Overcoming the monster

The main character tries to defeat a threatening enemy or villain that endangers the main character and/or their homeland.

Examples

• Superheros
• Lego Movie
• Brave

Rags to riches

The main character starts out poor but then gets power, money, and/or a partner.

They lose all of these things but later get them back.

Through this experience, the main character becomes a better person.

Examples

• Aladdin
• Cinderella
• Ratatouille

The quest

The main character and friends start a journey to get something important or reach a place.

They meet challenges and other problems along the way.

Examples

• Lord of the Rings
• Star Trek

Voyage and return

The main character travels to a weird or unfamiliar place. While there, they either deal with dangers specific to that area or learn special lessons only found there.

After their time in that place, the main character comes back with new knowledge or skills.

Examples

• Alice in Wonderland
• The Hobbit
• The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
• Peter Pan

Comedy

A comedy has a light and cheerful tone with a happy or happy ending. In a comedy, the main character faces challenges or difficulties but ultimately overcomes them, resulting in a good outcome.

While comedy often involves humor, it refers more broadly to a story structure where things start out confusing or unclear for the character, but then a single event happens that makes everything clear.

Many romance movies follow this pattern of an unclear or confusing conflict that gets resolved in the end.

Examples

• Pride and Prejudice
• The Princess Bride
• Tangled (ish)
• Frozen (ish)

Tragedy

The main character is someone who tries to do good, but they have a big weakness or make a big mistake.

Because of this weakness or mistake, bad things happen to them in the end which make people feel sorry for them even though they were a good person.

Examples

• Romeo and Juliet
• Hamilton

 Rebirth

An event causes the main character to improve themselves as a person.

Examples

• The Lion King
• The Grinch
• Captain Marvel (ish)

Mystery

(+1)

The investigating an unknown situation. The story is often focused on solving the mystery of what is being investigated.

Examples

• Sherlock Holmes
• Crime TV shows

Rebellion Against "The One"

(+2)

Focuses on a solitary main character who ends up drawn to some power or force which rules the world of the story.

The hero or heroine then rebels against this dominant power or force.

Examples

• The Matrix
• Indiana Jones (ish)