formulaic storytelling
By-the-numbers plots
Formulaic storytelling relies on predictable patterns, stock characters, and conventional plot structures rather than innovation or surprise.
The term is usually critical, suggesting creative laziness: The show's formulaic storytelling made every episode feel the same.
Genres like romantic comedies, procedural dramas, and action movies are often accused of formulaic storytelling, though familiar structures can also satisfy audiences who know what to expect.
- clichéOverused, unoriginal expression
- predictableAble to be foreseen
- by the numbersFollowing established procedure exactly
- tropesRecurring thematic conventions
- genreCategory of creative work
template · hackneyed · paint-by-numbers · conventions · archetypes · beats · Hollywood · three-act · third act · act break · hero's journey · chosen one · cookie-cutter · boilerplate · stock · damsel in distress · derivative · recycled
formulaic storytellingexperimental fiction
Nontraditional narrative prose
anti-narrative · metafiction · non-linear storytelling · stream of consciousness · plot twists
formula, formulae, formulas, formulary, formulate, formulated, formulating, formulation, reformulate