If you aren’t familiar with the word ‘trope’ you will be familiar with its use. Tropes are commonly used themes or story telling devices that readers would recognise in most genres. It’s hard to avoid them and why should you, they are recognised shortcuts in telling stories. Below are some examples, you might not use any of them, but they might get you thinking about the tropes you want to use when telling your story.

Character Tropes

The Chosen One. A very common trope. An ordinary person destined for greatness.

The Reluctant Hero. Like it or not, they are the hero of the story.

The Antihero. Not all heroes are angelic.

The Mentor. Behind every great hero is the mentor, maybe the former hero.

The Femme Fatale. Deadly and cunning.

Romance Tropes

Enemies to Lovers. A tale as old as time but a favourite.

Fake Relationship. Forced to pretend they’re in love, then actually fall in love.

Forbidden Love. This is an expansive trope, used many times.

Opposites attract. A timeless trope.

Plot Tropes

Rags to Riches. Many a successful book and movie have used this trope.

The Quest. The holy grail trope can also be a great subplot.

The Betrayal. Sometimes the greatest twist.

Time Loop / Time Travel. Difficult to pull off well.

Just because a trope has been used many times before, don’t let that put you off. There is always a way you can bring something new to a trope and there is a reason the good ones get used time and again, it’s because people enjoy them. So don’t be put off, embrace it and bring something new.