5 BEST Plot Devices in Storytelling (Writing Advice)
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- Опубликовано: 6 июн 2024
- Today I discuss five of the best plot devices that appear in stories. Examples from The Godfather, Star Wars, Game of Thrones, Die Hard, and more!
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I am a 15-year-old who is writing a novel. I have currently written 250 pages and am a little over halfway done. Your videos have helped improve my writing greatly, and I will be sure to use your advice in my earlier chapters when I go to revise my manuscript.
i wish you all the best with writing
Superb man! Have the same consistency and you'll definitely make it!!
Good luck to you. Don't ever stop writing and don't listen to the naysayers.
Good luck and keep up the work on the novel!
Do you use ChatGPT? If yes, how's the experience like?
Jaime's hand is also my favourite significant injury in fiction. It was executed so well and inspired me in my writing.
Phenomenal character
@@WriterBrandonMcNulty it’s also karmic as he enacted the same fate on Bran.
In Comics, Rick Grimes, from The Walking Dead, too had his dominant hand cut off.
There is a very humbling scene many volumes later where he couldn't even open a can and had to ask to his child son, with whom he had an argument moments before.
the loss of Jaime's hand immediately followed his backstory reveal in killing the mad king 🤌
Another favorite plot device is when a character loses the ability that makes them special/their major strength. This can be taking away magic or an injury to an athlete. It forces the character to grow and realize who they are. Like what iron man says “if you’re nothing without the suit then you shouldn’t have it”
I instantly thought of Spiderman before I finished reading your comment. Then you wrapped it up nicely haha
My thought after reading the comment was Iron Man 3, where Tony Stark is stuck in the middle of nowhere with a nonfunctional suit. He demonstrates that it isn't the suit that makes him a hero.
True life. Diseases. In reality nothing really happens, no great changes, just life ruined. But in books we like to tell this story in a fancy way.
Reminds me of Cats are Liquid: A Light in the Shadows.
In that game, the cat keeps gaining more powers. But then, the author of the game wasn't sure where to take the story. Adding more powers would take too much space on the screen. So, they started taking powers away instead out of necessity. And that's what inspired them to make the story so dark.
I thought of the first assassins creed. I enjoy this plot device too.
One of my favorites is when the protagonist loses their “power” temporarily, especially when they view that power as a burden. Spider man 2 had the best scene of this, when a powerless Peter saves a girl from a burning building, only to overhear that a man trapped in the top floor, a man who only spider man could’ve saved, died. It both humbles the protagonist and reminds them that while they may suffer for their power, that suffering is far from meaningless.
That touches on something I hate in stories: when someone voluntarily gives up a power forever, for no other reason than that they want to be normal -- shortly after they used that power to save the day.
Superman 2
these are some great tips for moving along a story! glad writers have your channel as a resource :)
Thanks!
Please push this guy's videos through the algorithm more
Wtf I didn't know RUclips had RUclips channel
@@yaaeerrgghhh They do, but it looks like this one is fake...
@@GoldEmberMageyou sure about that?
My favorite example of "Chekov's Gun" is literally a gun: The gun being purchased by Walter White/Heisenberg of "Breaking Bad" at the beginning of the final season. You know he's going to use it, you just don't know when.
Great example!
Plot devices can be added together. "Chekov's Gun" can be introduced by one character and end up being used against them - and it can be a character that is introduced as side character, or even an off screen/paper character who never directly participates in the story. The Godfather is a film that combines plot devices very well.
@@WriterBrandonMcNulty Thank you.
And one of my biggest pet peeves in a movie/series is when they introduce something that could the 'gun', and it never gets used.
In film school we learned that nothing is there in front of the camera by accident. Everything is placed in a scene or a shot with intention.
For Chekovs Gun, my favorite has to be the ricin from BB. It was brought up since season 2 and wasn’t used until the final episode of the series
Ah, great example
BB is the perfect example for Checkovs Gun, not just with the ricin, there is literally not one thing that is shown that has no purpose..
I wouldn’t go as far as to say there’s no points in the story that had no purpose. Marie’s whole kleptomaniac obsession didn’t exactly go anywhere after season 1 and was only brought back during Hank’s recovery in season 4 which didn’t really add much to the story.
The same goes in season 2 when Walter moved his money and Jesse’s gun from the vents to the diaper box, which didn’t amount to much since Walt Jr. and Skyler never really found it. Plus the whole thing with Walter just putting it back in the vent made it feel like it was a waste of screen-time to have him move the money somewhere else when the vent was more than enough and was all they needed to have the tension of Jesse and Walter having to deal with Tuco without a gun.
There was ricin in Band of Brothers?
@@haroonmahmood3809 Marie's story didn't go anywhere but it did show her "breaking bad" like all the other main characters.
My favourite plot device is a difficult one to pull off, but when it is done, it is done well. That is the hidden traitor. Where a member of the hero party turns out to be a/the villain. It needs to be done in such a way that you can see it In hindsight/rewatch, but it is subtle enough to go under the radar if you aren’t looking for it. A good one is the character “Chip” who is in a few episodes of NCIS season 3. He is awkward, starts fitting in, but then turns out to be framing another membI of the team. They then do a montage on all the subtle ways he did it from previous episode flashbacks/what you didn’t see/what happened after you stopped looking.
