Man in Hole
Starts well, dips into trouble, emerges better than before
Boy Meets Girl
Finds something wonderful, loses it, then regains it
Cinderella
Gradual improvement, setback, then dramatic rise
From Bad to Worse
Bad situation that progressively deteriorates
Which Way Is Up?
Ambiguous fortunes with uncertain outcome
Creation Story
Stability, chaos, then new stability
Old Testament
Incremental blessings without major downturns
New Testament
Sacrifice/suffering leading to reward/transformation