Let's Talk About Tropes! (Write About Reading)

The Cliché and the Coveted:
In a survey done by yours truly, I have compiled from a range of groups their favorite (and least favorite) tropes in literature. A fair bit of it depends on personal preference, as indicated by the romantics making grabby hands at the newest heart-throbbing drama, and the academics picking apart every nook and cranny of their fiercely wordy novels. That preference can spring from a plethora of options, be it life experience, culture, or the urge to slap a band-aid over our own healing wounds via reading the stories we love. ​

In my findings I’ve noticed a few trends worth sharing, plus the significance of these few points:

1. This generation’s, regardless of background, new animosity is towards clichés. Nearly everyone I spoke to individually demonstrated a disdain for the popular tropes we grew up with. One source professed their willingness to read anything if it was not in a high school setting with the expected bad boy and breaker of hearts discovering a soft spot for the quiet, shy, doe-eyed girl who may or may not be crushing on him. Frankly, can you blame them? When it comes to Generation Z in particular, you’ll find that many of us have strayed from the customs we grew up with. This is attributed to growing up during the age of technology and change. In recent years, we’ve also started sharing our voices + uplifting voices that need to be heard in activism. We are open to change, and this shows in our most day-to-day, insignificant endeavors as well. ​
2. One almost amusing common thread is the passion many share for the growing in popularity ‘enemies-to-lovers’ trope. Perhaps a hint biased, I am of the same opinion. We’ve all seen two strangers fall into love at first sight, two childhood best friends buckling into the emotional rollercoaster of platonic to romantic love, and destiny’s intended soulmates finally meeting. A change is bound to happen when you unleash creativity. So, what’s so appealing about this idea? It’s refreshing, putting a new spin on how love can change an individual and their perception. 

And, SCENE:
Character A fights Character B, both of them gasping for breath as sword hits sword, and then… 
One lowers their sword in surrender. It isn’t like them to surrender. Suddenly the other character at hand finds their mind full of concern. But wait, when did that happen? The usual irritation, envy, or hatred has turned into something unknown— concern? Love? Desire? 
No matter the setting or characters, love changes people. (Or aliens, you do you.) Love transcends what it touches and melts the candle wax into a new shape so it may fit in the space of another shape. Two perfect puzzle pieces aligned in the stars. This is simply an additional way to explore the journey. 

1. ​Dynamics, oh, dynamics! Don’t get me started. There is a virtually unlimited arsenal of character dynamics. Do they compliment each other? Directly contradict each other? Complete each other, even?  

Dynamics are built upon foundation upon foundation of stories that already exist. This collective grows every day, and we grow with it. Is it Romeo and Juliet, modernized and twisted so that the same old story is still just as impactful and engaging? Or is it the investigator, weakened in his prime by the very culprit he is supposed to catch? 
Our most beloved tropes from my peers consist of: 

• Sun and moon trope! This is remarkably similar to a variety of others going around: red and blue trope, in which both embody their respective color and compliment each other as perfectly as the sun compliments the moon. The romance we are used to, more lovable as it is delivered to us in more exciting ways. 
• Another on this list, one character is cold, even hardened after a period of tough times, and determined to get along with absolutely no one. A resolute solitary pessimist. Then, in walks the embodiment of a ray of sunshine, spreading their light even where it isn’t wanted… until it is. 
• Plucky, calculating nerd type is coveted by the very stereotype they would regularly scoff in annoyance at. Examples include the noisy jock, certified idiot, or the even bigger nerd that makes the previous pale in comparison. Above all, it’s about slapping two characters in a room together and predicting the order of events: do they duel, flirt, or do both? And in what order? 