Like zi say, it’s hard to pull off but great when successful.
I like this one too! There's a 4-episode arc of Law & Order SVU where it turns out the CSU Tech is actually the criminal/killer. It was done really well.
I love this one as well. 24 always had a mole/traitor who tried to undermine the heroes in every season. Great source of mystery and tension
Perry Bymes That can also be quite contrived and fall flat like in Get Out, though I am not sure if that was intentional .
An example that I liked with that was Lando in the Empire Strikes Back
A great example for me is Big Smoke from GTA San Andreas.
Mine I think was the opposite, bad becomes good. From bleach. With Aizen and uruchimaru I think it was his name. was kind of surprising. Didn't do much, but still surprising.
Chekhov's Gun has to be my favorite. While I don't agree EVERY element of a story should be relevant to the plot (as it ends up becoming predictable), I do think every story should still have at least ONE element that gets barely shown up and then brought back later. It gaves stories a lot more depth on insight.
Yeah I’m with you on that. If every element connects, it feels artificial. But when you connect on a few, it makes for some amazing moments
Completely agree! It makes things so satisfying, especially the scene when it’s brought back up, and it makes the script feel more complete and thought out, even if it’s something simple like Rocket’s gravity boots in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3
But a CG doesn't really move a story forward. It's not a plot device in the definition given.
@@trafalgarlaw8373 It acts as a delayed plot device.
Jaime getting his hand cut off was one of the most shocking moments in GOT or any movie or series for that matter. It was so sudden and completely changed his character and arc in an instant. Great example.
Love your stuff, keep it up! 👍🏼
Game of Thrones was excellent at giving the audience very unexpected twists - Jamie’s hand, Ned Stark beheading, Red Wedding, etc. No show did it better (except the ending sucked).
@G P, how rude of you to use the 👍 emoji, when Jaime just lost his 🫱
I was thinking.... who first introduced this plot device of loosing a limb? Lucas uses it a lot in Star Wars. It was probably Shakespeare!
Some of my favorite plot devices that aren't mentioned in the video are:
1. The “change of heart”; Evil character turns good or good turns evil.
2. The “miracle discovery”; Especially in sci-fi it usually happens in the beginning of the story where a character discovers or invents a device the properties of which are not fully understood or surpass expectations. A good example of this plot device is Project Almanac. This plot device can also be used for people as well; ex. a rescue unit on a mission finds a sole survivor of a tragedy when it should have been virtually impossible for the person to survive the event. This person then proceeds doing “something” (add what pleases you).
3. The “lunatic”; A person who is not supposed to be well in their mind and usually during the first 30% of the story their actions seem erratic and out of place. But then the cause of their insanity is revealed or it becomes evident that their words and actions have some hidden reason. They may be a special case of Chekov's gun and can even be used as a way to foreshadow upcoming events or create a dipole of chaos & inevitability. This trope also helps to shift the focus of the reader from important bits that would otherwise betray a plot twist. One textbook example of this is Mel Gibson's character in the movie Conspiracy Theory.
4. The “road trip”; As I will explain, it is a means of narrative but also a plot device itself. Think of the most classic (and maybe the first known) and major road trip story, Homer's epic Oddysey. The character sure has a cause (returning to his home island Ithaka) that serves as a plot device itself but the fact that the "road trip" he takes is forced to be too long and hazardous really helps in fleshing out and developing his character and shows the magnitude of his resolve to return home. The road trip also facilitates writing one of the most difficult genres for a writer to coin; slice of life.
5. The “oath”; One group of people takes an oath to pursue a greater cause in their life. In the Chinese novel "The romance of the three kingdoms" Lui Pei, Quan Yu and Zhang Fei, 3 warrior landlords take an oath in the peach-garden to protect the Han empire and become sworn brothers. This plot device puts emphasis on how big the cause is, creates drama and allows for a more lyrical and epic style of writing. The drawback is that if done poorly then it comes out as tacky and cheap drama.
6. The “arrival after a death”; This trope combines what Brandon pointed out as unexpected arrival and discovery of a body. It doesn’t have to necessarily be an arrival of a new life or an actual death, it is more like a new beginning at the same time or shortly after a circle closes. This makes a very good liaison in bigger stories where, for instance, after a harsh battle the group barely escapes with their lives only to be saved by an unexpected ally who is then going to help their cause progress or reintroduce a concept that the protagonist as well as the reader “had got wrong all along”. It is also a cheat code when you have written yourself into a dead end and don’t know how to continue the plot towards the end cause. It is also a good way to use a “deus ex machina” because this trope happens during the middle of the story, therefore, you have the chance to explain something that during the end might have seemed a “plot armor”.
7. The “who is the culprit?”; Ok, that is one of the most classical tropes in mystery stories and one that works really well. It is the Agatha Christie format where the detective (ex. Hercule Poirot) knows that the murderer is one of X people and tries to discover who is it. The fun with this plot device is that it actually forces the audience to speculate alongside with the detective, to root for him and to become immersed into the story. Personally, I always feel like I am the detective’s sidekick.
