There’s a Trope for That by Kait Carson

 A few months ago, I was stuck on a storyline. It was okay but it needed more conflict, and I was dry. Like any writer, I turned to the Internet for help. That’s when I discovered The Trope Thesaurus by Jennifer Hilt. I’ve heard the term trope my entire writing life, but I’ve never been exactly sure what it means. Taking the word in context, I assumed it was a theme, or maybe an expected storyline. It is, but it’s also a viable means to create conflict.

 

Readers expect certain things to happen in different genres. Mystery readers expect twists and turns that result in a satisfying and traceable resolution. Romance readers expect sparks to fly between mismatched couples on the way to happily ever after. Fantasy readers expect missteps and mayhem on the road to a brave new world. There’s a million ways to write these stories, but what happens when the story is…flat?

 

Turns out there’s a trope for that. The Trope Thesaurus provides lists of common person, place, and object tropes by genre. Character traits, settings, and storylines that readers expect and accept—secret baby, hidden identity, return to hometown. Sound familiar? These are not new ideas, but having a list all in one place is golden when you’re looking for that one idea to add something to your story or character.

 

The book gives examples by “tropesecting” popular novels, and it also uses genre specific tropes as plotting aids and develops storylines composed exclusively of tropes. These examples serve more to illuminate the place of tropes in fiction than as a template, and they get the point across. The last section of the book defines all the tropes discussed. All in all, the book is an entertaining read. I recommend it as a reference source.

 

Readers, what tropes do you expect in the books you read? Writers, do you use tropes in plotting your work?