Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Top Ten Tropes I LOVE


Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and The Artsy Reader Girl. For those that don't know, a trope is a common theme or plot device used in fiction.

1. Enemies-to-lovers - This pretty common, especially in fantasy. A favorite of mine is the Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi

2. There's only one bed! - This often comes up in romances, especially if any travel is involved. Are the characters pulling up at the only inn for miles around? Chances are there'll only be one bed. This was done well in A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas.

3. Characters says "I absolutely won't do x." Cut to next scene, and it shows the character begrudgingly doing x. I can't think of a book with this, but it definitely happens.

4. Forbidden romance - Books will often take time for the characters to get together, and I really like it when it's something besides the characters themselves. A great example of this is the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead

5. Chaotic good side character - You can't always predict what they'll do, but usually they're doing out of loyalty/to protect someone they love. Or just because they wanna see something go boom. I can't think of a book character at the moment, but this is essentially Loki in Thor Ragnarok.

6. Chosen one - I know this trope bugs a lot of people, and there's definitely a history of bias as to *who's* the chosen one, but I love when a character who thought they were no one, suddenly finds out they're a big deal. A book I loved with a chosen one was Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini. That also has forbidden romance.

7. Girl gangs/found families - Found families are big in YA, and one of my favorites is in the Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter.

8. Accidentally blabs feelings while incapacitated/shares things in sleep - A character might get drunk and accidentally tell their love interest that they like them. Or, a character might asleep, and the other character hears them muttering their name, or something important.

9. Reincarnated lovers - This is where two people are in love, but for some reason they keep dying and being reborn. In each new life they find each other, only to die again. I actually working on a book with this premise. Another book that has this (to okay effect) is Fallen by Lauren Kate.

10. Surprise baby - This is most common with adult romance. There are multiple ways this can come about. The most common one is a couple accidentally gets pregnant, and figure out how to be together. Another is that the woman gets pregnant, but the couple gets separated, and so they reconnect later once the child is born. Lastly, and this is most common in historical romance, is where the heroine gets pregnant and either isn't married or the husband died, and is in need of a new partner to act as the baby's other parent. I love this trope in The Scandal of it All by Sophie Jordan!

2 comments:

  1. Ooh, chaotic good side characters are a great choice! They can really shake a storyline up.

    My TTT

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  2. I LOVE reincarnation stories. And the idea of reincarnation in general. Especially when it comes to the thought that so many people are forever entwined through different lifetimes and circumstances. It's just so cool. Also, I love that you included Shatter Me as an example for enemies-to-lovers. That's one of my favourite tropes AND the perfect example.

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