pmmg
Myth Weaver
Just want to say, I thought all the answers above were all well thought out, and showed me people who are really tying to understand, and share, their approach to the craft. Makes me think I am in good company.
3. Trying too hard to avoid them. I blame some of the baffling cinematic plot-contortionism I've been seeing come out of Hollywood on this. Tropes are "common story tools", and common tropes are mostly just beloved tools. There are a few that make me roll my eyes, sure, but the set of tropes I don't like are almost certainly a completely different set than the ones you don't.
Yeah, usually bad storytelling isn't purposeful, and I love a good twist just as much as the next guy, but lately there's been this feeling of finger-wagging pleasure taken on the part of the writers.Hmmm....I've been trying to think of an example of this, and I'm not sure I am coming up with any. Definitely many trying to take some and put a twist on it instead, like how about a farm-girl, or how about the prophecy is false, but....ones where I know there was an effort completely avoid one... Is that even possible without falling into another?
On further thought, maybe dragon-slayer, cause the hero in it sucked. Failed to kill the dragon, failed to rescue the princess, was played so the wizard could actually kill the dragon instead. But that was a long time ago. I dont think Trope was in anyone's vocabulary then. I'd have to see it again.
Maybe Disney's Muana, or Encanto... Yeah...maybe there are some.
I suppose I could, but for the most part I haven't. These tropes don't appear in my story, subverted or otherwise.But you could subvert all of these to great effect with tropes sooooo.........hahahaha
Since I'm Swedish, I can't help but ask Mad Swede if it is possible to know if you've published any writing. I'm writing in English, so if you're Swedish and can do the same, it would be interesting to read your work. That is, if you're Swedish, I assume, based on your username.OK, we'll start with some definitions.
A literary trope is, in its original meaning, the use of figurative language, via word, phrase or an image, for artistic effect such as using a figure of speech. Literary tropes have also come to mean commonly recurring or overused literary and rhetorical devices, motifs or clichés in creative works.
So the advice you got in that video seems to mean using a trope in its original meaning as a way of avoiding clichés in the form of common literary and rhetorical devices. In other words, write good prose in a story with a good plot, good pacing, good characterisation and good dialogue. Which is, to be honest, the key to getting picked up for publication.
So should you avoid all those commonly recurring or overused literary and rhetorical devices, motifs or clichés? No. You can write a story which is stuffed full of all these and still produce a good story. The proof of the pudding is David and Leigh Eddings bestselling series The Belgariad. However, as that series shows, you still need a decent plot, good pacing, good dialogue and and good characterisation.
Basically, learn to write well - and then practice your writing. Write, write, write.
Yes, I am a published writer in Sweden and not with any of the sk hybridförlagen. No I'm not going to tell you my pen name or real name, I'll let you work that out yourself... I and my publisher are currently negotiating a publication deal with one of the English language publishers but as we're (still) not done negotiating I can't tell you who that is.Since I'm Swedish, I can't help but ask Mad Swede if it is possible to know if you've published any writing. I'm writing in English, so if you're Swedish and can do the same, it would be interesting to read your work. That is, if you're Swedish, I assume, based on your username.