Tripping Over Tropes: The Problem with Overused Tropes in Writing
- Lance Alvarez
- Feb 5, 2024
- 8 min read
Raise your hand if you've ever read a book that has had a trope in it. While we obviously can't see you, we are willing to bet that your hand is in the air. And if it isn't, keep reading because, trust us, it will be. Now, raise your other hand if you've ever read a book with too many tropes. This one is a bit harder to guess, but there's a good chance at least half of you look like you're stretching right now. Especially if our featured genre of the month is your bread and butter. There is nothing a romance reader can spot faster than a trope. It's a superpower developed throughout the journey of exploring romance literature, and it's no secret that romance holds the title for the most tropes out of any other genre. A simple Google search for a list of romance tropes will bring up a whole host of results featuring lists of 100+ tropes for you to read.
We're not saying that tropes are bad; quite the opposite. Here at the Book Hive, we love tropes! Whether it's your super popular ones like friends-to-lovers or enemies-to-lovers or something a bit more taboo like the age gap or teacher-student relationships. Everyone has their preference, and every preference is valid. But regardless of your choice of trope, most readers---if not all---have one thing in common regarding these literary tools: Dislike of overused tropes. Tropes are like the frosting on a cake; they should be added to give the final presentation a special touch that entices readers. Their color, design, and taste should be the factors that draw the readers in and provide them with a taste, but they should not be the ingredients of your story. Even worse, they should not be the only thing your story relies on. No one likes a cake that only has one swirl of frosting in the middle and is otherwise devoid of any color or design.
Before "I Do"
The romance genre has a reputation, and don't try to deny it because we all know it's true. What side of that reputation you are on is open to interpretation, as are most things. Some readers are, for lack of a better word, romance addicts. They will try any romance novel, regardless of whether they like it or not, simply because it is a romance story. Others will avoid the genre like the plague. They want nothing to do with the lovey-dovey and mushy emotions that it features and don't want it in anything they read. Others still fall right in the middle and will go either way, depending on their mood or the story they seek. As always, regardless of where you land, there is a story out there for you.
It's hard, however, to say that most novels today feature romance to some extent, even if it's the most minimal part of the story. But romance is not just about that final "I do" that most expect; it's about the journey that brings you down the aisle. It's about the trials and hardships and fights and reconciliations. It's the good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful. It's everything wrapped up in one. The unique thing about the romance genre is that its signature feature is the Happily Ever After. The guaranteed resolution of all conflict and the eventual coming together of the characters you will follow along their tumultuous journey to finding love. That sense of surety draws readers to the genre, seeking an escape from the heaviness of many fantasy and sci-fi stories that leave you with your heart in your throat, anticipating a sequel that will resolve the harrowing cliffhanger they have left the characters in. Or away from the suspense and anxiety of that horror or thriller novel that keeps them up at night, their minds racing. Romance offers a reprieve from the heaviness, allowing readers to experience the character's journey while holding on to the knowledge that they will end on a high note.
And there is nothing that builds a romance more than the tropes we have all come to know and love. They add that sprinkle of recognition and familiarity that romance readers crave, giving the story a fun twist. The childhood sweethearts that grew up together fell in love and then separated, reuniting by a twist of fate. The chance encounters between two strangers come together in a moment of desperation or emotional turmoil and become a light for each other. The wedding planner dedicates their lives to celebrating others' love while never getting their love story until they meet someone they can't deny while on the job. They are all love stories in their own right, but they all play on a different trope that will be attractive to different readers. Like the love that blossoms between the two main characters, tropes incite attraction between a novel and a reader. The ability to match up a perfect pair and provide that escape into a world other than ours that so many readers crave without the anxiety of what will happen at the end.
While we can't ignore the reality that romance stories are not always a walk in the park, this journey is what sets the genre apart. In the same way there are tropes for the romance itself, there are also tropes for the journey. Some are light-hearted, like the forced proximity, one bed, and opposites attract tropes. But others add emotion and substance, like the death of a character, a dark past, an unexpected injury, and rejection. While they may not always be mushy and lovey-dovey, romance readers know that these tropes exist because the characters are real people and face real challenges just like we do. Often, these challenges make the journey to love the most authentic and enticing and that which connects to the reader beyond the page. It tugs at our heartstrings and forces us to accept that the characters are not perfect and happy but are willing to fight to attain their love story.
