I like David Lynch’s approach to storytelling, which mostly doesn’t follow these basic plots:

Accepted into the institute’s Center for Advanced Film Studies in 1970, Lynch studied with the Czechoslovak film maker Frank Daniel, whose course on film analysis shaped his writing and directing habits. “It’s a simple thing he taught me,” says Lynch. “If you want to make a feature film, you get ideas for 70 scenes. Put them on 3-by-5 cards. As soon as you have 70, you have a feature film.” Except that he now dictates to an assistant, Lynch still works this way.