Story Types

Kazaanova

Weird question. I was reading a screenwriting site ages ago, and I remember it mentioning basic story types that someone came up with a long time ago. I don't think it was Aristotle. They were like "A hero must save a woman in distress". There were around twenty. And it was pointing out that every film must fall under one or more of these. I can't find the site now but can anyone tell me where I can find these or what they are...or if you know what I'm on about at all. I've been searching on Google for about half an hour and I can't find a list of them.

BlitzKrieg

its a book isnt it...'the hero with a thousand faces' is the title i think. I also think a film theorist named Parker Tyler writes on it a bit too.

Kazaanova

Thank you very much. That book was mentioned on the site for sure, but I don't know if its what I'm looking for, it might be. Its hard to describe what I'm thinking of, but there was a big list, it's not the list I'm seeing in The Hero With a Thousand Faces though.

• 1. The Call to Adventure
• 2. Refusal of the Call
• 3. Supernatural Aid
• 4. The Crossing of the First Threshold
• 5. The Belly of the Whale

Its not like that, its more of a big list describing different story types, like revenge, love, saving someone, etc.

mikelmessi

Was it Vladimir Propp? He analysed traditional stories and wrote 'Morphology of the Folk Tale'. I remember reading about his theory on how there are only eight characters in every story ever written.
Is this what you were looking for? (courtesy of wikipedia)
http://mural.uv.es/vifresal/Propp.htm

monkeyfudge

It is Aristotle

The book is called Poetics.

Kazaanova

It's Morphology of the Folk Tale. Thank you!

Thanks for mentioning Poetics and Hero with 1000 Faces too, they were all mentioned on that screenwriting site, still can't find it though. I tried to get Hero with 1000 Faces today in town but I was told it was out of print. Think I'll have any luck getting these other two?

Evil_Bilbo

Everybody knows there are only 2 story titles:

1. A stranger comes to town.
2. A man goes on a journey.

If these are interpreted correctly, they can fit any story / movie / whatever.

madrab

nope just one

a man goes on a journey to a strange town