TVtropes.org
Okay, as if you need another excuse to lose several hours of your life on the Web, welcome to TVtropes.org. Sam, one of my UNC students, turned me onto this site and it is amazing!
What is this about? This wiki is a catalog of the tricks of the trade for writing fiction. We dip into the cauldron of story, whistle up a hearty spoonful and splosh it in front of you to devour to your heart’s content.
Tropes are devices and conventions that a writer can reasonably rely on as being present in the audience members’ minds and expectations. On the whole, tropes are not clichés. The word clichéd means “stereotyped and trite”. In other words, dull and uninteresting. We are not looking for dull and uninteresting entries. We are here to recognize tropes and play with them, not to make fun of them.
As an appetizer, just feast your eyes on the Narrative Tropes:
- Applied Phlebotinum
- Forensic Phlebotinum
- Insecurity System
- Magical Computer
- Characterization Tropes
- Accent Tropes
- Character Derailment
- Gender And Sexuality Tropes
- Always Female
- Always Male
- Stereotype Gay
- Naming Conventions
- Personal Appearance Tropes
- Costume Tropes
- Stripperiffic
- Eye Tropes
- Hair Tropes
- Race Tropes
- Smile Tropes
- Characters
- Archetypal Character
- Characters And Casting
- Always Female
- Always Male
- Characters As Device
- Race Tropes
- Queer As Tropes
- Western Characters
- Ensembles
- Heroes
- Hired Guns
- Loser Archetype
- Love Interests
- Mentors
- School Teachers
- Otherness Tropes
- Alien Tropes
- Our Monsters Are Different
- Public Domain Character
- Seekers
- Stock Characters
- The Stoic
- Tricksters
- Con Man
- Villains
- Dialogue
- Accent Tropes
- Exposition
- Language Tropes
- One Liner
- Speeches And Monologues
- Stock Phrases
- Stock Quotes
- Word Power
- Genres
- Motifs
- Central Theme
- Narrative Devices
- Beginning Tropes
- Chase Scene
- Continuity Tropes
- Death Trap
- Ending Tropes
- Twist Ending
- Fight Scene
- Flashbacks And Chronology
- Kissing Tropes
- Missed Him By That Much
- Montages
- Pacing Problems
- Room Shuffle
- Serious Business
- Short Story Long
- Skills And Training Tropes
- Stock Superpowers
- The Tale
- Short Con
- What Do You Mean, It’s Not Symbolic?
- Paratext
- Title Sequence
- Theme Tune
- Title Tropes
- Genre Title Grab Bag
- Plots
- Flashbacks And Chronology
- The Hero’s Journey
- Mystery Arc
- Plot Threads
- Romance Arc
- Romance Novel Plots
- Time Travel Tropes
- Settings
- Hollywood Atlas
- Hollywood History
- Punk Punk
- Show, Don’t Tell
- Spectacle
- Camera Tricks
- Manga Effects
- Personal Appearance Tropes
- Costume Tropes
- Stripperiffic
- Eye Tropes
- Hair Tropes
- Race Tropes
- Smile Tropes
- Score And Music Tropes
- Sound FX Tropes
- Stock Visual Metaphors
Great resource for brainstorming stories and characters, yes?
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