Over the Top
In the same way that tropes can be that cheery on top of a story, enticing readers in and drawing their interest, they can also have the opposite effect. Not all readers enjoy the same trope, and if your story contains an unliked, unpopular, or just personally disliked trope, it will deter certain readers. While it is not within our control or right to force readers to enjoy or read a specific trope, we can use tropes correctly and effectively as writers. They are to be a part of the story, not its entirety.
Take a moment to reflect on some of your favorite romance stories, or if romance isn't your cup of tea, any other genre will work. Now think about the plot, and depending on the genre, try to pull out what tropes the author used to build the story. How did those tropes add to the characters? How did they take from them? More importantly, how many did you count? The detriment of an author is the overuse of tropes within their story. If a reader can pull out more than ten tropes from your story, then some work must be done. Too many tropes take away from the writing and the story and make readers feel like they are reading something thrown together using the least amount of work possible. Tropes must be carefully selected, and the ones used should feel natural and seamless in your writing. They should be a natural extension of what the characters are already doing and feel natural to who they are.
Let's try an exercise. Think of a story you are already working on or an idea you have been considering. Now, imagine the characters, flesh them out, and figure out how they fit together. Now, write what is or will soon be an excerpt from your story that does the characters justice and uses tropes that feel natural. Our example is below for example.
Everett couldn't fathom how he'd ended up at this point. Forty-eight hours ago, he'd been on his way to the office job. He had to turn in his finished project before driving home for his brother's wedding. When Henry called him as he pulled away from his apartment and asked him if he could give Alex a ride home, he had wanted nothing else than to refuse. His brother's best friend had long been the object of his desire growing up. The way his blue eyes sparked and the smirk he seemed to have down to a science. Everett had long accepted that Alex had been his sexual awakening. But that was okay because Everett was an adult, and he could deal with the past like an adult and forget Alex altogether while he slept with any man who showed him any interest. But he was the best man, and as the best man, his job was to make his brother's life easier, and if that meant enduring the three-day trip with Alex was what it took, then Everett would suck it up and get them both to the wedding in time. Of course, it would be just his luck that the hotel he'd booked for the night to rest was sold out, and now they were stuck sharing a queen bed in a cramped room on the side of the interstate. A squeak drew Everett's attention to the opening bathroom door across the room as Alex stepped out, a towel thrown over his shoulder and his body on full display, glistening from the steam, his boxers tight against him. Everett swallowed the growing lump as he froze at the sight before him. "Bathroom's free," Alex said, tossing the towel on a chair beside the mini-fridge. "Do you want the right or left side?"
If that doesn't get your heartbeat speeding up, then most likely, you're straight, and that's fair. You know what does it for you. But the point is not the romance in this exercise; it's the tropes. Let's see how many we can count. Brother's best friend, forced proximity, one bed, unrequited love, and road trip. That's five tropes, all from one paragraph. These tropes, however, might not be your cup of tea, and that's okay because something else will be, and that is what we want to see. While the one bed and forced proximity tropes will only be present for a fleeting moment in the story, it is important to remember they were used and not overdo the tropes so as not to clash with each other and draw from the experience and emotions brought about by the ones already used.
A story without tropes is hard to come by, if at all possible. Here at the Book Hive, we cannot think of a single one. While that does not mean they don't exist, it does mean that they are rare. But novels with tropes are a dime a dozen, making for some of the most spectacular stories of all time. They use tropes to their benefit, and the most skilled authors master the art of selecting tropes that work well and fit together seamlessly. And the true gems out of that group are those that can take a tired, overused trope and breathe new and exciting life into it through their narrative. These are the stories that stand out amongst the sea novels. The ones that allow readers a new experience and fill that void that had just been waiting for their story.
In the words of author Robert Lee Brewer: "Writers who are trope-aware can subvert those tropes judiciously to great psychological impact. Or just lean into the tropes, knowing that readers love them."
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