8. The “idyllic island (locus amoenus)”; This plot device is an inversion of the plot device where the protagonist is forced into action because “everything is wrong”. For instance, Luke Skywalker is forced into action because everything is wrong; the events that are spun are way above him (there are deaths, mystery, weird robots, e.t.c all over the place). This plot device is the exact opposite; here the character’s struggle begins as an internal intuition that rejects the problem-free environment they reside into. One movie that kinda plays with this concept is the Stepford Wives but the movie that uses this plot device in a phenomenal way is the first Matrix. And I say phenomenal because the idyllic island is actually concealed in the reality we know (in its faultiness, with everyday problems). The plot then actually forces the protagonist, who has an illogical hunch that everything is wrong, to question reality and dive into the rabbit hole. This plot device is good because it helps the writer push the boundaries of the in-universe rules, stir up the self-created illusion of tidiness and turn the tables by introducing concepts that would seems out of place if they were just forced upon the reader.
9. The “return of the king”. This is probably self-explanatory. Lion King, Hamlet and Lord of the Rings are textbook cases where this plot device is utilized. While it has a great impact on the timeline of the story, this plot device is more esoteric and revolves around the protagonist’s struggle to accept their destiny/ responsibilities. It is also a great way to make your protagonist bleed and suffer which allows character development and progress of the story.
10. The “vicious circle”; This plot device plays with the concept of a theme doomed to be repeated again and again until the protagonist finds a way to break the vicious circle. One of the oldest narratives of this kind is a myth that is found in almost all cultures; the legend of the dragon slayer. In short, a dragon plagues a city/ village and demands a human (usally a girl) to be sacrificed in order to spare the lives of everyone else. Before the last girl of the village dies by the hands of the dragon the hero/ warrior arrives and slays the beast using his strength and wits. The vicious circle is a very frequent plot device in time travel stories as well and usually comes by the etiquette “time loop” but isn’t restricted into a specific genre (ex. Matrix uses the vicious circle when Neo reaches the source).
11. The “trial by fire”; This is used very frequently in teen adventure novels and shonen manga where the protagonist enters a tournament and fights for a price or their life. It is a reliable plot device but a writer is going to struggle to revamp it into something original because of how overused it is. The Hunger Games are the first one that comes to my mind.
12. The “mastery of the ultimate technique”; It is the plot device where the protagonist must become proficient into their art in order to face “the great challenge”. Star Wars, Avatar the last airbender and the Mask of Zorro (movie) plots are fueled by this concept in greater or lesser rates. The latter also has the classic plot device of “revenge” as a bonus.
13. The “time bomb”; This plot device is one of the easiest for a beginner writer because it tends to create drama and action naturally. The concept is that the protagonists have X time to prevent a really destructive event. Avatar the last airbender has Sozin’s comet, the firth element has the end of the world, Avengers the infinity war has the vanishing of ½ of all life in the universe and Clint Eastwood’s mystery/ detective movie True Crime has the execution of a potentially innocent convict.
14. The “butterfly effect”; This is a really though plot device and one of the most rare and creative ones. It is another version of Chekov’s gun but it plays with the concept of introducing events that seem completely irrelevant to the main plot, only to start making sense during the end of the narrative. Its really unique element is that the way this plot device works remains occult for most of the story only to justify actions in retrospect. The audience comes to understand the mechanic of the plot device retroactively, that way true motives and goals can be hidden in plain sight while the writer weaves pheudo- or semi-real plot devices on top of the real one. Lucky number slevin is a good example of this technique.
15. The "true name" (*edit): It is about a character that is nameless or has an identity/ name that is somehow different from the one they once had. Born identity (movie) is a classic example of this plot device.
16. The "those bond by destiny" (*edit): This plot device revolves around two characters whose personalities don’t match (and that usually don’t get along in the beginning) but are forced to co-exist due to a “whim of fate” but in the end of the story they become friends, they accomplish something great, they fall in love, e.t.c. The most classic example of this plot device from pop-culture is Ash and Misty from pokemon when Ash destroys Misty’s bicycle and she decides to follow him seeking compensation.
🎉 written some down from your list. Cheers!!
7 is called Whodunnit, and more than a plot device its kinda like a subgenre on its own. My favorite type of Whodunnits are always within the slasher genre like Scream.
amazing stuff
@@BelieveInImagination One that I forgot but is also great is the "true name". It is about a character that is nameless or has an identity/ name that is somehow different from the one they once had. Born identity (movie) is a classic example of this plot device.
Thanks for sharing these!
The Chekov’s gun with Ripley in the loader was truly brilliant because the seed itself was delicious. The moment is tense where you don’t know if she’s going to make a fool of herself, then she performs, ends with a double-entendre that has both marines laughing. Cameron can tell a story, man.
Yeah, it's a great bond-building moment between the characters. Makes everyone in the scene more likeable. Stories need more moments like that
I love chekovs gun, but we already mentioned it.
The "guy who knows a guy" is one of me favorites.
Instead of taking time out of the story to find a new character to help our main characters with XYZ, lets have one of the characters know a guy who knows a guy.
Saul Goodman from breaking bad&better call Saul is a great example of this
I also really like the unexpected villain plot device. It has to be done well, and it can be done VERY badly ((cough)frozen(cough)), but when it's done well, it's a lot of fun imo.
I like the one in Wreck it Ralph 1 a lot. Part of how they kept him hidden was because he was already an established antagonist and, unlike a friend/ally turning evil, sussing out any potential villainy seems less needed for an antagonist so people are less likely to figure it out ahead of time. But that film still plants more than enough clues for the eventual reveal to make complete sense.
