TROPE: A common or overused story element (a character type, plot structure,
theme, device, setting, etc.) that appears in many stories
The chosen one, a sunrise as a symbol for new beginnings, the enemies-to-lovers plotline… we’ve seen these time and again in multiple stories across multiple genres. That’s what makes them tropes, because they crop up so often they’ve become recognizable to a wide audience. Ironically, their widespread use is why they sometimes get a bad rap. But when they’re applied properly, they do more good than bad and can really enhance your story.
What’s Good About Tropes?
Let’s see how tropes are beneficial and why you may want to incorporate one (or more) into your WIP.
They Come with Certain Baked-In Elements. Tropes are identified by a set of common aspects. Take the reluctant hero, for instance. There’s a lot of room for variation, but at the heart of this trope is a character who is underachieving, has commitment issues, is driven by an underlying fear, and clings to the status quo. So if you’re story calls for this kind of protagonist, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. You already have a basic outline for who they are, which makes your job that much easier.
Tropes Are Familiar to Readers. Most of us have seen tropes like the reluctant hero many times. This makes them easily recognizable to readers, who will know (to a certain degree) what they’re getting. In this way, tropes can provide familiarity and comfort, which enhances the reader’s overall experience.
They Set Expectations. Each reader has their own preferences, which results in them being drawn to certain kinds of stories. We see this when a person repeatedly opts for happily-ever-after romances, or books with ensemble casts, or a rags-to-riches plotline. Each kind of story has certain characteristics that make it that kind of story. If you know what your readers like, and certain tropes fit the bill, including one can increase your chance of giving them more of what they want.
What’s Bad About Tropes?
Unfortunately, tropes work a bit like dual-edged swords because if they’re not handled well, the things that make them beneficial can also do harm.
Tropes Aren’t Original. Because readers have seen your character/theme/device before, they have a general idea of what to expect, and that’s a good thing. But while some familiarity is good, most people also want variation. They want familiar, not identical, and as authors, we fail to deliver when we stick too close to the trope script. We write it exactly as we’ve seen it before, and the trope becomes clichéd and hackneyed. If our story elements lack originality and imagination, they’re not going to hold a reader’s attention for long.
They Can Be Too Predictable. Again, some familiarity is good, but if a trope is so commonplace that readers know exactly what’s going to happen…poof! The magic is gone.
We Tend to Overuse Them. Sometimes we writers can get overly comfortable with a successful plotline, device, or character type, and before we know it, it’s going into every one of our stories. I have a favorite author who writes books with female protagonists who, for some reason, always end up accidentally pregnant at some point. Each book has different characters, motivations, and scenarios, but the same device is used in all of them. It started reading as inauthentic—a crutch for the author rather than a meaningful event for the character—and I found myself looking for other stories to read.
So, tropes can be really useful, but only when they’re handled properly. If we want to keep readers engaged and coming back for more, we have to mix things up and use old tropes in new ways.
The Right Way to Use a Trope
So how do we embrace tropes while avoiding predictability, cliché, and a lack of imagination?
1. Identify the non-negotiables. The common elements that define a trope are important to identify because, like bumpers in the bowling gutters, they keep you on course. So if you’re thinking about writing a trope, research the elements associated with it, and make note of which ones you want to include.
Let’s say you’re writing a story with a Hero on a Quest plotline. Here are a few of the common elements for that trope that you might want to include:
· A call to adventure that sets the protagonist on their path
· Extensive travel across a realm or world
· A series of trials that tests the character’s mettle, worthiness, or dedication to the goal
· Taverns as gathering places
· A system of magic or supernatural powers…
2. Now ask yourself: Which of those elements can be reimagined? This is where we save the trope from becoming a cliché. We take the common factors, and we tweak some of them so they’re fresh and unusual but still recognizable. A reimagining of our Hero on a Quest elements might look like this:
· The call comes, but the hero doesn’t heed it. He rejects it the first time around (Ã la Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit), and needs a second, more urgent call to get him moving.
· Instead of the protagonist jet-setting around the world, their travel will be limited to their own city, or a nearby castle, or an amusement park.
· Rather than the standard tavern, the protagonist will meet up with others in coffee shops or in deserted buildings on the outskirts of each town that have been claimed by outcasts and travelers.
3. Meld Genres. Tropes are often tied to genre, so a good way to keep them fresh is to see how they could apply to a different kind of story. This can be especially helpful in the planning stages—when you don’t know what the story’s about but you do know it includes a certain trope.
The Hero on a Quest plotline is most often associated with fantasy, but how might it be incorporated into other genres?
· Romance: A pen-pal relationship blossoms into what could be true love, so the protagonist crosses the world to meet their possible soulmate.
· Mystery: The sleuth protagonist’s quest revolves around solving a mystery, the clues for which are scattered abroad.
· Horror: To survive and find freedom, the main character must sneak (unscathed) from the top floor to the ground level of a zombie-infested office building.
· Science Fiction: The protagonist’s quest will take them to new places via virtual reality instead of on the back of a horse.
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This is a great exercise for reimagining a trope. It also can also result in new story ideas you hadn’t considered before.
Bottom line: Tropes can be super useful—when we don’t write them as tired and overdone. With just a little bit of brainstorming, they can become new and interesting while maintaining the familiarity readers crave.
Becca Puglisi is an international speaker, writing coach, and bestselling author of The Emotion Thesaurus and other resources for writers. Her books have sold over 1 million copies and are available in multiple languages, are sourced by US universities, and are used by novelists, screenwriters, editors, and psychologists around the world. She is passionate about learning and sharing her knowledge with others through her Writers Helping Writers blog and via One Stop For Writers—a powerhouse online resource for authors that's home to the Character Builder and Storyteller's Roadmap tools.
