A trope is a commonly recurring device to showcase your plot, characters, theme, etc.
Many of them have become cliches, many are now 'unpopular' or forever favorites.
Maybe you already have a list of things you love or hate reading in books.
Check out this list of tropes to steer clear of ones you hate, and use ones that aren't created as frequently:
Fantasy/SciFi Tropes:
Chosen One
Prophesy
Secret/Hidden Powers
Crazy Spelled Names
Noble Savages
Wise Elder
Fake Medieval Setting
Dragons
Mythical Pet
Surprise Hero
Squad Goals
Action Sequence Banter
Deux Ex Machina
Default Hero
Tragic Genius
Good Guy is Bad/Bad Guy is Good
Everyone Couples Up
Diversity...or Not.
Female Doesn't Need No Man
Assassin/Capable Female
Time Loop
'Redshirt'
Space Battle
Sexy Robot/Alien
Robots/Aliens Hiding Among Humans
Landscape is Giant Animal
Mystery Tropes:
Red Herring
Surprise Ally
Man on the Inside
Psycho Killer
Femme Fatale
Dirty Politician/Figure
Surprise Turncoat
Incompetent Federal Agent
Mob Boss
Romance Tropes:
Enemies to Lovers
Friends to Lovers
Friends with Benefits
Slow Burn
InstaLove
Love Triangle
Betrayal/Cheater
Misunderstanding/not communicating
Marriage of Convenience
Rags to Riches
Mistaken Identity
Secret Identity
Someone Makes a Bet
Warring Houses
Girl/Boy Next Door
Coming Out
First Kiss, etc
Opposites Attract
Amnesia
Dark Past
Dark Brooding Smoldering Male
Sinner with Heart of Gold
Damsel in Distress
Unrequited Love
Other:
Road Trip
Bad Decisions
Dysfunctional Family
Only One Friend
(Social) Anxiety
Awkward
Nerd/Geek
Flowery/Purple Prose
Survivor's Guilt
Death used as Catalyst
There are more, but here are a few to get you started.
Which ones do you tend to use the most? Or do you mix them up?
Which ones do you love or hate to read or write about?
Have fun writing with tropes! Don't miss out on the List of Themes and List of Subplots.
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