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Favorite plot devices

DromaroDromaro
edited July 2010 in Everything Else
I have a huge attraction to alternate time lines, precursor technology, and hybrid lifeforms. What are some of your favorites?
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Comments

  • Victor FrostVictor Frost
    "Rainy night in Chicago" detective stories, future conspiracies, future wars, past meets future (and vice versa), Apocalypse survival, dangerous romances.
  • AndrewAndrew
    edited July 2010
    Deus Ex Machina and MacGuffins
    Post edited by Andrew on
  • AprecheApreche
    The awesome sci-fi secret of space that we don't reveal until the end, maybe.
  • KieyKiey
    I'm a fan of the Chekhov's gun, and the inverse of it that I like to call the Chekhov's Frontalot (after Paul & Storm's use of MC Frontalot during their PAX East set.)
  • Johannes Uglyfred IIJohannes Uglyfred II
    Bad guy turned good!
  • Dr. TimoDr. Timo
    My favorite plot device is the TECHNOPLOT XXL Solvent-Jet Combi
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  • OmnutiaOmnutia
    Which you probably couldn't buy if you financed your car.
  • FunfetusFunfetus
    edited July 2010
    I'm a complete sucker for a post-apocalypse. I realize that's more of a setting than a plot device, but eh.
    Post edited by Funfetus on
  • La Petit MortLa Petit Mort
    I'm a sucker for stories in which the two main characters are already together from the beginning, instead of getting together in the end, Eureka 7 is a good example of this, and you even get to watch their relationship grow through the plot, unfortunately, there's barely any media that has that. Or so I think. ._.
  • OmnutiaOmnutia
    I'm a sucker for stories in which the two main characters are already together from the beginning, instead of getting together in the end, Eureka 7 is a good example of this, and you even get to watch their relationship grow through the plot, unfortunately, there's barely any media that has that. Or so I think. ._.

    It's always a good time to post Tim Minchin videos.
  • RailithRailith
    I always enjoy when a competent villain has an evil scheme that works.
  • La Petit MortLa Petit Mort
    edited July 2010
    I'm a sucker for stories in which the two main characters are already together from the beginning, instead of getting together in the end, Eureka 7 is a good example of this, and you even get to watch their relationship grow through the plot, unfortunately, there's barely any media that has that. Or so I think. ._.
    [video]
    It's always a good time to post Tim Minchin videos.
    I don't mean love at first sight, I actually dislike that. Obviously the characters would know each other from before the start of the plot. Or get together in the middle of the story.
    Post edited by La Petit Mort on
  • AxelAxel
    Normal person gets superpowers and has to deal with the consequences of that, since it's everyone's secret fantasy.
  • ChurbaChurba
    I don't mean love at first sight, I actually dislike that. Obviously the characters would know each other from before that. Or get together in the middle of the story.
  • chaosof99chaosof99
    My favorite plot device:
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  • La Petit MortLa Petit Mort
    My second favorite plot device.
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  • Doctor BarberDoctor Barber
    I've always been a fan of Dastardly Plots.
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  • progSHELLprogSHELL
    I only know of one example of this, but I really like the premise of every Studio Beetrain anime (i.e. Girls with guns and they may be lesbians). However, all of them are bad and I cry myself to sleep every night because of this. However, my favorite well used plot device is a romance story where one of them dies, and the remaining partner is dropped into the depths of despair(e.g. A Farewell to Arms).
  • jlawson70jlawson70
    I remember back when I was a teenager and reading all of Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer mysteries, I was reading an interview with Spillane. The interviewer asked him why in a certain book he wrote a part where the main character was using the bathroom and two guys with guns bust in and try to kill him. Spillane's response was that it was the only way he could figure to catch the character off guard.
  • WindUpBirdWindUpBird
    The Thirty Xanatos Pileup, of course.
  • CremlianCremlian
    Bad guy turned good!
    I always liked this variation.

    image
  • TheWhaleSharkTheWhaleShark
    edited July 2010
    Bad guy turned good!
    On the flipside of that, I like a villain that thinks he's doing the right thing. Think Magneto.

    EDIT: Also, I like self-righteous do-gooders who get consumed by their own egos and become somewhat villainous.
    Post edited by TheWhaleShark on
  • AprecheApreche
    edited July 2010
    On the flipside of that, I like a villain that thinks he's doing the right thing. Think Magneto.
    What villain thinks he's doing the wrong thing and does it anyway? Everyone either thinks their right, or is crazy, or both.
    Post edited by Apreche on
  • GreatTeacherMacRossGreatTeacherMacRoss
    I'm a sucker for bromance in many situations, be it Superbad or The Brothers Bloom.
    I also like the "soldier sent to do a job, soldier has change of heart" sort of story. It's the only reason I found Avatar bearable.
    The noble sacrifice of a non-heroic character will get me, as will spectacular sacrifices of major characters. The kind that people don't come back from afterwords either. I'm looking at you, Gandalf, you big pussy.
  • loltsundereloltsundere
    I has to be well done, but stories involving Heroic Sacrifice really get to me. That includes the many variations on it.
  • TheWhaleSharkTheWhaleShark
    What villain thinks he's doing the wrong thing and does it anyway?
    Plenty of bad guys are bad for the sake of being bad.

    I'm talking about the misguided hero, more than anything else.
  • SchnevetsSchnevets
    I'm a huge fan of meta-stuff. To me, there's nothing more epic than a story that acknowledges its medium in an interesting and well-crafted way. A good example of this is the work of Paul Auster (whose protagonists are oftentimes authors/author-detective who are stuck in mystery novels). I also tend to find it funny when a video game makes some joke about being a video game (Like the Final Fantasy Adventure "Oh shit, the hero's music!" Moment, or Metal Gear Solid 2's "You should stop playing. Don't you have anything better to do?" Codec call).
  • OmnutiaOmnutia
    edited July 2010
    Everyone either thinks their right, or is crazy/greedy/doesn't care, or both.
    An important lesson of life.
    Post edited by Omnutia on
  • AprecheApreche
    edited July 2010
    An important lesson of life.
    Name for me a single person who does bad things, believes the things they do are bad, does them anyway, doesn't feel bad about it at all, and isn't crazy or otherwise insane.
    Post edited by Apreche on
  • OmnutiaOmnutia
    How is that related to the text you quoted?
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