WRITER WEDNESDAY: Plot Vehicles

The video is a bit of auditory candy. I mean, come on, Bo Bice's soulful, smokey blues voice is a treat any time, right? Even if it has little to nothing to do with this post... *cheezy grin*

Okay, so what are we talking about today? Plot vehicles. I'm sure there may be another industry term for these, but to me a trope used to push a plot forward is a vehicle. They are plot points, or happenings in a story that when boiled down to it's simplest essence appear in many stories. Now don't fret, I've heard said there are only 7 original stories and everything else is just new packaging. Also heard there's a fairly simple formula for any romance, regardless of paranormal, contemporary, dystopian... Basically, a romance distills to: boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back. (Or boy/boy, girl/girl if that's your kind of story)

Dead parent/s: This usually sends the Main Character into a new environment where they find themselves/their true love and usually a lot of trouble.
Siblings: The MC finds out somewhere along the way their nemesis or love interest is actually their sibling.
Son/Daughter of the Big Bad Guy: The MC discovers they are the offspring of the big villain.
Misunderstanding: The MC and BF/GF have a misunderstanding that leads to that all important 'time apart' part of the story where they pine for each other.
Dead sibling/Significant Other: The MC lost someone, usually as part of backstory, and that loss haunts them, shaping their choices, or preventing them from finding love, etc, till they get past it.
Paranormal and Human relationship: The MC or their love interest is either paranormal, or human, and their Significant Other is the other. (built in tension of bridging the gap between them, loving despite their "issue)
Amnesia: probably one of my least favorite plot vehicles. The MC can't remember why they are the way they are, or who they are, or blah blah blah.
Kidnapping: Puts the MC in danger, exposes them to a new environment. The MC's often learn to rely on themselves and escape, or are saved by their Significant Other.
There's actually a chat going on tonight about this plot vehicle with two of Egmont's authors and you're all invited to join Beth Kephart (author of YOU ARE MY ONLY) and Kristina McBride author of THE TENSION OF OPPOSITES) as they talk about kidnapping in YA literature, their books, and much much more. And bring questions! www.egmontusa.com/authorchat/

Have any other Plot Vehicles? Please share!