Unlike some films. (cough)frozen(cough)
_Wreck it Ralph_ is easily one of the best movies of the decade. And I can barely remember any other movie with such a clever double plot twist. Or double plot twist at all.
@@Conserpov try The Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
I was about to write down the same plot device. When done well it really works either way (good is revealed to be evil or evil is revealed to be good).
It happens to be my favourite plot device. In my opinion, one of the best plot twists where an unexpected villain is revealed happens in the manga BLEACH where [SPOILERS] ...
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... captain Aizen is revealed to be the antagonist of the main story.
My personal favorite is the "beacon of hope is actually an illusion" plot device. Where you spend the first half of your story aspiring to go somewhere or become somebody, only to realize it's actually a horrible place and not at all what you expected. Wizard of Oz, Halo, etc.
That's super common in video games because it pads the runtime.
In Doom 3, the entire game was a series of things not working as planned.
halo 1 did that really well and it was also deal with the devil when he trusted oracle
The cake is s a lie.
Attack on titan did this with Eren’s goal being to get to the other side of the sea because he thought that’s where freedom was but learned that it’s where his enemies are
My favorite Chekhov's Gun moment is basically the entire first half of Hot Fuzz and how basically everything has a payoff in the second half of the film. But then Hot Fuzz is incredible on pretty much every level.
Right down to the crossword puzzle answers
@@evilsharkey8954Fascist.
I like to call that Chekhov’s machine gun
@@j.prt.979 Chekhov's Arsenal
Best plot device I remember was Korben Dallas negotiating.
Also him and Zorg never actually meeting, passing each other by a few seconds was as close as they got. It was very unique and we rarely see lead hero and villain never actually fighting each other.
I used the ‘deal with the devil’ plot device in my novella, but has a twist with it. The main character actually refuses the deal and that’s the reason he gets chased by the antagonist, who was the devil who gave him the deal he refused.
I love Chekov's Gun. Part of what makes Back to the Future so rewatchable for me is the way almost everything that appears early in the film sets up something else later in the film.
But a favorite plot device of mine that is not on your list is the Unreliable Narrator. Taken to an extreme, you have a Rashomon-style story, where events are depicted (and re-depicted) from several conflicting perspectives. But How I Met Your Mother made good use of its unreliable narrator throughout the series. The final episode of M*A*S*H includes a powerful example in Hawkeye's scenes with Dr. Freedman. And in Young Sheldon, older Sheldon's narration can differ from what actually happens because at the time, younger Sheldon was still a kid, and either he misinterpreted adult issues, or the adults in his life didn't tell him everything.
The first Doctor Strange movie is a great example of the the Injury Plot Device
Chekhov's Gun is my favorite plot device. I love when something seemingly innocuous is introduced into a story, and then turns out to be amazingly helpful for the protagonist. I think a good example of this is the Golden Child movie with Eddie Murphy. He goes to buy a necklace in Tibet (or was it Nepal?) from a peddler, and not only does the peddler steal his money, but he also gives him the WRONG NECKLACE, which makes Eddie Murphy's character furious. But later in the movie you see Eddie wearing the necklace anyway, and it ends up deflecting an attack from the main villain, saving his life and giving him a chance to defeat evil. The scene where he buys the necklace just seems like a throwaway for comedic effect, because he loses his money and doesn't even get the necklace he wanted. Then Boom!!!! The necklace was special and saved his life. Genius!
The dead body trope can also be misused. Owen and Beru are often used as examples in videos about "fridging," or killing off a side character just to motivate the hero.
The audience had no idea they were side characters. Owen had a ton of onscreen time in the first part of the movie.
Not to mention cheesy horror movies where one character drifts away from the group, then turns up dead...
Die Hard has another great one, as I am pretty sure the watch that Holly is wearing is this same one that Ellis gave her earlier in the movie. John removes the watch at the end that causes Hans to fall.
First Die Hard is so well-written because it's based on a book, hence the attention to detail.
Another great one from Die Hard is when Holly slams the family photo down. Then later Hans sees it and makes the connection
For me its when the Sheriff found Llewelyn's body in the motel. It was such a surpirse to me, since the story seems to be hinting toward a show down between him and Anton Chigurgh.
thats the very end of the movie though...
@@What-go8ng yes and much like in Fifth Element and original Star Wars, we never get the fight between the main characters. I hope people use more Coen brothers as examples in future instead of Nolan and stuff.
@@What-go8ng Yes, the very end of the story.
Where showdowns like that tend to take place.
@@chickencurry420 My point was that you can't include a plot device at the end of a movie because its literally over lol
@@What-go8ng It's still a plot device... A plot twist that occurs in the final pages is also still a plot device.
I like the "Is this character good or evil" plot device. In the Once Upon a Time series, my two favorite characters were Regina & Rumple because you never knew whether they'd do something good or evil - especially in the early seasons. And just when you thought they'd gotten over their issues and turned to the "good" side, oops, more semi unexpected bad behavior.
I second this. It could be a whole video itself. Any time you don't know what a character will do, it keeps things interesting and unpredictable. My example would be Junior in the first season of Under the Dome (probably in the book too).
@@leolightfellow Did you manage to watch Under the Dome all the way though? We really liked it at first and then just lost interest. AND That would make a good video too!
