Most common tropes/cliches in fantasy writing

[DelActivisto]

It does seem a fair interpretation that asking what people's least favourite tropes are might be looking for negative opinions on tropes...

That's true. That could be my negativity bias leaking through.

 

[Vladd67]

*urban Victorian fantasy steampunk writer taps his foot judgingly*

Medieval settings don't float my boat. There's things I just don't like about them. Maybe it's the blind preconceived notions that are just agreed upon. Oh right the tropes and clichés.

While not exactly related to medieval fantasy it is something which causes my blood to boil. To such an extent it is a borderline issue.

Streampunk set in either London or Paris and romanticing imperialism. Also gears which serve no purpose.

If you say Gear Motif, or pattern, or decoration in something. I'll go with it. But lawl it has gears it's steampunk will get you a pleasant view of a gloved fist.

Reminded me of this

 

[Jo Zebedee]

edit: I would add to this 95% of inversions/twists/etc.etc basically read just like the trope.

This is, essentially, the danger of doing this. You have to make the trope feel real before you can invert it

I think the thread invited people to explain how they used the trope by its wording. If that wasn't the OP intention, apologies for my post where I did just that

 

[R.T James]

Reminded me of this

I am so happy to see that brought up once more because it's true.
*takes off hat and does salute*

Because LAWL it has gears it's steampunk would only be acceptable in a few circumstances.

Slightly inebriated corset wearing lass grabbing the edge of my vest with a glint in eye would be such an occasion.

I've been through a lot don't judge me.

Totally somber person saying it straight faced is a pet hate of mine.

Same with cutting off keys of typewriters for ear rings.

I've bought two typewriters Just to save them from such a fate.

I am glad the bandwagon jumpers have left the premises, but the mess they made in the process is quite annoying.

Maybe I need to add Zealot to my tag line.

 

[The Bluestocking]

Its the most common one overall, but no, absolutely not. Or Urban Fantasy aka Probably the biggest Fantasy subgenre wouldn't exist.

Um... Urban Fantasy doesn't widely use medieval settings. Urban Fantasy worlds are usually set in or based on New York, London, Chicago, Tokyo etc, usually modern day/present day in terms or era or maybe in the near future.

It's Epic Fantasy that does medieval settings to death (especially medieval British/European settings)... then whacks it right into its second death... and carries on flogging it into its third death.

 

[allmywires]

I do love a good complain, but I don't mean to bash anyone who does like certain tropes... they're tropes for a reason, of course. Millions of people wouldn't enjoy LOTR/GOT/Harry Potter if not (although as much as I adore Harry Potter, even my 15-year-old self read the end of the last book and was like 'nahhhh bro he definitely should have died').

Anyway, essentially...

It's Epic Fantasy that does medieval settings to death (especially medieval British/European settings)... then whacks it right into its second death... and carries on flogging it into its third death.

...amen to this.

 

[MemoryTale]

I've been challenging some of these tropes as well. I challenged the Chosen One by making his powers turn him into what can only be described as the Ultimate Librarian/Historian and I challenged the Quest for Magic Sword by having the person who undertook the quest then be wholly unable to use it - although it did still end up being part of the villain's downfall before anyone accuses me of wasted plot arcs.

Another brilliant subversion of prophesy came in Tad Williams' Memory, Sorry and Thorn series, where it turns out that

Spoiler

the prophesy was actually a "How to" guide for bringing the main villain back.

Not to mention Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn, where

Spoiler

the major villain was altering the prophesy for their own ends.

 

[Ihe]

I don't think there's anything wrong with this discussion, specially in a forum where people deal with tropes all the time. Nobody has bashed anyone else's work in any way or form, so no harm done. Remember the tropes don't belong to you, so no need to feel attacked. If one feels the need to defend a specific trope, go for it! You're in the right place.

Tropes/cliches are a big part of the writers' periodic table of elements (they probably weigh too much but don't have enough protons to play nice or whatever). Having a strong opinion about them is very much acceptable. If everyone had the "it's all relative/there's no wrong way of going about it" argument, there'd be nothing to debate in a forum .

 

[Mouse]

I don't feel attacked, I write romance (and that's bashed all the time!). I just don't really like the superiority that comes out of these conversations sometimes. (i.e. "I would never write/read such a thing! Fnarr!")

Um... Urban Fantasy doesn't widely use medieval settings.

I think you've misread Peat's post, as he's saying exactly that.

 

[Ihe]

(i.e. "I would never write/read such a thing! Fnarr!")

Point taken, there are ways of saying things and then there are ways of saying things. Clean it up peeps!

Personally, I found most of the complaints come from individual tastes in literature and describe being miffed with specific ways in which these tropes are used, so it wasn't too bad. I also choose to assume that everyone here knows there are exceptions to every rule because, well, common sense. I myself really dislike prophecies, for example, yet one of my favourite movies is The Matrix, which uses the trope so glaringly that I should throw my coffee at the screen every time. And still, I binge-watch the trilogy at least once every 3 years... So even our pet peeves more often than not are just purely theoretical. Deep inside we're all a bunch of contradictory nincompoops .

