How To Incorporate Tropes In Your Writing

I think many people, when they hear the word “trope” associate it with “cliche”. They think of overdone, predictable cookie-cutter stories. While that can be true, tropes have a lot more range than that. Plus? Finding tropes that resonate with you can help you take your own writing from something you like, to something you love.

What is a trope?

While the dictionary just has them described as literary devices, like similes and metaphors, when writers talk about tropes, we’re usually describing something else. According to MasterClass, the “word trope [is used] to describe themes, motifs, plot devices, plot points, and storylines that have become familiar genre conventions.”

In other words, a trope is a pattern.

While researchers started off recognizing these patterns in fairy tales and myths, these days, hundreds of these patterns have been codified. As genres have specific reader expectations, certain tropes crop up regularly in particular genres. Some tropes define genres, and most stories contain a multitude of “lesser” tropes.

TV Tropes is a great place to find these tropes spelled out, and it includes lists of media containing any niche trope you want more of.

Why do people like tropes?

While I’ve talked about it before, people like it when a book lives up to expectations. While it may sound formulaic, many people have been raised on the 3-act structure: our books, our movies, our tv shows, all of them have certain pacing.

And? When we find something we like, we know we can’t read that story again for the first time, but many of us yearn to have that same experience. So, finding other stories with that same set of patterns — with different characters and different twists? Fulfills that desire.

Analyze the tropes you like

When determining which tropes you like, think about what books (or genres) you read over and over again. Think about your favorite movies or tv shows. Your favorite story podcasts. Think about which scenes really stuck with you.

Go on, take a minute. I’ll wait.

Now. We’re going to explore the elements of the trope and why they work for you.

Example Trope

For me, I enjoy a good redemption arc, that includes forgiveness from the one most wronged. A redemption arc is a broad trope, though, so let’s narrow this down. According to TV Tropes, I’m probably looking at “Must Make Amends” or “The Atoner“, so, think, Prince Zuko from The Last Airbender or Sarah in Labyrinth. What elements do I like?

The Character(s) hurt each other, but I want a good reason! Ones I find acceptable:

• It’s for the character’s own good
  • Real world example: Catticus doesn’t understand why I shove him in a crate and take him to a strange place that smells of other cats to get stabbed with needles. But vaccines protect him. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t feel hurt and betrayed.
  • In Supernatural – When Sam gets locked in a basement to detox from demon blood.
• It’s for the greater good – to save the world or to protect others from the danger that is [the other character]
  • Example: Sometimes, I lock Catticus in a room, but it’s to give him private space and time to calm down, and to save the ankles (and faces of anyone stupid enough to pick him up when he’s agitated).
• The character doesn’t get what they want/ask for
  • Example: Catticus will tap on the window to get me to open it. Sometimes it’s 95° (35°c) or 30° (>0°c), and I won’t open it.
• Didn’t think through the consequences of their actions
  • Example: Catticus wants to play and nips at my ankles. He either gets a towel dropped on his head, or a water sprayed in his face.
  • For Labyrinth – Sarah didn’t want to be baby-sitting, but also never expected the Goblin King to actually kidnap her brother.
• They wrongly interpreted the situation
  • Example: Sometimes Catticus will come up and nip at me while I’m trying to work or write. I think he’s being a bored jerk or wants to play, but then I find out, his food bowl is empty. Or, he’s telling me to take a break, and when I sit down on the couch with his favorite blanket, he settles instantly on my lap because he needed snuggles.
  • For The Last Airbender – At the start, Prince Zuko looks up to his father and doesn’t know any other way to behave.

But, that’s just how a character hurt another (or maybe it’s mutual hurting). To be redeemed, you have to do more. There are different ways to do this, but what I like in my stories:

• The characters need a personal connection
• The character needs to recognize that they hurt the other character
• The character must do their best to make amends
• The hurt character understands and accept the reasons for the other character’s actions
• Forgiveness is granted

While I also enjoy stories with mature and self-aware characters who own immediately up to their own mistakes, for a redemption arc, it needs to be more of a story-long process. I like the forgiveness earned probably just before the climax, so they can face the true problem together!

Then, the characters can collaborate ways to fix the problems they face! Why? Because I like it best when redemption is the emotional arc, but not necessarily the plot arc of the story!

Now, while it’s good when they can work together so no one gets hurt, the story still works for me (in a different way), if one of the characters consents to take on the hurt to save the day — or the relationship. Just so long as the redemption isn’t earned by their own death.

Side Note: My cat is a bit aggressive, but I recognize he has the emotional maturity of a toddler, and we have a language barrier. I’ve consulted with my vet. Because it’s play aggression and not him just being a jerk for no reason, we’re not resorting to drugs, but we are keeping an eye on his behavior that it doesn’t escalate. The Feliway plugins noticeably cut back on his play aggression.

Incorporate the trope in your own writing

Now that you know what elements work for you, you can start incorporating them in your story!

For me? Things to pay attention to:

• The reason for the hurt/betrayal must be understandable and empathizable — even for the character who suffers
• The redemptive character has to really work at the amends, it needs to be earned after the halfway point, maybe closer to the climax.
• The character’s connection has to be real and raw. If they don’t care about what happens to each other, if the readers don’t understand their connection, it falls apart.
• What ways has the trope been overdone? How can you make your interpretation of the trope fresh?

With a bit of forethought and some inspiration, tropes can bring magic to your writing — or at least that’s my hope!

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What tropes do you enjoy in the stories you read?
Have you tried writing those tropes? If so, did they work out?