Copyright 2018 by Gary L. Pullman
As its name suggests, a
plot generator generates plots for a series of stories, such as those
which are shown on a television show. Occasionally, the title of the
series references its plot generator. The plot generators are sources
of both the conflict (and often the villains) and the explanation of
the series' bizarre events. In addition, plot generators determine
the type of the threats (e. g., science fiction, fantasy, horror).
Well-known examples of plot devices include:
Well-known examples of plot devices include:
The Time Tunnel (1966-1967) | Time machine (i. e., the Time Tunnel) |
Star Trek (1966-1969) | Mission (to explore new worlds) |
The Prisoner (1967-1968) | Village (island prison) |
Land of the Giants (1968-1970) | Planet other than Earth |
The X-Files (1993-2002) | X-Files (unsolved cases involving bizarre paranormal or supernatural events or agents) |
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003) | Hellmouth (mystical gateway between Earth and hell) |
Haven (2005 - ) and Arrow (2012- ) (first season) | Troubles (a mysterious affliction suffered by the “Troubled”) |
Supernaturals (season one) (2005) | John Winchester's notebook |
Flash (2014- ) | Particle accelerator explosion |
Supergirl (2015 - ) | Prison |
Since Chillers and
Thrillers is concerned with
horror fiction more than with science fiction or fantasy per
se, we'll limit our discussion
of plot generators to those used in the horror genre: The
X-Files, Buffy
the Vampire Slayer, Haven,
and Supernaturals.
For The X-Files, the plot generator is the X-Files (unsolved cases involving bizarre paranormal or supernatural events or agents). These mysterious files involve FBI agents Fox (“I want to believe”) Mulder and skeptical Dana Scully in investigations of alleged alien abductions, supposed government conspiracies, mysterious murders, ghosts, murderous computers equipped with artificial intelligence, UFO crashes, a eugenics program, pyrokinesis, psychics, astral projection, age reversal, miracle healings, werewolves, unseen forces, human hibernation, and reincarnation—and these investigations all occur in the first of the series' eleven seasons.
The
Hellmouth, an inter-dimensional portal between Earth and hell, is the
plot generator in Buffy
the Vampire Slayer.
The current slayer, Buffy Summers, is the one and only slayer in
1997, when she dies at the hands of The Master, a centuries-old
vampire trapped inside The Hellmouth. Although she is resuscitated
shortly after her death, her demise triggers the activation of her
replacement, Kendra Young, who has come to the United States from
Jamaica to assume her duties as the “new” slayer under the
tutelage of Buffy's Watcher (mentor), Rupert Giles, the librarian of
Sunnydale High School in Sunnydale, California. Kendra is replaced,
in turn, by Faith Lehane, the slayer who assumes Kendra's role as
slayer upon Kendra's death. First with Kendra, and then with Faith,
Buffy became the first slayer in history to share her title and
responsibilities with another slayer equipped with her own
supernatural powers.
The Hellmouth is located beneath Sunnydale, California. In addition to its being an inter-dimensional gateway to hell, the Hellmouth also enhances supernatural energy, causing bizarre, dangerous incidents to occur with regularity. Due to the intensified supernatural energy caused by The Hellmouth, the portal also attracts demons. Numerous attempts are made to open The Hellmouth, but none succeed until the end of the series, when Buffy, Faith, and Potential Slayers (girls who have the powers of the slayer but who have not been activated as such) open The Hellmouth's Seal. After the Sunnydale Hellmouth is destroyed, Giles tells Buffy and her friends that another Hellmouth exists in Cincinnati.
The Hellmouth is located beneath Sunnydale, California. In addition to its being an inter-dimensional gateway to hell, the Hellmouth also enhances supernatural energy, causing bizarre, dangerous incidents to occur with regularity. Due to the intensified supernatural energy caused by The Hellmouth, the portal also attracts demons. Numerous attempts are made to open The Hellmouth, but none succeed until the end of the series, when Buffy, Faith, and Potential Slayers (girls who have the powers of the slayer but who have not been activated as such) open The Hellmouth's Seal. After the Sunnydale Hellmouth is destroyed, Giles tells Buffy and her friends that another Hellmouth exists in Cincinnati.
In
Haven, Maine, when the characters of Haven known as The Troubled undergo emotional crises, they experience The
Troubles, which are characterized by supernatural incidents,
including weather phenomena, the perception of one's worst fears, and
the realization of personal fantasies. The Troubles began 350 years
ago, when Haven was founded, and have been occurring ever since. In
some cases, The Troubled can be treated or controlled, if not cured,
through medication, temporary confinement, a job change, or other
means.
Supernatural's
John Winchester, monster hunter, records information about his prey
in a journal
that had previously belonged to his father, Henry. After John's
death, his sons, Dean and Sam, whom he trained to follow his own
unusual occupation, use the journal as a guide. Not only does the
journal contain myriad entries concerning particular demons,
monsters, ghosts, and other supernatural entities, but it also
provides information concerning Azazel, a powerful demon to whose
defeat John had dedicated his life. After season nine, the journal is
used only infrequently, although it remains a resource throughout the
series and is employed once more in season thirteen, as Dean and Sam
seek information about the Hell Gate and the Princes of Hell.
Each of these plot generators has several elements in common with the others, suggesting those that any such device should be or include:
Each of these plot generators has several elements in common with the others, suggesting those that any such device should be or include:
- the facilitation of encounters with a variety of paranormal and/or supernatural entities or forces
- a source of conflict between the protagonists and antagonists
- information concerning the paranormal and/or supernatural threats the protagonists encountering, including, in some cases, the means for overcoming them
- a history that predates the plot generator itself and often includes previous protagonists who used or were affected by the device
- the opportunity for the plot generator itself to become the subject of a book published by the permission of the show's creator, producer, production company, owner, or other authorized authority, as in the case of Supernatural: John Winchester's Journal.
For novelists or short
story writers who are interested in developing a series of related
sequels, the creation and use of a plot generator is an effective,
imaginative way to accomplish this goal.