@WriterBrandonMcNulty WHY do some shows/books start off interesting and then they're just not?
@@loriki8766 I stopped after the 2nd season. I think it got cancelled either after the 2nd season or shortly after the 3rd started. The 1st season was great though.
For me it has to be the Red Hearing. When done correctly it leads to the very best of plot twists and revelations. A few examples from my home country's cinema that are amazing are Contratiempo (2018) or Los Renglones Torcidos De Dios (2022)
Red Herring bro
OH GOOD! It looks like I’m on the right track! I have some of these plot devices in my script!
…Since I love “Who-Done-It” stories, I guess my favorite plot device is “Discovering A Dead Body”.
Upgrade is by far one of my favorite movies in my favorite genre and wow you just inspired thousands of people to watch that amazing movie. Great video!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Haha it's brutally underrated. I was fortunate someone recommended it to me back when it was in theaters. Such a fun movie--and that ending!
@@WriterBrandonMcNulty I love it, the Scene where STEM takes control for the first time is really something else, it's so well acted physically.
What's your favorite plot device? Let us know!
The lament configuration box, that was my favourite plot device
I like the "the goal you thought you achieved actually asks more questions, inspiring you to look deeper." I know that's super vague, but it really helps invest me in a story. Like with the original Star Wars, Luke just wants to go to space and become a pilot. Then he learns his dad was a super cool pilot and space wizard fighting for good, and that prompts him to become less selfish as a character and focus more on who he really wants to be, and that's finalized by the end of Return of the Jedi when he becomes a hero to everyone. Luke just going on a journey into space and becoming a pilot would have been so boring if it ended there and he never knew or cared about who his father was or what legacy was left behind because of it. If there's a better term for it, I'd love to add that to my vocabulary (and hopefully write a good book because of it someday).
Deal with the devil plus unexpected visit. The two can be combined effectively as well.
I like when a writer uses a villain POV sprinkled in, but without explaining who the villain is.
This happens in one of the early "Gaunt's ghosts"-books by Dan Abnett (40k universe) where you keep seeing from the point of view of a person that will betray the protagonists, but without learning who it is until the actual betrayal. You understand that the person must be one of the limited amount of people in the same room as the protagonist, but it's kept vague enough that you can't tell who it is.
This makes even a "let's walk from here to there"-part of the book feel much more exciting, because you are constantly worried about what the goal of the secret villain is, who it is and when they will strike.
Unsure if this counts as a plot device, but I thought it was exciting.
I really like the common enemy, when there's an overwhelming force that forces people who are at each other's throats to work together and they end up becoming close friends by the end of it.
My favorite use of Chekhov’s Gun is in Breaking Bad with the ricin. It was introduced in the first season and didn’t actually pay off til the final episode, but still subverted expectations in between with failed usage (Tuco) and with Walt manipulating Jesse into thinking Gus used it on Brock.
Breaking Bad does several of these. "Significant Injury" in the form of cancer kicks the whole plot off.
i personally am working on a fantasy book series and i find your videos since you are a real author vary useful and i will be looking through your videos learning as much as possible i have already written chapter 1 and am working on chapter 2 and i think I've done well
Awesome, best of luck with your book!
One of my favorites is "Elevating to an Epic"... that is, that point in a story where the local, small scale story suddenly expands to be epic in scope. Ie, the story told by the bas reliefs in the ancient city in "At the Mountains of Madness". Or the revelation of who the Voidbringer's are in the "Stormlight Archive", and that the entire world is now at risk.
The worst case of "Deal with the Devil" I've seen so far is in John Wick 2, that thing where he made an unbreakabale promise to someone in order to get out of his assassin life - but knew full well that when that promise was ever called up on, he would be pulled right back into that life. It's even worse since it's the core premise for the entire movie. 😫
john wick has basically all of the things he mentioned here
For me its the basement from Attack on Titan, it sets an early set up with a huge pay off at the end and puts the characters in a position to strive for that goal to win against the imminent annihilation
A man of culture I see *tips hat*
For most of the show, I was worried they were going to mess up, or forget about the basement.
I'm pretty satisfied with the release we got from it, after so much build up.
@@ZachScottB it’s pretty much possible to talk about the show (and the manga for that matter) in terms of before and after the basement
IMHO it took way too long to get to the basement. There simply wasn't enough space to flesh out the outside world in the remaining 13 volumes.
@@ThePreciseClimber yeah, I mean, it could stretch a bit to explore some things that were left out, but the rumbling didnt allow to have that space. Althought I also think that in these kind of stories were we live it through the eyes of the protagonists and not via an omniscent narrator, there are some things that we cant get answers to.
Suggestion for a video topic:
Character relations
Specifically how to tie the characters together, ally or foe, for narrative pay off. It seems like a struggle for many people.
This is a great idea and I don’t believe I’ve covered it yet. A “Character Web” is basically what you’re talking about. Thanks, I’ll see about doing this video in the near future
"But before we get into these, first I wanna quickly go over what a plot device is."
I could've sworn that you were about to say "First, I wanna give a big shoutout to today's sponsor, Raid: Shadow Legends."
Hahahaha
@@WriterBrandonMcNulty You laugh, but you´re actually crying.... haha
My favorite plot device is “the new character.” Especially Edna Mode from The Incredibles.
