My 10 Favorite Tropes
"Tropes." What are they? Are they overused plot devices and literary cliches? Are they modern archetypes? If someone says your work is "tropey," is that good or bad?
In the simplest terms I can make up, tropes are familiar patterns that we recognize in storytelling, and yes, they are basically modern archetypes. To say something is a "trope" is not to say it is cliche, and pointing out the tropes in a work is not calling it out for not being original. It's impossible to write anything that contains no tropes. Real life is a trope. Like any aspect of storytelling, tropes aren't inherently good or bad. It's all in how you tell them.
That said, there are certain patterns that people like more, and certain ones they like less. For example, one trope I've always hated and probably always will is the cock fight. I just don't get the logic of beating up a romantic rival and thinking that's going to change anything.
So, just for fun, today I've picked 10 of my favorite tropes, with links to tvtropes.com, which is the most extensive encyclopedia of tropes I've found (and covers far more than TV, despite its name).
These aren't in order.
1. Well, Excuse Me, Princess, or any other iteration of enemies-to-lovers, love/hate relationships, and sassy romances.
2. Just Friends I have always had, and always will have, a soft spot for friends who are secretly in love, but it takes a long, slow, burn to admit. Weirdly also fits the previous photo. Any work where a character shrieks "We're just friends!" in slightly too high a register, I am there for.
3. Black Sheep The outcast of the family, the scapegoat, the loser, the rebel. Give me your weird and original masses, yearning to be free.
4. Papa Wolf/Mama Bear. Protective guys especially just really get me right in the ovaries. The trope page says this trope can't relate to friends, but I just plain disagree, and oh Lord if I'm not careful this whole list is just going devolve into a love letter to Bellamy Blake.
5. Breakout Character/Show Stealer. I could not love this more. Some of the best characters were never intended to stick around: Andy Dwyer, Logan Echolls, Elijah Mikaelson, Spike, freaking Castiel... Others weren't intended to steal the show the way they did.
I have such an acrid, fermented, mushy spot for characters that weren't supposed to be heroes, characters that weren't supposed to matter, the sidekick that wasn't meant to surpass the hero, the page that was specifically NOT prophesied to slay the dragon. These characters are my absolute heart. In fact, in "Meltdown", I tried to write a book with only quirky friend characters.
6. Action Girl I love me a petite girl with some karate skills. (Again... see my book). I don't care that it's unrealistic, I don't even care that it's sexist. Show me River destroying an army of Hands of Blue 9000 times and that's all I need. See also: Nikita, Katniss, Veronica Mars.
7. Dark and Troubled Past I am such a sucker for a good tragic backstory. Of course, it takes the magic out if used to excuse inexcusable behavior, but this melts me when it is begrudgingly revealed due to relevant plot. See also, Broken Bird, which is pretty much when an action girl has a dark and troubled past.
8. Jerk With a Heart of Gold Like, to a problematic degree. I basically have an emotional fetish for characters who can't keep their jackassery in their pants.
I have no idea what's wrong with me but I have the hardest time rooting for anything but the best-written nice people. As soon as someone is nice, I'm on the lookout for their dark secret. But show me a bully, a jerk, a meanie, and I'm instantly coming up with excuses for them and looking for the good way, way, down deep inside.
9. Congratulations, Everything's Awful! (Not the official trope name, but I like mine). The long-awaited victory is immediately overshadowed by Way Worse Thing. I like the reinforcement that getting involved makes things messy, and that endings are complicated. It also makes the world feel more realistic and complex. In reality, there are few, if any, problems that could be solved by defeating one person or overcoming one obstacle.
10. Prophetic Fallacy The idea of misunderstood prophecies is, in my opinion, woefully underdone. There are wayyyy too many books where prophecies end up meaning roughly what everyone thought they did. I want more stories where the prophecy was miles off from the interpretation, like to the point that it's hilarious. Like, "A great hero will arise in Amarantia to throw over the evil one" so they're waiting for a baby to be born there that can overthrow the king, but really "arise" just meant "wake up" and it's actually a bard who spends the night in a hay barn, wakes up, gets food poisoning from improperly cooked veal at the local tavern, and then throws up on the king. You know. Jesus-level misinterpretation.
So there it is, the list nobody asked for, of 10 of my favorite tropes! What are some of your favorite tropes? Are you a Bellarker? Drop me a comment and let me know, and as always, thanks for stopping by Weirdo Emily's Off-the-Rails Braincrash.
Song Recs:
It's Like You're Always on My Mind
Complicated Rhythm (most unabashedly joyful typewriter solo you'll see this week)
Life Itself
Has basically nothing to do with the post, it's just cute. Source.
