When I posed a question about what makes good fantasy writing to a group of writers, many of them mentioned the overuse of tropes. In fact, this discussion seems to pop up a lot in writing groups: How can you write fantasy without overusing tropes?
The Point of Tropes
It’s impossible to avoid a trope of some kind in your writing—all stories fall into at least one. And this is fine! What makes your story stand out is the writing, characters, setting, and the change your protagonist goes through. As Lisa Cron (2016) describes it, “a story is about how the things that happen affect someone in pursuit of a difficult goal, and how that person changes internally as a result.”
Tropes are conventions that support storytelling. These conventions (e.g., settings, traits, dynamics, or plot devices that support these arcs) reflect the challenges in our own lives and, time and again, please readers because they help us understand our own society.
In other words, we probably won’t have to go on a quest to defeat Sauron, but the lessons Frodo and his friends learned in The Lord of the Rings are ones that we can apply to our real lives.
Common Fantasy Tropes
This is not a complete list by any means, but it is a good starting place. Some of these are not restrictive to fantasy novels—they show up in many genres. Likewise, you can borrow tropes from other genres. For example, a lot of fantasy has spice in it these days, even if you aren’t writing romantasy. Adding a romance trope, such as the enemies-to-lovers trope, to your fantasy novel is something to consider.
I have divided the following tropes into three categories: character-driven tropes, plot-driven tropes, and setting tropes.
Character-Driven Tropes
- Sacrifice to Do the Right Thing: The protagonist knows what they have to do, but it might not (and shouldn’t be!) an easy choice.
- The Chosen One: Destiny holds great power in fantasy. For whatever reason or prophecy, the protagonist is set to save the world, their friends, or their town from evil.
- Best Warrior/Magic-Wielder/You-Name-It of All Time: This is similar to the “chosen one” trope, but the character might not necessarily be chosen. They might have gained this skill through training, practice, etc.
- Farmer-to-Hero: The protagonist doesn’t have to be a farmer, but they do have to come from nothing to save the day in the end.
- Redemption: The protagonist or side character has made poor choices in the past, but they have decided to redeem themselves by the end of the story.
- Unknown/Hidden Inheritance: The protagonist is secretly next-in-line to rule, but for whatever reasons, they have been hidden away. Their parents may or may not be alive.
- Orphan Hero: Similar to the “farmer-to-hero” and “unknown/hidden inheritance” tropes, the protagonist may not know their background, or they may come from nothing, but they will find themselves and save the day at the end.
- Good vs. Evil: This is based on the moral beliefs of our society. What is good and what is evil? What are the “good” traits represented by the protagonist and what are the “bad” traits represented by the antagonist?
- Well-Developed Antagonist: More than just good vs. evil, why is the antagonist fighting against the protagonist? What is their backstory?
- Reluctant Hero: A protaginist that lacks confidence or motvatoin might not want the weight of saving the world on their shoulders. This can tie into other tropes, such as the “best warrior/magic-wielder/you-name-it of all time” or the “sacrifice to do the right thing” tropes.
- Save the Damsel (or Male Damsel?): While saving the princess might not be a thing anymore, this is still a common trope for anyone trying to save someone else that needs their help.
Plot-Driven Tropes
- All Hope is Lost: Every possible obstacle has been placed on the path of the protagonist and her friends, and it seems like there isn’t a possible way out, but lo and behold, they find a way!
- Eleventh Hour Rescue: The antagonist has the protagonist trapped at the end of the story, and like the “All Hope is Lost” trope, there doesn’t seem to be a way out, but then that back-up that the reader was rooting for the whole time pulls through, and the day is saved!
Setting Tropes
- Ancient Artifacts with Power: This is the “one ring to rule them all” trope, but it is more than that. Many fantasy books use plot devices like MacGuffins, or physical object, device, or event, to support the plot.
- Libraries of Knowledge: Ancient, hidden knowledge is almost always found in a library or some kind of culturally important location (museum, ruins, sunken ship, etc.). This setting needs to be unique and richly described in a way that plays off the characters in order for it to not be cliché.
- Medieval Setting: Many fantasy novels take place in a world that is similar to our own Medieval era. Although other time periods and settings are becoming more popular, this Euro-centric view remains common.
What makes your take on the trope stand out?
Like I mentioned before, stories follow certain arcs for a reason: They help readers process the lessons of the story. Tropes are conventions (e.g., settings, traits, dynamics, or plot devices) that support these arcs. So, you can make use of these common tropes, but add your voice to them.
The best way to stand out is to remove the clichés attached to the tropes. For instance, don’t make your “farm-to-hero” trope literally a farm boy who finds up a mysterious sword in the barn. Maybe the protagonist is a unsatisfied young woman who sells homemade empanadas at her local market and she witnesses something strange that sparks the start of the novel.
You can also make your antagonists nontraditional. Instead of the evil witch dressed in black, maybe your antagonist wears unassuming clothes but always has a certain pin in her hair because it reminds her of a lesson her grandmother taught her when she was a child.
Don’t let the trope build your story, though, and do your best to avoid predictability. Be creative with your characters, writing, and setting. Play around, mix-and-match, and borrow tropes from other genres that can add elements of suspense or plot twists.
Coming Up Next . . .
The next post on this topic will cover researching your topic and audience. That is not to say you need to develop certain aspects of your fantasy novel before others, but that they all work together to form your creative story.
Did I forget something? What makes fantasy writing stand out to you? What do you like or don’t like about it? Please share your thoughts and helpful resources in the comments.
Do you need help figuring out where your story is lacking?
Leah Boyer 