*Loophole in the rules / unintended consequences / Cobra Effect* plot device group is a very good one.
E.g. Eowyn in LOTR, or "His name is Robert Paulson!" in _Fight Club._
If it's cleverly written and not easily predictable, it is the "good writing" alternative to deus ex machina or making characters drop the ball.
Yeah, when done well, this one makes for some amazing moments
Excellent call on Jamie Lannister, he begins as a fairly contemptible villain, the showrunners successfully and believable transform him into an anti-hero. I really liked his transition, it didn't feel cheap or rushed, but very genuine.
My favorite plot device has to be the twisted prophecy. It tricks the audience into thinking they know how to story will go and then completely flipping it around. A great example is Anakin from Star Wars, as the prophecy claimed that he would being balance to the force and everyone assumed it meant he would destroy the sith but in actuality he equalized the number of jedi and sith, technically balancing it out.
I love Chekov's Gun. The HBO series Barry is full of it and quite literally at that with *spoiler alert*
the gun that Rip Torn gives Gene which is ultimately used to kill Barry
the best episode this season was the one with the failed assassination attempt, where that device blew off his hand, and Barry escaped the prison.
the screen went black after he got shot, which is like the end of The Sopranos.
6:30 I was hoping the new Extraction film was going to incorporate Tyler’s injuries that he sustained from the last film in an interesting way. The first quarter of the film is about his rehabilitation, and how he struggles to regain control over his broken body. But when the plot kicks in, and the hook is revealed, we get a brief training montage, and he’s back to normal. His fighting style doesn’t change, his approach to conflict doesn’t change. He’s just back to square one. Would’ve been cool to see this former killing machine have to reevaluate his training, and adapt to his body’s new formed limits. Would’ve made action sequences far more tense, and engaging. But oh well, it’s Extraction 2, can’t say it wasn’t entertaining.
One of my favourite plot devices is dual personalities/possession, such as in Severance where most of the main cast have two distinct personalities (similar to upgrade), can be done in a sci fi or fantasy/horror setting. It works best when the "possessor" is actually smart enough to be able to blend in with those around them so their close ones don't suspect anything until the obligatory plot twist.
I need to watch Severance. Hearing a lot of great things
@@WriterBrandonMcNulty Definitely worth it the plot structure is brilliant!
I think that the Chekov’s gun is pretty great, because it establishes or introduces something that will become important later but then the audience forgets it because they think it’s not important until it’s then actually used in an important part and then they remember it and avoids being a deus ex machina.
And brandon, I have watched everyone of your videos, they are great and useful
Man, you simply have no idea how much you are helping me as a writer. After countless attempts I am finally about to finish my first novel, and your videos have played a good part on that. Thank you, thank you!
If you haven't seen Upgrade check it out, had a great twist in the story.
Yep, brutally underrated movie
This was such an excellent video. I'm glad that I just discovered your channel. Looking forward to watching more content.
Hey Brandon! I dont know if you'll see this. But you're vids helped me a lot in more ways than one - I couldn't think of a better writing channel that gives advices better than you.
I just wanna say, I appreciate your vids man. ❣️
Thank you!!
I recently graduated and have so many ideas for different books. I am 10 chapters into writing my first book and I recently have found your videos. I will definitely have to come back and watch them again when I proofread it.
Upgrade is so underrated! It's a darker version of Venom.
That’s a great comparison I hadn’t thought of
This video is really great! Practical to the point advice. Thank you!
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it
Brandon, I have been watching a lot of your videos recently and they have been a lot of help. I also recently bought your novel bad parts... Just reading your novel has had perfect examples of all these plot devices you mentioned. In this video you just explained how story's change from these plot devices and being able read how your character motivations or goals changed in your novel, and then having the cascading interactions with other characters in the novel. It has great examples of a ripple effect from a plot device, so it furthered my visualization of how to tell/write a story
Thanks so much for checking out Bad Parts! And I'm thrilled to hear that it's helping you with your own writing
Also, please leave an Amazon review when you finish--those help a ton!
Deals with devils especially magical entities are so unique and great because you are getting power but the drawback is the price. Beautiful and I’m glad someone else enjoys them as much as me.
My favorite plot device is The Preventable Tragedy. Either through a mistake or character flaw in an important character or a culmination of many of these, a disaster that occurs because of it forces said character to grow and introspect while providing motivation for future actions out of either guilt or determination to do better.
Great video Brandon , thanks
Thanks for watching!
When the “heartless” character does something really selfless under the radar-Kevin Costner in Company Men.
I love the idea of a character who is physically crippled in some way. Of course it helps if it's in a visual medium, since it's an ever-present reminder of whatever happened to the character.
It's a built-in way of making a character sympathetic in their plight, since we can all imagine being without whatever function the character is lacking due to their condition, and it puts you in their same frame of mind, in a way. At least to some degree.
A shocking amount of the stories I hold in high regard invoke that plot device, and that's because it works. Though it is, of course, something that was listed in this here video.
You are on fire with these videos! Keep em coming 💯
Thank you! Will do!
I'm quite partial to kidnapping of characters as a plot device, particularly when you then get dual perspective from the kidnapped trying to get out and their allies trying to break them out. It builds tension easily, can have a variety of interaction with the villains, from pure antagonism to begrudging cooperation, and there's plenty of room for creativity in the interaction of plans from all parties involved.