In the simplest terms I can make up, tropes are familiar patterns that we recognize in storytelling, and yes, they are basically modern archetypes. To say something is a "trope" is not to say it is cliche, and pointing out the tropes in a work is not calling it out for not being original. It's impossible to write anything that contains no tropes. Real life is a trope. Like any aspect of storytelling, tropes aren't inherently good or bad. It's all in how you tell them.
That said, there are certain patterns that people like more, and certain ones they like less. For example, one trope I've always hated and probably always will is the cock fight. I just don't get the logic of beating up a romantic rival and thinking that's going to change anything.
So, just for fun, today I've picked 10 of my favorite tropes, with links to tvtropes.com, which is the most extensive encyclopedia of tropes I've found (and covers far more than TV, despite its name).
These aren't in order.
1. Well, Excuse Me, Princess, or any other iteration of enemies-to-lovers, love/hate relationships, and sassy romances.
Yes I count this as a romance shhh don't sink my ship.
It's just fun to watch that electric banter sometimes.
2. Just Friends I have always had, and always will have, a soft spot for friends who are secretly in love, but it takes a long, slow, burn to admit. Weirdly also fits the previous photo. Any work where a character shrieks "We're just friends!" in slightly too high a register, I am there for.
3. Black Sheep The outcast of the family, the scapegoat, the loser, the rebel. Give me your weird and original masses, yearning to be free.
4. Papa Wolf/Mama Bear. Protective guys especially just really get me right in the ovaries. The trope page says this trope can't relate to friends, but I just plain disagree, and oh Lord if I'm not careful this whole list is just going devolve into a love letter to Bellamy Blake.
Don't cry Murphy Daddy's here
5. Breakout Character/Show Stealer. I could not love this more. Some of the best characters were never intended to stick around: Andy Dwyer, Logan Echolls, Elijah Mikaelson, Spike, freaking Castiel... Others weren't intended to steal the show the way they did.
The creek may have been Dawson's, but my trash heart is Pacey's.
I have such an acrid, fermented, mushy spot for characters that weren't supposed to be heroes, characters that weren't supposed to matter, the sidekick that wasn't meant to surpass the hero, the page that was specifically NOT prophesied to slay the dragon. These characters are my absolute heart. In fact, in "Meltdown", I tried to write a book with only quirky friend characters.
6. Action Girl I love me a petite girl with some karate skills. (Again... see my book). I don't care that it's unrealistic, I don't even care that it's sexist. Show me River destroying an army of Hands of Blue 9000 times and that's all I need. See also: Nikita, Katniss, Veronica Mars.
7. Dark and Troubled Past I am such a sucker for a good tragic backstory. Of course, it takes the magic out if used to excuse inexcusable behavior, but this melts me when it is begrudgingly revealed due to relevant plot. See also, Broken Bird, which is pretty much when an action girl has a dark and troubled past.
8. Jerk With a Heart of Gold Like, to a problematic degree. I basically have an emotional fetish for characters who can't keep their jackassery in their pants.
Oh Logan you magnificent jackass
I have no idea what's wrong with me but I have the hardest time rooting for anything but the best-written nice people. As soon as someone is nice, I'm on the lookout for their dark secret. But show me a bully, a jerk, a meanie, and I'm instantly coming up with excuses for them and looking for the good way, way, down deep inside.
9. Congratulations, Everything's Awful! (Not the official trope name, but I like mine). The long-awaited victory is immediately overshadowed by Way Worse Thing. I like the reinforcement that getting involved makes things messy, and that endings are complicated. It also makes the world feel more realistic and complex. In reality, there are few, if any, problems that could be solved by defeating one person or overcoming one obstacle.
10. Prophetic Fallacy The idea of misunderstood prophecies is, in my opinion, woefully underdone. There are wayyyy too many books where prophecies end up meaning roughly what everyone thought they did. I want more stories where the prophecy was miles off from the interpretation, like to the point that it's hilarious. Like, "A great hero will arise in Amarantia to throw over the evil one" so they're waiting for a baby to be born there that can overthrow the king, but really "arise" just meant "wake up" and it's actually a bard who spends the night in a hay barn, wakes up, gets food poisoning from improperly cooked veal at the local tavern, and then throws up on the king. You know. Jesus-level misinterpretation.
So there it is, the list nobody asked for, of 10 of my favorite tropes! What are some of your favorite tropes? Are you a Bellarker? Drop me a comment and let me know, and as always, thanks for stopping by Weirdo Emily's Off-the-Rails Braincrash.
Song Recs:
It's Like You're Always on My Mind
Complicated Rhythm (most unabashedly joyful typewriter solo you'll see this week)
Life Itself
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