Crutch Plot

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A story formula that would be what the writers fall back on when they're fresh out of new ideas for their franchise, hence the name Crutch Plot. Even though the term "crutch plot" is used mainly for TV shows, it can be applied to other forms of fiction as well. One category of Crutch Plot would contain stories that are similar to each other in the basic, general way of how they're played out.

An example of a Crutch Plot is one in which Guy is given a series of chores by someone else. With every chore, he either fails to complete it or does so in a way that hurts people or property. By the end of the day, the one who assigned Guy his chores returns to see that he's destroyed half of their home with his antics. Each time this Crutch Plot is used, the person who assigns Guy his tasks and those assigned tasks change, but the series of events throughout them won't differ much.