Hello, all! I thought it might be nice for all of us to meet and chat a bit, so I’m experimenting with the Substack Open Thread feature. I’ll ask you a question, and you come in here to answer it and chat with each other. So here we go:
Probably because of age-11 me reading Harry Potter and A Series of Unfortunate Events, but "Power Trio" and its iterations (and this site is very fun to browse re: tropes): tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PowerTrio
Love this question! Can't wait to see what tropes others here are into - I think the enemies-to-lovers is always fun because it allows for that witty, caustic interplay between characters. And, it dates back to Shakespeare! But - my favorite Austen novel is Emma - so I think I probably like friends-to-lovers more than I think I do. (Then again, Knightley and Emma exasperate each other and argue a lot - so perhaps that counts as enemies-to-lovers as well!)
I'm mostly a romance reader, and marriage of convenience is my absolute catnip, especially in historicals. So many contemporaries end with the marriage proposal, and I'm like -- yeah, but that's the hard part. I wanna read about that. A couple that can get through the first few years of marriage and still like one another? that's my favorite.
Hero descent into villany, an anti-redemption arc if you will. E.g, Faith. Anyone have any recommendations of shows with characters like that? Also when a villain is bad just to be bad! It’s just fun!!
And a bad guy you actually root for, in spite of him really being a villain. I find myself doing that sometimes. Probably weird but some bad guys are misunderstood 😆
Also - grumpy and/or prickly and/or really "uptight" person with a heart of gold. TJ Klune does this beautifully in both The House in the Cerulean Sea and Under the Whispering Door.
Yes! Again with kids, but when kids are SUCH brats or well, kids, but then the tenderness comes out when it counts. Better Things, tv show, with and my Pamela Adlon is such a beautiful example of this. Such a beautiful show, really. Single mom, actor in LA, with three very different daughters. Youngest. Duke, only maybe 7, so still lovebug. Middle, Frankie, tweenish, activist, strong willed daughter, then max, the teen with all the attitude. Would single mom and that life, stages of life, generations (main characters mom even lives across street) playing out, be tropes? Im not a literary expert and to be totally honest, I didn’t even know what a trope was.
Is "the downtrodden rise up" a trope? I don't mean a revenge arc so much as a seeing a person who has been taken for granted or passed over (often by themselves as much as by anyone else) finally gets their day in the sun ... discovers their true potential, and decided to take life by the horns ... and then hilarity ensues (as well as happy endings). It's kind of a combo of I'm-not-going-to-take-it-anymore and an older person's coming-of-age story. Anyone seen the movie Shirley Valentine? Like that. ;)
Hi! I don’t know if this is a trope or not, but I love when a child or teen, is placed in the life of someone who claims to not like kids. Especially a snarky or supposedly troubled kid. Along the lines of the chosen family. I also adore the grand epiphany/grand declaration like in Jerry Maguire!
Thanks for shout-out, sweets! I'm loving your Dear writer posts! Thank you for taking time to share your vast knowledge with humor and grace as always!
Beauty taming the beast--I know it has come under justifiable fire in the last few years, but I'm a sucker for the trope. Besides, where else could I enjoy it except in fiction?
found/chosen family! it's so wholesome and it always makes me happy.
Definitely!
Competence porn, with a side of family of choice.
OMG, love that!
Best trope name ever!
Forced proximity and/or fake relationship! I loved the movie The Proposal because it has both.
I just saw that a few weeks ago for the first time. I actually love that, too, when it’s funny and done well!
Sandra Bullock was so good! Their reactions to the special family blanket were hilarious!
Probably because of age-11 me reading Harry Potter and A Series of Unfortunate Events, but "Power Trio" and its iterations (and this site is very fun to browse re: tropes): tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PowerTrio
Love this question! Can't wait to see what tropes others here are into - I think the enemies-to-lovers is always fun because it allows for that witty, caustic interplay between characters. And, it dates back to Shakespeare! But - my favorite Austen novel is Emma - so I think I probably like friends-to-lovers more than I think I do. (Then again, Knightley and Emma exasperate each other and argue a lot - so perhaps that counts as enemies-to-lovers as well!)
Oh, I love both of these as well! :)
I'm mostly a romance reader, and marriage of convenience is my absolute catnip, especially in historicals. So many contemporaries end with the marriage proposal, and I'm like -- yeah, but that's the hard part. I wanna read about that. A couple that can get through the first few years of marriage and still like one another? that's my favorite.
I love seeing the work that goes into the relationship, even if it's afterwards. Outlander!
I like a three beat!
Hero descent into villany, an anti-redemption arc if you will. E.g, Faith. Anyone have any recommendations of shows with characters like that? Also when a villain is bad just to be bad! It’s just fun!!
And a bad guy you actually root for, in spite of him really being a villain. I find myself doing that sometimes. Probably weird but some bad guys are misunderstood 😆
"And a bad guy you actually root for, in spite of him really being a villain"
Especially as I get older 😆
Also - grumpy and/or prickly and/or really "uptight" person with a heart of gold. TJ Klune does this beautifully in both The House in the Cerulean Sea and Under the Whispering Door.
Yes! Again with kids, but when kids are SUCH brats or well, kids, but then the tenderness comes out when it counts. Better Things, tv show, with and my Pamela Adlon is such a beautiful example of this. Such a beautiful show, really. Single mom, actor in LA, with three very different daughters. Youngest. Duke, only maybe 7, so still lovebug. Middle, Frankie, tweenish, activist, strong willed daughter, then max, the teen with all the attitude. Would single mom and that life, stages of life, generations (main characters mom even lives across street) playing out, be tropes? Im not a literary expert and to be totally honest, I didn’t even know what a trope was.
*by not my
Is "the downtrodden rise up" a trope? I don't mean a revenge arc so much as a seeing a person who has been taken for granted or passed over (often by themselves as much as by anyone else) finally gets their day in the sun ... discovers their true potential, and decided to take life by the horns ... and then hilarity ensues (as well as happy endings). It's kind of a combo of I'm-not-going-to-take-it-anymore and an older person's coming-of-age story. Anyone seen the movie Shirley Valentine? Like that. ;)
Also, the ragtag bunch of misfits
Yes!!!!!
Hi! I don’t know if this is a trope or not, but I love when a child or teen, is placed in the life of someone who claims to not like kids. Especially a snarky or supposedly troubled kid. Along the lines of the chosen family. I also adore the grand epiphany/grand declaration like in Jerry Maguire!
Up kinda has the first trope too. Never seen Jerry Maguire…
Best movie ever, imo.
Jerry Maguire.
Love seasoned second chances because, you know, love never ages... ;-)
No, Nan, it does not. And for those of you who love those stories, be sure to visit https://nanreinhardt.com/
Thanks for shout-out, sweets! I'm loving your Dear writer posts! Thank you for taking time to share your vast knowledge with humor and grace as always!
Beauty taming the beast--I know it has come under justifiable fire in the last few years, but I'm a sucker for the trope. Besides, where else could I enjoy it except in fiction?
Found family is definitely a favorite of mine. I also really like a reluctant hero.
True-but-complicated-but-certain love between a Father and a Daughter (hello Mulan). Yes my middle name is Oedipe (not it's not).
Competence porn, with oblivious-to-it-all on the side