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A plot generator is either: - a fictional plot device which permits the generation of plots for an extended serial without requiring a great deal of logical connection between the episodes, or
- a literal device (such as a computer program) used by writers to generate plot ideas.
A plot generator (sense 1) allows writers to introduce any idea they want (and hence it is almost by definition restricted to the science fiction and fantasy genres). A plot device is a person or an object introduced to a story to affect or advance the plot. ...
Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ...
haha For other meanings see Fantasy (disambiguation) Fantasy is a genre of art that uses magic and other supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. ...
Examples of plot generators (fictional devices) The idea of plot generators is explored by Nick Lowe in his article The Well Tempered Plot Device. Examples he gives include "red kryptonite", which has an unpredictable effect on Superman for 48 hours (conveniently the time period covered by most episodes). Superman, Phantom Zone criminals, and Jimmy Olsen, in front of a display of kryptonite models. ...
Superman is a fictional character and one of the most famous and popular comic book superheroes of all time. ...
The TARDIS in the Doctor Who television series is the epitome of a plot generator, in that it can take the Doctor anywhere in space and time, where he can encounter anything the writers want him to encounter. The Third Doctor emerging from the TARDIS in the 1970 serial Spearhead from Space. ...
Doctor Who is a long-running British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC about a mysterious time-travelling adventurer known as The Doctor, who explores time and space with his companions, fighting evil. ...
The HoloDeck, introduced in the pilot of Star Trek: The Next Generation, could also be viewed as a plot generator, as its open ended nature allowed the show's writers to construct a number of stories later in the series. A holodeck on the Enterprise-D; the arch and exit are prominent. ...
The title as it appeared in most episodes opening credits. ...
Law & Order, and to a lesser extent its spinoffs, has a structure that serves as a plot generator: few episodes are about the characters' interactions with each other; nearly all are about the detectives solving, and the lawyers prosecuting, the mystery at hand. Law & Order is an American television police procedural and legal drama set in New York City. ...
The Law & Order franchise describes a number of related NBC television shows created by Dick Wolf, all of which deal with some aspect of the New York City criminal justice system. ...
Mystery fiction is a distinct subgenre of detective fiction that entails the occurrence of an unknown event which requires the protagonist to make known (or solve). ...
Random plot generator The second type of plot generator is often referred to as a random plot generator, which is represented by a device such as a chart with multiple columns, a book composed of panels that flip independently of one another, or a set of several adjacent reels that spin independently of one another, allowing a writer to randomly select elements of a narrative plot. Such a device can be created for virtually any genre, although it tends to produce formulaic and hackneyed situations.
Examples of random plot generators An example from The Official Movie Plot Generator has three vertical boxes. The top specifies a specific type of protagonist, “A cop who doesn't play by the rules.” The middle box specifies a specific action on the part of the protagonist--”fights crime.” The bottom box specifies a specific type of antagonist, “with a mischievous orangutan.” By piecing these three elements together, the user obtains the odd sentence, “A cop who doesn't play by the rules fights crime with a mischievous orangutan.” This plot sounds absurd, and it is — but it is also the plot of a movie starring Clint Eastwood — Every Which Way But Loose. The word cop can be:- A slang word for policeman, perhaps from Old French caper, to catch. ...
Type Species Simia pygmaeus Linnaeus, 1760 Orangutan distribution Species Pongo pygmaeus Pongo abelii The orangutans are two species of great apes with long arms and reddish, sometimes brown, hair native to Indonesia and Malaysia . ...
This article refers to the actor/producer/director. ...
Every Which Way But Loose is a 1978 U.S. motion picture, released by Warner Brothers, produced by Robert Daley and directed by James Fargo. ...
To select different plot elements, the user clicks on any of the buttons (“Previous” or “Next”) adjacent to the boxes. In this manner, the user can change any one of the elements (protagonist, conflict, or antagonist) or all three of them by clicking the appropriate button. For example, clicking the “Next” button next to the protagonist button might change “A cop who doesn't play by the rules” to “A single mom”; clicking the “Next” button adjacent to the conflict box might change “fights crime” to “raises a baby.” If the user stops at this point, the new ploy will read, “A single mom raises a baby with a mischievous orangutan.” However, if the button beside the antagonist box is also clicked, “with a mischievous orangutan” might become “while juggling work, parenthood, and finding personal fulfillment,” so that the entire newly generated plot reads, “A single mom raises a baby while juggling work, parenthood, and finding personal fulfillment.” The Official Movie Plot Generator is also sold as a book, the intent of which is more tongue in cheek than earnest, as its subtitle, “27,000 Hilarious Movie Plot Combinations,” indicates.
TV series-specific random plot generators Some random plot generators are designed with particular television series in mind. For example, The Law and Order Random Plot Generator allows its user to select different narrative elements by refreshing the screen. One plot for an episode might read, "A dead infant is discovered in a seedy basement by the perpetrator. Lenny and Curtis initially pin the crime on a local celebrity, but after a visit to the crime lab, they arrest Lenny himself. McCoy and Kincaid prosecute, but McCoy must not push for the death penalty to win. The old DA looks annoyed and says 'A wise person cares not for what he cannot have, but for what he can.' Sting guest stars." By refreshing the screen, the plot reads "A dead taxi driver is discovered in an abandoned van by a police sting. Lenny and Curtis initially pin the crime on a local celebrity, but after Curtis uses an internet chat room, they arrest a co-worker. McCoy and Kincaid prosecute, but McCoy must convict of a lesser crime to win. The old DA looks annoyed and says 'A handful of patience is worth more than a bushel of brains.' Michael Dorn guest stars."
Random plot generators for fan fiction writers Fans of various literary and cinematographic works have also created random plot generators for use in developing fan fiction. One such random plot generator is The LOTR Random Ficplot Generator. Its tongue-in-cheek character is evident in its creator's assurance to its users that the device will allow them to "put the same amount of thought and logic into your plots as the typical 14-year-old LOTR fic writer." To use this particular random plot generator, the user clicks a button labeled "Generate Plot," and a plot appears on the screen, which can be replaced by another click of the "Generate Plot" button. An example reads, "Gollum is the long-lost twin of the Balrog! Figwit becomes a prostitute! It's a hurt/comfort fic where the Fellowship is sent to modern-day Earth!"
A similar random plot generator has been created for users who want to write stories for the Hercules TV show. The Incredible Hercules Random Plot Generator allegedly cures "writer's block" by generating instant plots involving characters of the series which starred Kevin Sorbo. An example is "Artemis gets part of the Chronos stone and gives it to Hephaestus," which can be replaced, with a click of the site's "Click here for another plot!" button with "Sisyphus strikes down Iphicles."
For Star Trek and Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans, http://www.randomplots.com offers random plot generators for each of the following TV shows: Star Trek is an American science-fiction franchise spanning six television series, ten feature films, hundreds of novels, computer and video games, and other fan stories. ...
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is an American cult television series that first aired from March 10, 1997 until May 20, 2003. ...
The starship Enterprise as it appeared on Star Trek Star Trek is a culturally significant science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry in the 1960s. ...
The title as it appeared in most episodes opening credits. ...
Space station Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (ST:DS9 or STDS9 or DS9 for short) is a science fiction television series produced by Paramount and set in the Star Trek universe. ...
The starship Voyager (NCC-74656), an Intrepid-class starship. ...
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is an American cult television series that first aired from March 10, 1997 until May 20, 2003. ...
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