“The Seven Basic Plots” by Christopher Booker is staple reading material for an aspiring creative writer, but it is a very useful tool for any storytelling creative. Actors, songwriters, choreographers, and directors can benefit greatly from this reading material. The book explores the concept that there is a limited number of basic plots that humans reconfigure and redress to create virtually all stories, from children’s books to Shakespeare, from Harry Potter to the Odysseys.
I first learned about this book at the University of South Wales back in 2016. I had taken a specialist elective and I was skeptical, to say the least. After all, could human creativity be so limited? If there are only seven basic stories, what is the point of rewriting them with a new set dressing and even more pretentious linguistic posturing? That was my knee-jerk reaction.
I learned more about the concepts that the book presents in my class, and I spent a few hours skimming through it in the university library. With a more educated stance, I came to understand that the word “Plot” was key. The title refers to a fundamental structure that underpins most stories. Understanding that this structure can be used partially, or the plots can be inverted or combined, or even in some cases all of the above. I came to realize that there is great mathematical variability in the different types of stories possible within the arguments put forward by Booker.
My classes focused a lot on structure and the different character archetypes we come across in storytelling. I understood this to be a way of learning how to build a story with materials that the reader knows how to interpret. To use symbolic characters, with symbolic roles to better communicate the overarching themes I would like to portray in my stories. To know the conventions of storytelling so I can challenge them. To know what the mold is so that I can break it.
Needless to say, this interpretation I managed to muster was a shallow one. It barely scratched the surface of the contents of the book and it gave me little applicable knowledge. Frankly speaking, looking at myself in retrospect, my analysis of the book was naïve and somewhat lazy.
The first and perhaps most obvious thing I missed upon my initial attempt to grapple with “The Seven Basic Plots” was the subtitle. The title is what grabs your attention, the subtitle is what actually explains what the book is about.
“Why we tell stories”.
Of course, the truly interesting examination we could have is not about how many basic plots there are. That is simply a matter of categorization. Far more interesting is to see what the patterns of human storytelling are, and then to ask the question of why these patterns appear. The answer to this question is somewhat left to interpretation in the book, and it is not the goal of this essay to summarize the book. That would only butcher its complexity, similar to what I did trying to explain it to myself back In the winter of 2016. What I am going to try and do is put forward a few ideas on how to approach tackling this behemoth.
First and foremost arm yourself with patience. The first half of the pretty lengthy book breaks down the seven basic plots, and their structure and gives a ton of examples. These examples can be tedious to read through, very often the author summarizes entire plays and books to illustrate an example of a particular structure. The actual content is mainly at the beginning and end of each chapter. Bearing that In mind I recommend reading through the whole thing because there are a few eureka moments in there that you would not like to miss. The obvious con to this is that it is heavy reading material, but there is a substantial benefit to reading through the summaries of dozens of literal works from all over the world, and from all across recorded human history. It is a way to rapidly familiarize yourself with a wide range of stories and get a rough idea of their weight and meaning. I imagine if the author did not do this, he would have had to rely on the reader to read all the stories he references, which is not a better approach. In the first half of the book, you gain a true understanding of what the plots are, how they are structured, and the colossal universality they bear.
This first part answers the question “What?”. The second part of the Booker's work focuses on the “How?”. In these chapters, the author builds upon the work of Carl Jung. Jungian philosophy and psychology along with a deep understanding of literary tradition are at the core of comprehending what “The Seven Basic Plots” is about. I recommend that the reader familiarize themselves with the works of the Swiss psychoanalyst before engaging with the second part of the book. Much can be gained from this exercise.
Learning why we tell stories is essential to our work as artists in many ways. It is vital to our motivation and informs the way we interact with the work itself. It frees us to pursue what we truly need to express, instead of following the goal of satisfying an audience or trend. It is vital for us as creators to realize the significance of our work, and how deeply functional it is as part of human evolution and development. Knowing how essential storytelling is to our species gives us a renewed perspective on our work, and prompts us to approach it with great care and responsibility.
We need not try to align our work with these basic plots, nor need we try to subvert or challenge them to gain a greater artistic understanding. They are simply there underpinning our humanity, we interact with them as we do with life itself. Whether we like it or not. That does not mean they will not evolve or change, but for that to happen humanity must do so.
In conclusion, I must advise you to read this book slowly, take notes, and approach it with care. It is a long and detailed work put together with great care and consideration. I believe exploring the concepts within “The Seven Basic Plots” is a great creative writing exercise whether you agree with the ideas put forward by Christopher Booker, or not.