Best Books on Plot Structure (25 books)

Discover new books on Goodreads

Meet your next favorite book

Listopia > Best Books on Plot Structure

One of the fundamental tasks of any writer is to create great plots. What are the major works that can help the writer in this task? Here is my own personal list to help you.

flag

All Votes Add Books To This List

1	Morphology of the Folktale by Vladimir Propp 4.01 avg rating — 2,237 ratings score: 290, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2	The Thirty Six Dramatic Situations by Georges Polti 3.44 avg rating — 223 ratings score: 200, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3	Poetics by Aristotle 3.83 avg rating — 30,711 ratings score: 199, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting by Syd Field 3.99 avg rating — 9,002 ratings score: 197, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5	Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting by Robert McKee 4.27 avg rating — 17,979 ratings score: 196, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
6	Plot & Structure: Techniques and Exercises for Crafting a Plot That Grips Readers from Start to Finish by James Scott Bell (Goodreads Author) 4.11 avg rating — 6,009 ratings score: 194, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	Writing for Story: Craft Secrets of Dramatic Nonfiction by Jon Franklin 4.06 avg rating — 544 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	Into the Woods: How Stories Work and Why We Tell Them by John Yorke 4.18 avg rating — 4,646 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell 4.12 avg rating — 46,124 ratings score: 99, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	Motif-Index of Folk-Literature: A Classification of Narrative Elements in Folktales, Ballads, Myths, Fables, Mediaeval Romances, Exempla, Fabliaux, j (Volume 1 of 6) by Stith Thompson 4.33 avg rating — 18 ratings score: 99, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	Scene & Structure by Jack M. Bickham 4.11 avg rating — 1,632 ratings score: 99, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
12	Plotto: The Master Book of All Plots by William Wallace Cook 3.63 avg rating — 208 ratings score: 98, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
12	Beginnings, Middles, and Ends by Nancy Kress (Goodreads Author) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 2,522 ratings score: 98, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
12	Scene & Structure (Elements of Fiction Writing) by Jack M. Bickham(2006-04-01) by Unknown Author it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating score: 98, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	The Classical Plot and the Invention of Western Narrative (Volume 0) by N.J. Lowe 4.29 avg rating — 7 ratings score: 97, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
16	The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories by Christopher Booker 3.77 avg rating — 1,807 ratings score: 96, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
16	The plot of the short story: An exhaustive study, both synthetical and analytical, with copious examples, making the work a practical treatise by Henry Albert Phillips 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings score: 96, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
16	Understanding Conflict (And What It Really Means) (Skill Builders Series, #2) by Janice Hardy (Goodreads Author) 4.33 avg rating — 182 ratings score: 96, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
19	The Fairytale and Plot Structure by Terence Patrick Murphy (Goodreads Author) 3.88 avg rating — 8 ratings score: 95, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
19	Handbook of Narrative Analysis by Luc Herman 3.35 avg rating — 113 ratings score: 95, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	From Fairy Tale to Film Screenplay: Working with Plot Genotypes by Terence Patrick Murphy (Goodreads Author) 4.33 avg rating — 6 ratings score: 94, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22	Theory of Prose by Victor Shklovsky 4.15 avg rating — 278 ratings score: 93, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22	Averroes' Middle Commentary on Aristotle's Poetics by Ibn Rushd 4.29 avg rating — 7 ratings score: 93, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
24	Storytelling in the New Hollywood: Understanding Classical Narrative Technique by Kristin Thompson 4.02 avg rating — 50 ratings score: 92, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
25	Poetics Of Cinema by David Bordwell 4.23 avg rating — 74 ratings score: 91, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars