:

1. Overcoming:

• A Threat: Your MC goes out and defeats an evil or other problem that encroaches upon his/her security, thereby restoring peace upon the land, and to your MC’s soul. I gotta say, this is the most used out of all the story-lines. 
• Example: Think of the standard hero-knight-destroys-dragon-and-rescues-princess-and-they-live-happily-ever-after story, ‘cept I prefer a little more detail, such as hero-knight-gets-beat-by-the-dragon-the-first-time-but-then-gets-upgraded-and-slays-the-mess-out-of-the-dragon-but-the-dragon-had-a-backup-plan-to-destroy-the-princess-and-the-knight-has-to-slay-the-mess-out-of-the-backup-plan-to-rescue-the-princess-then-rescues-the-princess-and-they-live-happily-ever-after-until-they-find-out-that-the-dragon-had-vengeful-kids…
• Circumstances: This tends to be an inspiring story-line about how a person beat their surroundings to become rich, emotionally balanced, and usually wins a TL in the process. 
• Example: The INSPIRATION section in your bookstore. Or, a street rapper becomes by strange chance an apprentice to a businessman, and is trained to become a sleek, well-mannered business owner, marrying the business owner’s beautiful daughter in the process.(This story-line is characterized by an upwards arrow)
• A Journey: This is where your MC (usually with friends or picking up friends along the way) journeys forward, seeking an object or something specific, and he/she has to overcome all the challenges therein. 
• Example: Your MC has to find a flower to keep his/her TL alive.
• A Journey with no Profit: Personally, I was kind of skeptical when I read this, but there is one of these storylines lying around. This is where your character takes a journey, but then COMES BACK WITH NOTHING! What?! Yeah, it’s real. I can't believe it either. Your MC comes back with greater experience, higher wisdom, and more balanced emotions, but nothing else. Please don’t write like this… I’ll read the last page, shout, “WHAT?!” throw the book on the floor, then start to blast you on my blog. Smiley face. :) 
• Example: uuhhh… Your MC goes out and kills a dragon, but loses the princess in the process. That would suck, but you know… now he knows how to kill the dragon and save the princess. I mean, hopefully...
• Themselves: This is where something is usually at stake, and your MC has to change his/her ways and become a better person. Sometimes a TL is involved, but that’s up to you! Example: Your MC is given 30 days to get off his crack addiction, or he will be forced to go into a rehab center by his uncle, losing his girlfriend in the process.

1. Comedy: This is often when there is a goal in the story (or not), and the confusion surrounding this adventure end up making you laugh until your face hurts. (this is generally characterized by static in the general shape of a horizontal line)
2. Tragedy: While not really in use anymore, it seems tragedy was slightly favored by Shakespeare to me. This is where your story-line follows the structure of a good country song: your MC loses EVERYTHING (or thinks he/she does) and usually ends up killing himself/herself. Yeah, please don’t write this either. I’ll read the last page, tears streaming down my face, and quietly ask myself, “Why?” then I’ll just curl up in my chair, and - in-between sobs – plot a way to defame everything you ever write after that book. So yeah, don’t write tragedy. (characterized by a downwards-pointing arrow)

• Example: Think Hamlet. I’m not writing an example for that trash.

If you need any more explaining, or if you want me to write about something specific, let me know. I know this is a lot of info, but I hope it helped you!

Happy Epic Writing!  :)