This may be a weird question, but is there a writing term for when a character reveals vital information that proves they're the bad guy (or at least, not who they say they are) but the audience doesn't realize it until another character points it out? For example The Count of Monte Cristo and Minority Report:
(I'm paraphrasing because I don't remember the exact lines)
"You are my Edmund."
"I told you. I am not Edmund Dantes."
"I never told you his last name."
and
"Tomorrow we'll check to see if there are any reports of a drowned woman named... what was her name again?"
"Mary. But I never told you she drowned."
Is it just clever writing or is there a name for that device?
There might be a name for it but I’m drawing a blank. Betrayal, revelation, or something like that
I would call that plot device the "Only the killer would know that!"...
Same thing happens in Multiverse of Madness when Wanda uses America's name despite Strange never revealing her name.
TV Tropes call this one "I never said it was poison".
Great list! Love me some inventive Chekovs gun. All over my story didn't even know I was using them until I saw this. 😅
1. Unannounced visit.
2. Discovering a dead body.
3. Chekov's gun: introducing an item that will play a key role later in the story.
4. Deal with the devil.
5. Significant injury.
There was a TV Show called M.A.N.T.I.S. a while ago. It blended Blended Deal with the Devil and Sognificant Injury in an amazing way. The protagonist was a paralyzed doctor who invented the MANTIS suit to fight crime. It gives him superpowers, but at the same time it destroys any progress he makes in possibly overcoming his affliction. Excellent premise!
Thanks Brandon, I definitely want to watch that upgrade movie now. It looks interesting! My favorite plot device has to be Chehkov's Gun most certainly, but another favorite is anything that logically isolates the hero from help when confronting the main conflict of the movie in the climax, whether it be physical conflict, internal conflict or both. I think a protagonist should always tackle their problem alone. But only when used well.
My favorite example of this is at the end of "Puss n Boots: the last wish" when he's forced to fight Death alone because of Death's powers. it also brilliantly uses Chehkov's gun when Puss uses the small knife given to him by softpaws earlier in the movie also signifying Puss letting go of his "ride alone" mentality since he couldn't have beaten Death without befriending her. The writer(s) utilize the help of Softpaws without her actually helping him because Puss was isolated from her. He fought and beat Death alone but because he trusts his friends.
What a brilliant "kids" movie. I love it lol.
Upgrade is a great movie! Logan Marshall-Green does not get enough credit for being as good of an actor as he is.
I’ve been meaning to watch Puss In Boots Last Wish. I just binged Shrek 1-4 last week. When I get time, I’ll watch both PIB movies. Heard a lot of great things
@@WriterBrandonMcNulty I would love to hear your opinions on it and what narrative advice you would pull from it!
Loved Upgrade.
Hi Brandon. I truly enjoy and value your videos. Would you make one on tips for prompting exposition between characters. The obvious way is to ask a question but there are so many other techniques that make it feel natural.
I'd add this to my request list--thanks!
I just finish reading your novel Bad Parts! I figured I should actually read something written by an author I watch on YT, and you’re the only one I’ve seen who writes in a genre I’m actually interested in reading (I’m not big on YA or romance, give me the thrillers/horror LOL). Overall, I enjoyed your novel and it definitely kept me turning the pages. It gave me Stephen King vibes (in a good way). Snare was a pretty unique monster concept and I thought the name was very fitting for what she is/does. After reading it, I’m not surprised to hear that these particular plot devices are some of your favorites. It’s always nice to read something you can tell the author was passionate about writing, and I definitely felt that when I read your novel. I hope you keep writing what you love! :)
As for me, I wouldn’t say that it’s my favorite, but I am a big fan of Deals with the Devil/Faustian bargains (especially if it involves an actual devil/supernatural being), which is one of the main things that compelled me to read your book in the first place.
There are a lot of tropes and plot devices I like, but it’s hard to think of others off the top of my head. Unreliable/insane narrators come to mind as something I almost always enjoy, and I’ve read quite a few novels lately that I really liked that used that device effectively.
Thanks so much for the kind words about Bad Parts! Glad you enjoyed it. Please leave a brief Amazon review--those help a ton!
Also, have you read Needful Things? That's another great Deal with the Devil story with plenty of deals.
@@WriterBrandonMcNulty Just wanted to let you know that I finally got around to leaving you an Amazon review (assuming Amazon lets it go through, it’s taking its time ‘reviewing’ it…). Sorry for the kind of late reply. I wanted to take a couple days to collect my thoughts after I read it before I reviewed it. :)
I haven’t read Needful Things but reading more Stephen King is definitely on my to-do list, so I’ll keep that one in mind. So far I think the only books of his I’ve actually read is Misery and Carrie.
Writing the next book in the Atomicas series...perfect advice and I was so happy to see that I am already using most of these devices. When you write superheroes that are kids, these devices are easy to work into the story. Thanks!
Appreciate these bite-sized videos. Short enough to watch in-between breaks, and very helpful.
Would be useful if you could break these plot points down into separate videos. The genre I'm writing in often uses the "Deal with the Devil" trope, and I've mixed that trope with the "Unannounced visit".
They're useful to get the story going, but I'd like to know more about how to get the most impact from them.
