What is a Trope?
If you’ve been in the book world for any length of time, you’ve probably heard the word “trope” mentioned at least once or twice.
A trope usually refers to common themes, plot devices, or clichés you may find in stories (rags to riches, enemies to lovers, the power of friendship, etc.)
Practically every story contains tropes, even if the writer is purposely trying to switch up or put some sort of a twist on the trope.
The Marketing Problem
In recent years, authors and publishers started using tropes to market stories, which stirred up a bit of controversy.
Some readers love the new style of marketing, while others hate it.
Personally, I understand both sides.
As a reader, all I really want to know about a book before I start reading is if it’s going to have a happy ending (or at least an ending that won’t leave me crying for the rest of the day).
That’s why I usually stick to stories that promise some sort of romance, because as a rule, romances must end with the main couple getting together.
If it doesn’t end that way, or there’s some sort of tragedy involved (like Romeo and Juliet), it’s a love story. Not a romance.
And, while I do want to know that I’m going to like the ending of a book, I want the rest of the story to be a surprise.
No Spoilers
A slight hint like “it’s enemies to lovers” may not bother me, but if I see “she falls first, he falls harder” or “he’ll sacrifice his life to save her” it takes away some of the excitement that comes from reading a new book.
Now, to be clear, this entire discussion revolves around personal preferences.
I might like surprises, but you may really like knowing everything there is to know about a story before you start reading, and that’s perfectly fine.
There’s no way for authors to make everyone happy, so at the end of the day, we have to market our stories in a way that we know will work.
And sometimes that means throwing out a list of tropes.
Tropes VS Micro Tropes
Whether you’re a writer, a reader, or both, tropes (and micro tropes) are not your enemy. They exist for a reason.
We like (some of) them!
But what is a micro trope?
Micro tropes (as the name implies) are tropes on a smaller scale.
In fact, micro tropes are often used to give characters more personality, or make them more relatable.
While tropes tend to be more thematic and have a deeper impact on the overall plot, micro tropes are usually specific clichés that occur in certain scenes or to certain characters (though that’s not a strict, defined rule).
For example, when a character realizes they’re in love—but isn’t happy about it.
That’s a micro trope because it’s a fairly common situation in stories, but since it’s very specific to the character, it doesn’t necessarily tell you a lot about the plot and its themes.
Another example would be when the protagonist of a story sets out on an adventure only to find that another character (usually a child or small animal) has purposely or accidentally stowed away and must now join the protagonist on the adventure.
This tells a bit more about the plot, but again, it’s very specific, and it may not be the most important part or crux of the story.
If you’re a writer and you’ve been struggling to create interesting or relatable characters, subplots, or conflicts for your stories, adding some micro tropes could be especially helpful!
Plus, some micro tropes are ridiculously fun to write…
The Main Point
At the end of the day, it’s important to remember that people have different tastes.
If you’re writing a book, I guarantee there is someone out there who is going to like it, and someone who is going to hate it.
So don’t try to make every reader happy. Try to make one reader happy, and you may find more.
Readers are free to love and hate certain tropes, and writers are free to write them.
Before You Go…
What are your favorite tropes?
Let me know down in the comments!