Kasper Hviid
Sage
Preface
Some tropes are not just cheap, but downright unredeemable. They shouldn't be used, ever. I'm not simply exaggerating for controversial points. I see those tropes as different from ordinary cheap tropes like Deus Ex Machina, which can work under the right circumstances. With some of those tropes, there is a build-in lack of humanity that will always shine through, no matter how the trope is turned. Those tropes are simply assholes.
Now, if I were to read the paragraph above, I would instinctively want to defend those poor innocent tropes. Possibly, others will have the same reaction. So please listen on with the awareness that I'm just a random guy sharing my thoughts online. Get a feel of what sounds sound, and what sounds offkey. Then give voice to your own thoughts.
The openly racist stereotype
Obviously, those no longer work. If you were to add a greedy jew stereotype, the reader will get pulled out of your story, and begin analyzing it. The use of the trope will be more interesting than its role in the story. Also, it's racist, duh!
Killing off a problematic character
A character is wanted for robbery, but he’s also kind of a nice guy. The heroes can’t turn him in, but they can’t let him walk either. What to do? Oh, one of those monsters just happened to bite his head off. Problem solved!
Fridging
This can take many forms, but essentially you kill/rape/torture a less important character solely for giving the hero something to be emotional and angsty about. In its most cringe form, it is the hero himself who commits the abuse, to show how wounded and dark he is.
The whiny and helpless protagonist
It might be part of his character arc, but I always find it unpleasant to follow someone who lacks agency. This trope might not be totally unredeemable, but it's pretty close.
Exploiting the reader’s suspension of disbelief
Example: The hero is locked up, but can hear the voice of a fellow prisoner in the next cell. Super corny trope, but I accept it because the whole story is rather kitschy. But then, it turns out to be a guard pumping the hero for information. The story asks me to lower my guards, only to punch me on the nose. Such ungentlemanliness!
I especially hate this trope when it subverts humor. The hero says a cool one-liner. The reader recognizes it as such, and don’t think too deeply about it. But later, information revealed in the one-liner comes into play in the story. This is cheating. The reader accepted the agreement that the one-liner was there for fun only. When the author cracks a joke, the reader should be able to enjoy it in a relaxed state of mind, without having to look out for any hidden agenda.
Some tropes are not just cheap, but downright unredeemable. They shouldn't be used, ever. I'm not simply exaggerating for controversial points. I see those tropes as different from ordinary cheap tropes like Deus Ex Machina, which can work under the right circumstances. With some of those tropes, there is a build-in lack of humanity that will always shine through, no matter how the trope is turned. Those tropes are simply assholes.
Now, if I were to read the paragraph above, I would instinctively want to defend those poor innocent tropes. Possibly, others will have the same reaction. So please listen on with the awareness that I'm just a random guy sharing my thoughts online. Get a feel of what sounds sound, and what sounds offkey. Then give voice to your own thoughts.
The openly racist stereotype
Obviously, those no longer work. If you were to add a greedy jew stereotype, the reader will get pulled out of your story, and begin analyzing it. The use of the trope will be more interesting than its role in the story. Also, it's racist, duh!
Killing off a problematic character
A character is wanted for robbery, but he’s also kind of a nice guy. The heroes can’t turn him in, but they can’t let him walk either. What to do? Oh, one of those monsters just happened to bite his head off. Problem solved!
Fridging
This can take many forms, but essentially you kill/rape/torture a less important character solely for giving the hero something to be emotional and angsty about. In its most cringe form, it is the hero himself who commits the abuse, to show how wounded and dark he is.
The whiny and helpless protagonist
It might be part of his character arc, but I always find it unpleasant to follow someone who lacks agency. This trope might not be totally unredeemable, but it's pretty close.
Exploiting the reader’s suspension of disbelief
Example: The hero is locked up, but can hear the voice of a fellow prisoner in the next cell. Super corny trope, but I accept it because the whole story is rather kitschy. But then, it turns out to be a guard pumping the hero for information. The story asks me to lower my guards, only to punch me on the nose. Such ungentlemanliness!
I especially hate this trope when it subverts humor. The hero says a cool one-liner. The reader recognizes it as such, and don’t think too deeply about it. But later, information revealed in the one-liner comes into play in the story. This is cheating. The reader accepted the agreement that the one-liner was there for fun only. When the author cracks a joke, the reader should be able to enjoy it in a relaxed state of mind, without having to look out for any hidden agenda.