Thanks! I'll see about doing a Deal With The Devil video sometime in the future
Great content, friend! Thanks
Thanks for watching!
Awesome analysis. Unannounced visits pretty much always work for me as a reader/viewer as well :). Also - nice work with the channel's growth. I've seen your channel blowing up in the last month, and it's well deserved!
Awesome, thank you! And it’s been a wild ride since early May. Been trying my best to keep up the momentum
@@WriterBrandonMcNulty best of luck with it, man! Always awesome to see a fellow writing advice channel taking off :).
Wonderful. Thank you.
Excellent! Thanks. All of these are very prominent in my favorite manga "Berserk".
I have the first deluxe edition of Berserk but haven't read it yet. That and AoT are next on my list after I finish my Junji Ito books
@@WriterBrandonMcNulty Oh you're in for quite an experience. It's on another level. I envy your innocence, future struggler.
When you first mentioned the significant injury, GoT is *so* where I wanted that to go.
Great vid ✌️
Upgrade is underrated. Glad you mentioned it
Amazing movie.
Great work! We need a part 2
I'll think about doing another one... I had a couple other plot devices that barely missed the list
Michael Scott also enjoys the somebody walks in with a gun plot device. It does all the heavy lifting in cinematic classics like Aquaman where every conversation ends when somebody walks in with a gun (or trident)
Oh wow im actually using a mix of the last two. Neat
I kinda like the "Deal with the Devil" Plot Device, because despite the fact that one made a deal with a powerful entity (in some cases the literal devil) in return of personal sacrifice, they gain a level of power back themselves and then some
The Godfather is a masterclass, one of the best opening scenes in cinema. Bonasera telling his heart wrenching story to Vito about his daughter gets me every time, the detail of it, and the emotion he displays from underlying sadness, anger, and remorse, to pride, honour and betrayal, the camera slowly panning out on his visage as he concisely relays his brief story to Vito, it draws me right into the story every time.
But yeah the setup and payoff for Bonasera is satisfying, Vito does him a solid favour, and in return isn't asked to do anything criminal.
I always like when "the idiot" turns out to be a lot smarter than people thought he was or he has some area of expertise that would have been super useful if only somebody had bothered to ask for his opinion earlier. I like it when its played for laughs or when it serves as a humbling moment for the hero. "The wise old janitor" I think in particular is a classic where sometimes the people who have been downtrodden the most often have the best understanding of the real world.
Hot Fuzz is a movie where the entire finale is repeatedly paying off the Chekhov’s Gun of almost every prior scene.
What’s even better is that none of the setups even feel like setups. The old lady whispering ‘Fascist’ at the sergeant is a funny joke on its own that we would be perfectly happy with even if it were never brought up at the finale.
A small plot device I like is A Change in the Weather. Can be sudden or foreshadowed and can usually be put into a story fairly organically. Examples would be the start of Empire Strikes Back, where Luke is out on patrol, then Han has to go find him when the blizzard rolls in; in Twelve Angry Men, one of the jurors wants the trial over quickly so he can go to the baseball game, but when the downpour starts, he admits he's not as certain as he said he was. Can also be used to get two characters alone together if they need a scene together for character development or exposition.
I will be sure to thank you when my novel comes out.
Nice! Best of luck!
I love Upgrade. Such an underrated movie.
A favorite plot device of mine is the return of a character you haven't seen in a while and/or may have forgotten about. Vera from Mr. Robot and Slagar the Cruel from Mattimeo are great examples.
Really good video, again :)
Thanks!
Chekov’s Gun is a pretty great one. It can raise suspense levels unbelievably high.
Love your videos. I do have a question and seeing a video on it would be awesome. You write novels and your examples in your videos are movies and TV. Some would say there are many apples to oranges in novels vs screenwriting. Would you say that your videos are for both types? Are there things you would agree work for screen but not novelization or vice versa? I would love to see a video touching on the similarities and differences in what's good/bad/ugly for books vs film.
There's plenty of overlap, but I'll see about doing a video that addresses the differences. Thanks!
Kinda lame but one of my favourite plot devices is death of a loved one... it can change characters and plot lines so quickly, especially when it's sudden
I’m an amateur writer. Just discovered this page. So glad i stumbled here.
I’m nervous about the starting process when it comes to writing smh.
Don't overthink it. Just start writing and learn as you go. Here's a recent video I did for beginners: ruclips.net/video/fSTYyrZklnQ/видео.html
@@WriterBrandonMcNulty appreciate that.
yo this video was so good
Thanks!
Wow, the Chestbuster as an "unexpected visit". Never thought of it that way, lol! xD
Haha Kane's stomach works as a door
Yes. These plot devices are quite effective indeed; they just grab your attention immediately with a gripping sense of urgency.
I got so soured by the last portion of Game of Thrones that I almost forgot about some of the really good stuff, like Jaime Lannister's arc.
Yeah S1-4 are still amazing despite the show collapsing down the stretch
Great videos
Another great example of the serious injury plot device is Lt. Dan Taylor.
@05:16 was literally what happened in Tale of The Body Thief by Anne Rice
Another great example of finding a dead body, although it's really the money that matters in this case, is the opening for No Country for Old Men.
So useful this video..Is there a list of plot devices somewhere available online.
The "ticking clock" element. Creates tension, desperation and build-up, usually to a thrilling pay-off!