Hi hello! It’s been a while since I’ve done a personal post (my life is insane rn), but HERE I AM and today I’ve got a fun one for y’all. Let’s talk about TROPES!
Read on for a breakdown of my top ten favorite tropes and why I love them… or don’t.
TALLI’S TOP TEN TROPES
10. THERE’S ONLY ONE BED.
Ah yes. Exquisite. What’s better than this - two characters who undoubtedly have unresolved tension are forced to exist and/or sleep in close proximity. What could possibly go wrong? And there’s just so much that can be done with this trope. Will they kiss? Will they have a deep emotional talk and come to understand each other better? Will they go from being strangers to having a vague acquaintanceship? Will they confess feelings?? THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS AND THEY’RE ALWAYS GOOD!!!
9. CHILDHOOD FRIENDS TO LOVERS.
All right, disclaimer: I only like this trope sometimes. I’m not here for any of that “I’ve been in love with them since we were kids and they’re oblivious.” Like nah. Nah. I want MUTUAL feelings that they’re both too scared to confess because they don’t want to mess up their friendship. I want UNYIELDING LOYALTY and UNCONDITIONAL LOVE!!!
8. SLOW BURN.
You already KNOW. This is the all-mighty. The “goes with anything” trope. I want that slow-burn to be the most PAINFUL, AGONIZING experience known to man. I want to YELL at the page every time the characters so much as LOOK at each other. IT’S ABOUT THOSE LITTLE MOMENTS where they touch hands or share a smile or gaze at each other just a second too long and you’re like OUUUGHGHGHDGJG GOD JUST KISS ALREADY!!!! Yeah. That’s what it’s all about.
7. HURT/COMFORT.
*clenches fist* you know those scenes where Character A gets hurt and Character B, who secretly has feelings for A, absolutely loses their mind bc A got hurt??? Yeah. That. And then add the tenderness of B caring for A’s wounds and making sure A is comfortable and getting enough rest. AND!! WHEN CHARACTER A WAKES UP AND REALIZES THAT B HASN’T LEFT THEIR SIDE!!!! Ugh. Exquisite.
This one is also flexible in that you could also have one character confess something awful or painful that’s happened to them and the other character lets them vent and comforts them and holds them and then they have a tender yet tension-filled moment of “Oh… you do really care.” GOD YEAH THAT’S GOOD STUFF.
6. THE GRUMPY ONE IS SOFT FOR THE SUNSHINE ONE.
I find myself writing this trope all the damn time and I simply cannot get enough of it. That stoic, grumpy character who acts all standoffish and snaps at people and doesn’t want to have fun… is SO UNREASONABLY IN LOVE WITH THE ABSOLUTE SUNBEAM CHARACTER!! And bonus points if that sunbeam character can get laughs and smiles out of the grumpy one like no one else can. MORE BONUS POINTS if the sunshine one gently teaches the grumpy one that they’re allowed to have fun and laugh and not be serious all the time. Y’know what, I blame The Lion King 2 for my love of this trope.
5. ENEMIES/RIVALS TO LOVERS.
You already knew this was going to be on this list, HOWEVER, there’s a right way and a wrong way to do this trope, and when it’s done wrong it’s the literal worst. So let me break down the specifics of what I adore about enemies to lovers. You gotta have two people raised on opposite sides who are supposed to hate and/or kill each other but end up working together and oh… maybe they’re not as bad as I was taught to believe? And then they build mutual trust and then they are friends and then thEY FALL IN LOVE. Serve this with a side of tragedy, and… chef’s kiss. It’s about the PROGRESSION from “I hate you because I was told I should” to “Actually you’re not so bad” to “I… like you?” to “Oh no I LOVE you” and the GRADUAL BUILDUP OF TRUST AND AFFECTION!!!! THAT’S GOOD SHIT!
4. MUTUAL PINING.
Yes. This. Always. 100%. Honestly this is one of my all-time favorites. Let those two YEARN. Let them PINE. Let them LONG for each other BUT BE TOO NERVOUS TO SAY ANYTHING!!! Serve this with a side of “They keep trying to confess but they mess up or get distracted or someone interrupts” and you’ve got a delicious meal right there. EVEN BETTER when it’s mutual pining + forbidden love. As in, they have FEELINGS and they KNOW they have feelings but they CAN’T BE TOGETHER because of ~external circumstances~. This is PAINFUL and I LOVE IT.
3. FAKE DATING.
I always forget I love this one but OH MY GOD I love this trope. When the pretend feelings turn into REAL feelings!!!! When the performance gestures of affection become REAL gestures of affection!!! And personally I enjoy the version of this trope where the couple agrees to fake date bc Character A wants to make someone they like jealous… but then they start to like their fake partner MORE and oh no that wasn’t supposed to happen!
2. IDIOTS TO LOVERS.
Hand in hand with mutual pining, I lose my mind for this trope. This is that GOOD STUFF where the pair are SO IN LOVE IT’S OBVIOUS TO LITERALLY EVERYONE… except each other. They’re both a mess of feelings for the other but can’t see that the other feels the same!!! THEY’RE SO OBTUSE THEY COULD BE IN A GEOMETRY EXAM!!! I live for this. ESPECIALLY when there’s a Character C who’s friends with Character A and Character B and both of them have confided their feelings in Character C so C KNOWS THEY BOTH FEEL THE SAME but they can’t SAY ANYTHING bc that would be a betrayal of trust, of course!
Mix this with a slow burn, mutual pining, and fake dating? CHEF’S. FRICKIN. KISS.
1. FOUND FAMILY.
Here it is, folks. Number one. The real MVP of tropes. The evergreen favorite. Listen, I truly can’t get enough of found family. A group of totally different people who end up working together out of necessity but then learn to trust and love each other along the way???? YES PLEASE, especially when you’ve got characters who come from crappy families and they learn from their new group how families are SUPPOSED to be and they feel included and loved for the first time in their life!!!! YEAH!!!! UGH!! THAT’S GOD TIER!!
Except if the found family splits up at the end? I’ll kill u. They have to STAY TOGETHER, damn it! That’s the whole POINT!!
***
Ahem. Well. There you have it, my ultimate favorite tropes. Someday I will write books that feature all of these in all their forms, and that’s a threat. While you’re here, though, THE ORACLE STONE has four of the above. But I won’t tell you what they are. Read it and find out :)
Next week, I’ll drop a writing and reading update, because I sure have been doing a lot of that! Many exciting things coming up, I promise!
Until then, here’s some stuff:
I have a newsletter now! Subscribe to get a first look at new projects, cover reveals, and other exciting things. New subscribers will also receive a link to read the first three chapters of my book for free!
In case you missed it, I announced a while back that THE ORACLE STONE’s sequel, THE SAVIOR’S RISE, is coming out March 1, 2022! It’s up on Goodreads, where you can read the full synopsis and add it to your shelves.
September is Self-Published Fantasy Month! That’s right, a whole month dedicated to enjoying and promoting indie fantasy books. I’d love if those of you who have read THE ORACLE STONE would leave a review on Goodreads and/or Amazon to help other readers find it! And if you haven’t read it yet, SPFM is a great time to grab a copy.
Thanks for reading!
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