 

[The Bluestocking]

I do love a good complain, but I don't mean to bash anyone who does like certain tropes... they're tropes for a reason, of course. Millions of people wouldn't enjoy LOTR/GOT/Harry Potter if not (although as much as I adore Harry Potter, even my 15-year-old self read the end of the last book and was like 'nahhhh bro he definitely should have died').

But what about those darn Love Triangles in YA Fantasy?

 

[R.T James]

I think a trope on its own is like a one legged stool. You can add more to it and then you get something solid and people will enjoy.

Like the Harry Potter series has a highly intriguing world you're just getting a slice of.

The matrix interjects a bit of self doubt in the prophecy as well as having some elements to do with humanity and just what is reality?

Or you can add on more tropes to the trop and make a very wobbly stool out of duct tape and chewing gum.

It's all about approach.

Urban fantasy or at least the books I enjoy have that P.I trope.

Jim butchers the Dresden files.

Or Kim Harrison's the hollow series.

Which I do enjoy as there's always that element of "$@&! Rent is due! Gaaaah!"

Then everything snow balls. Until the rent being due is the least of your worries.

There are things I hate.

I think the hostage thing is the only thing that causes me to lose my mind. Because I've seen it a billion times and it gets old.

Romance is also infamous for trops, but the audiences love said tropes.

I love these discussions as they bring up something to reflect upon. It also makes you consider if your works are using tropes.


But I stand by what I said about the steampunk thing!

 

[sknox]

I don't believe in tropes. More accurately, people call it a trope when they see the same bad writing multiple times. It's not the setting, character, plot device, whatever that's to blame. It's the writer, beginning to end.

So, the trope I hate more than any is: bad writing.

Write well, and you can carry me anywhere.

 

[DelActivisto]

But what about those darn Love Triangles in YA Fantasy?

Actually there's really no excuse for those. Sorry. *dodges more rotten fruit*

But that's a YA trope, not a fantasy trope, and it could really use a good beating. It is logical to assume that males will often fight over a female, however, due to testosterone and dominance and stuff. But in actuality, the trope is problematic because most people fall in love multiple times, with multiple people, before actually falling "all the way" in love. So I think that's why people love to hate the love triangle, because by nature it feels contrived, like the Chosen One.

 

[DelActivisto]

I am so happy to see that brought up once more because it's true.
*takes off hat and does salute*

Because LAWL it has gears it's steampunk would only be acceptable in a few circumstances.

Slightly inebriated corset wearing lass grabbing the edge of my vest with a glint in eye would be such an occasion.

I've been through a lot don't judge me.

Totally somber person saying it straight faced is a pet hate of mine.

Same with cutting off keys of typewriters for ear rings.

I've bought two typewriters Just to save them from such a fate.

I am glad the bandwagon jumpers have left the premises, but the mess they made in the process is quite annoying.

Maybe I need to add Zealot to my tag line.

*wanders off and turns typewriter into steampunk lamp*

 

[Ihe]

because most people fall in love multiple times, with multiple people, before actually falling "all the way" in love. So I think that's why people love to hate the love triangle, because by nature it feels contrived, like the Chosen One.

That is usually true for most adults, but in YA the characters aren't necessarily well-versed in matters of love--they aren't old enough to have lived through several significant relationships. The love triangle makes more sense in YA than it does outside that subgenre IMO.

 

[R.T James]

There's always polygamous relationships. Or realistic to life massive cheating triangle.

Granted the whole love triangle thing is something I never cared for anyways.

I don't know. Even when I was growing up I never saw it.

More common was X likes Y but Y is with C and doesn't know X exists.

Granted where I grew up X likes Y but Y is C so X bangs C brother in order to get closer to Y but Y is actually dealing drugs to C's brother and using Y as the runner. So X somehow is heart broken and feels used plots revenge against Y by using C and somehow there's a threesome for revenge.


This has happened more than once.

One of them C broke out in a fight with X and threatened to stab Y.

Aww, I really miss where I grew up. every day felt like an episode of the twilight zone!

 

[HareBrain]

Out of interest, are there many love triangles of the type where X likes Y, Y likes Z, but Z likes X, in a recycling symbol of unrequited passion? I've only come across it once in an adult book, where it was treated as an amusing aside. I think in YA it would probably form the basis for 765,264 pages of angst.

 

[allmywires]

Out of interest, are there many love triangles of the type where X likes Y, Y likes Z, but Z likes X, in a recycling symbol of unrequited passion? I've only come across it once in an adult book, where it was treated as an amusing aside. I think in YA it would probably form the basis for 765,264 pages of angst.

*cracks knuckles and grabs keyboard*

a.k.a oh god, don't give me ideas...

 

[BAYLOR]

The cruel selfish Dragon with a bunion that won't quit and treasure that he absolutely refuses to share.