Use these as starting points—but the best stories subvert or blend them.

Some common themes found in family drama storylines include:

The Fishers run a funeral home. The proximity to death forces every raw emotion to the surface. The Storyline Takeaway: The drama doesn't come from shouting. It comes from Nate, the prodigal son, trying to run a business he hates, while David, the closeted son, runs the business he loves. Their conflict is professional, sexual, and filial all at once.