Save Time by Borrowing Plots From Other Movies
One huge problem every writer faces is coming up with a coherent plot that drives the entire story. Without a logical and compelling story, all the best dialogue, action, and characters will mean nothing. That’s why one of the simplest ways to create a story is to just borrow the plot from an existing story.
In Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None”, a mysterious man has invited strangers to a mansion where he proceeds to kill them one by one to punish them for a past crime they committed. “Abigail” borrowed that exact same plot except change the story to where a vampire girl has tricked a group of strangers into a mansion where she proceeds to kill them one by one to punish them for their crimes against her father’s organized crime ring.
When borrowing a plot from an existing story, consider changing the details. “And Then There Were None” is a mystery but “Abigail” is more of a horror story. By changing genres or story details, you can create a fresh story.
“Die Hard” is an action thriller but look at the following three stories that cloned the “Die Hard” plot:
- “Violent Night”
- “Paul Blart: Mall Cop”
- “Under Siege”
“Violent Night” leans more towards a comedy where the hero is Santa Claus who has to fight off a group of home invaders and relearn the meaning of Christmas in the process. Making Santa Claus the bumbling hero makes “Violent Night” different and funny. Watch the following scene to see Santa Claus take out an elite special forces team.
“Paul Blart: Mall Cop” is another “Die Hard” clone where a mall cop must save a shopping mall from a team of criminals. Where “Violent Night” focuses on gruesome violence for its entertainment, “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” emphasizes silliness instead. The hero, Paul Bart, seems like an overweight loser but turns out to be far stronger than even he thought possible as he tries to save his daughter and girlfriend from the criminals. Watch the following scene to see how “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” handles the hero wiping out the bad guys.
Now look at “Under Siege” that simply moves the setting to a battleship but maintains the same seriousness of the original “Die Hard”. Where “Violent Night” and “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” aim towards humor, “Under Siege” maintains the action thriller genre of “Die Hard” but holds our attention through its unique setting. Watch the following scene to see how the hero in “Under Siege” deals with the bad guys compared to the way “Violent Night” and “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” did.
So the next time you’re stuck on your story, consider borrowing the plot of an existing movie or book. By reusing an existing plot, you can focus your time on creating unique characters and details that make your story memorable.
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