That’s right. You read it correctly the first time. Here’s one instance when “Everybody does it” is not just an excuse – it’s one of those illusive Rules of The Writing Life.

We are not talking about plagiarism here. No, ma’am, we are not. What we are discussing is the strange but true fact that you have read that story somewhere else. Depending on what pundit you are listening to, there are only 10, 20, or maybe 27.2 plots in the entire world. That means you probably can’t be totally original even if you try.

But no successful writers borrow plots, you say. Think again.

If you present a one-sentence summary to an agent or editor it’s called a high concept.

How many natural disaster movies can you name? How many secret baby books? Enough said.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was as much a Holy Grail quest as Monty Python’s or Mallory’s original Le Morte D’Arthur. It’s only the details that differ.

Look at Zorro and compare his raison d’être with Superman, Batman, Spiderman or even Robin Hood (not the Texas legislature’s solution for school funding but the medieval good guy who invented the whole rob-the-rich- to-pay-the-poor thing). Same hero, different costumes. Same plot.

Oh, no, you say. Not the same plot at all. Well, yes, it is – if you’re looking at only the important elements of the plot, in very generic terms. And those generic elements are the only things you can borrow anyway, without running afoul of the Plagiarism Cops. So, what elements do they share?

• A hero who disguises his real purpose in life, perhaps even disguising his appearance.
• A purpose for the hero that has something to do with meting out justice and righting wrongs.
• Some paranormal power or extraordinary talent for the hero (such as remarkable accuracy with a bow and arrow, or the ability to climb walls).
• One truly malevolent villain who orchestrates most of the evil in the story.
• An inconvenient but passionate love interest.
• A world in which injustice is rampant, giving our hero lots of action.

Ok, you say. That’s all well and good for comic books and fairy tales but I want to write a big book, an important book, and I can’t borrow form Spiderman! So borrow from Gone With the Wind, or Jane Eyre, or Anna Karenina. Don’t take everything, just the elements that make for good storytelling.

• A self-centered character experiencing a life-changing catastrophe – plus – a magnetic personality of the opposite gender persuasion who’s not an easy catch.
• A caretaker for small children who falls in love with the children’s guardian – plus – a major obstacle to consummating that love.
• A depressed, unhappy wife who meets the perfect man, begins an affair, is found out by her husband, and finally gives in to despair.

Hey, have you noticed something here? You can sum up many of these plots in one sentence, sort of like the little descriptions they give of television movies and sitcom episodes. If you present a one-sentence summary like this to an agent or editor it’s called a high concept. Everything else – the time period, the hero’s occupation, the nature of the catastrophe, the number of children – those are all just details.

Ronald B. Tobias is one of those plot pundits mentioned earlier. His book, 20 Master Plots (And How to Build Them) deals only in elements. He’ll tell you that in a Quest plot, there is a lot of geography, the main character changes as a result of the search, and the real object is usually some kind of knowledge. What he won’t tell you is exactly how to write Jason and the Golden Fleece as a fantasy with wizards, cowardly lions and ruby slippers. But it can be done. You just have to add the details that Frank Baum came up with for Oz. Watch Death Wish, pick out the elements, and go write a Revenge plot about justifiable retaliation outside the law. Maybe you could come up with something as timeless as Hamlet.

Set down the necessary elements of a Rivalry plot and come up with either another Odd Couple or Chariots of Fire.

Hey, ever hear that old Transformation plot about Frankenstein’s monster? You know, the guy who gets turned into a nightmare but he really has a heart of gold? Have you by any chance seen that guy in any vampire stories lately?

I’ve got an idea for you. Go get your television guide. Write down the short little descriptions of a dozen movies. Change the details. Presto: plot.

Think how you could take the elements of The Da Vinci Code, for example, and turn them into a thrill-ride bestseller treasure hunt for… oh, maybe Atlantis (no, that’s been done way too many times), or the secret identical twin of the King of France (no, that’s been done, too. At least twice.). How about seeking a lost civilization in the jungles of Mesoamerica. Well, that’s probably been done, too. But don’t let that stop you. It didn’t stop Dan Brown and look what it got him. He just had to invent a few new details.

Now it’s your turn.

Donna Maloy, a long-time member of Houston Bay Area RWA, is a published author who teaches college-level fiction writing.

Copyright © 2006 Donna Maloy. All rights reserved. Used with permission.