If I were to name anything in the world as being my first love, I would probably say the “art of storytelling.” I mean, I’m an English major, have you ever met one who doesn’t love books? Subsequently, another interest of mine that blossomed from my love of storytelling and of books, is that of tropes.Â
For those of you not aware, tropes are literary patterns, or motifs in media. TV Tropes, the website dedicated to defining tropes both as they are and how they appear in pop culture, defined them as “a convention. It can be a plot trick, a setup, a narrative structure, a character type, a linguistic idiom… you know it when you see it.” In other words, they are building blocks that creators use to tell the stories that they want to tell. I enjoy the art of tracking these patterns in the media I watch, because it implies a connectedness among storytellers. A writer might be influenced by those who came before them, and as such the tropes they use might show up in their writing. It’s a reminder that humanity is built on stories and community. Plus, who doesn’t love a good pattern?
However, tropes are also only fun if used correctly. While I enjoy recognizing the patterns that appear in stories, to reduce stories to their tropes would be a disservice. It would be like calling a building whose walls and ceiling haven’t been filled in a house; it’s a fundamentally incorrect statement. What makes a story good is how a writer twists those archetypes and patterns around to suit their needs, to create something totally new.Â
For example, consider the popularity of the romance genre. A lot of romances follow a specific trope plot line. Consider Bridgerton, for instance. Each season follows a specific trope-y plotline: season 1 was Fake Dating, 2 was Enemies to Lovers, 3 was Friends to Lovers, and 4 was a Cinderella Plot. However, to reduce each season to their romance cliche would be doing them a disservice. People come back to the show for its entertaining drama, charismatic actors, unique design, and the chemistry between nearly every member of the cast, not just the leading couple.
Furthermore, tropes are not just for plot. Consider the trope of The Hero. The character who overcomes great adversity to do good things for the good of others, showing off their physical and mental strength in the process. They don’t even have to be the protagonist to do this, which tells you a lot of what you can do with this type of character. Katniss Everdeen. Luke Skywalker. Batman. All very different people, but still fit this trope of The Hero of their respective stories.Â
With all of this in mind, you can understand why it can be dangerous when tropes are misused. If your story is nothing but tropes, then it can make it feel boring to a reader or viewer. An original work cannot be expected to coast on its bare bones. I say original work, because fanfiction is usually advertised by its tropes or situations, at least on AO3. But with fanfiction, your audience is already invested in the characters, you just need to sell them on the plot or scenario. With original work, you need to do both.Â
In conclusion, if you have a story to tell, then tell it! You don’t need to rely on tropes to do your job for you, that’s all on you. And then, once your work is out there, nerds like me can track the patterns and analyze them to find their place in the wider human landscape of human storytelling.