2. Enough about romance, here are some characters and their stories that have been popular: 

•  The ‘bad guy’ becomes ‘the good guy’ or the ‘less bad guy.’ Love, of course, changes people, but love doesn’t exactly need to be present for people to change people. We adapt and grow every day, multiple times a day, as a reflection of the people we’re around. If you have friends you trust and who love you for you, you’ll be unafraid to be yourself around them. If it’s the opposite, and you have to fit their unrelenting standards, you’ll change yourself until you do. When the traditionally malevolent character abandons their aspirations on world domination or something on a lesser scale to better themselves and heal, we catch sight of our own selves in that action. No, we aren’t bad, per se, but reading inspirational stories can be inspiring. When it comes to bettering the self, that journey is one that never ends. It’s nice not to be alone while walking that road. 
• A rise in female characters and their agency. Writing a well-rounded woman is challenging (looking at you, old-fashioned male authors). You have to capture not only the female experience rooted in misogyny, but give your character an objective, a past, and shape their future in a way that’ll remain consistently true to the story. Lately, we’ve witnessed the token female stereotypes (Virgin, Madonna, Damsel In Distress, etc) evolve into newer forms, such as: the villainess, the one embarking on a narrative concerning revenge, or the hero who can save herself and save others. 
• LGBTQ+ characters. It’s about time these stories are told. The importance of including marginalized groups in written works— scratch that, all works and all media, is enormous. Growing up, I never saw myself on screen or on a page in a way that was purely positive and good-natured. Characters who were not cisgender or heterosexual were used as the butt of the joke or the one who the main character’s really didn’t want to be. Reading now, I can start to see portrayals of characters who I once was. They aren’t written to serve the purpose of another straight character, but rather to exist as a gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender/nonbinary individual who is simply allowed to take up space. 

3. Endings. Is there a perfect way to end a story? I don’t have an answer for you. Setting up a world and a cast of characters and parting with them is, for lack of better word, such sweet sorrow. Again, just as characters and their dynamics are unlimited and ever-changing, so are the methods of concluding a narrative. However different, these options can be divided into a few categories: 

•  Happy endings. The lovers get together. The turmoil comes to an end, and despite losses, the underdogs and characters readers were rooting for to make it out alive. The mystery is solved. Success stories uplift us. They make it easier to see ourselves succeeding in our world if we can envision characters succeeding in a fictional one. Likely the most written ending out there, this one won’t grow old for a while yet. Putting down a book and heaving a sigh of relief is a feeling that doesn’t age. Your favorite character did it, and so can you. 
• I’m not going to say sad endings. I’m not even going to say bad endings. Those conclusions that leave your gut unfathomably twisted in knots? The ones that make tears well up in your eyes? If it causes you to turn your gaze away from the offending cover of the novel, that’s the ending I’m talking about. A shock or not, cruel endings and character deaths are not the catharsis that many seek when escaping to literature. This doesn’t mean that they don’t succeed. To judge a work, you can’t only ask yourself if you liked it. You ask yourself why or why not. If it provoked your emotions, it has succeeded in creating an impact. Reader by reader, writers strive to stir up feelings and make a change, whether it be on a large or small scale. No, it may not be joy, but writers want you to feel. 
• A page-turner that makes no sense, is a non-answer, isn’t quite satisfying. Open endings let some down and thrill others. After committing to a few hundred pages and receiving what may as well be static? It keeps you dumbfounded. What is for sure is that it won’t be leaving your head for a fair bit, whether it be out of frustration or the effort of conceiving possible endings. This type of ending is easy to do wrong. If tweaked, it’ll fall flat, seem untrue to the characters, or be conceptualized as bad writing. But when done well, it can open doors to sequels or fan works. 

All mentioned here is only scratching the surface of tropes and tricks used in writing. If anything should be taken away, it’s that experimenting with your work as a writer + adapting with your audience is crucial to growth, even if it means stepping out of your comfort zone. Write that new character with a background different than yours (with research and fact-checking.) Try your hand at a different dynamic and see the fun and loveable storylines evolve before your eyes. When it comes time to crack your knuckles and prepare for the ending, consider each stepping stone of your story and ask yourself how many ways you can take it while making sure it stays adhesive to everything written thus far. 
I’m a firm believer in using literature as a form of communication. Reaching out to others between the lines and letting them know they aren’t alone, introducing new ideas that should be spoken about— this is just as important to me as telling the story. New trope or old, or old with a refreshing spin, write it all down and see where it’ll take you.

Del Elizabeth

Del Elizabeth (she/they) is a young creative & dramatic writer from California. She enjoys experimenting with horror and poetry and in her free time, often participates in theatre with her community. You can find her work upcoming in several journals & already published in Anatolios Magazine.