Lily
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Tropes
Apr 2, 2014 15:39:36 GMT
Post by Lily on Apr 2, 2014 15:39:36 GMT
Okay, so I see this word almost everywhere. However, I really do not get what is truly means. It comes off as like a 'category' of sorts which I'm sure it isn't. Upon googling the meaning of the word, trope means 'a figurative or metaphorical use of a word or expression.' That definition does not help me at all. So, my question is, what is a trope? Also, if a character falls into one of the tropes, is it a generally good thing or a generally bad thing?
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Tropes
Apr 2, 2014 15:45:27 GMT
Post by Amber Skye Forbes on Apr 2, 2014 15:45:27 GMT
A trope is something that is commonly used in books, video games, movie, any form of entertainment media. For example, one trope would be the 'chosen one,' like in Harry Potter. This is a common trope seen in fantasy novels, wherein, for some reason, one person is the Chosen One, the only one who can save the world through whatever means necessary. I suppose, arguably, in book two of my Stars Trilogy the MC is sort of a chosen one--but only slightly.
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Lily
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Tropes
Apr 2, 2014 15:49:02 GMT
Post by Lily on Apr 2, 2014 15:49:02 GMT
Aaaahhh, I see what you mean. I also noticed that some people react negatively when a character is under a certain trope (or is it just me?) Also, it seems that almost every character is under a trope.
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Tropes
Apr 2, 2014 15:52:12 GMT
Post by Mariah E. on Apr 2, 2014 15:52:12 GMT
I'll ditto what Amber said, and add that if tropes are nothing to be afraid of or purposely avoid. They exist because they're used so often, and often quite well. Going with 'the chosen one' trope. Harry Potter was hugely successful. So was Star Wars, (Anakin Skywalker, chosen one) It all depends on how you use it. You want to do something different with it. If you were going to do a 'chosen one' type of story, I'm pretty sure that you wouldn't want to try and have a boy wizard be your chosen one, the HP comparisons would be automatic. So no, I don't think they're a bad thing.
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Tropes
Apr 2, 2014 15:55:09 GMT
Post by Mariah E. on Apr 2, 2014 15:55:09 GMT
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Lily
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Tropes
Apr 2, 2014 16:02:40 GMT
Post by Lily on Apr 2, 2014 16:02:40 GMT
Ah, thank you so much, Ms. Mariah, for clearing my confusion. I've always thought tropes are a bad thing since I see them over and over again. People also say (more of like type) as if it's a bad thing. So, it made me think that tropes = cliche. Again, thank you so much!
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Tropes
Apr 2, 2014 16:09:08 GMT
Post by Mariah E. on Apr 2, 2014 16:09:08 GMT
Cliche isn't necessarily a bad thing either. There's some kind of mythological stigma against cliche...but cliche exists because it's popular, because it works. Like forbidden love, think Romeo and Juliet. I think thematic cliches, like that, are fine, they NEED to exist. There are literally endless ways to tell a seemingly cliche story about forbidden love.
I think cliche's that should maybe be avoided are phrases. For example, fit as a fiddle, strong as an ox, every cloud has a silver lining, the writing on the wall. I avoid cliche's like the plague. <---hahaha.
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Lily
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Apr 2, 2014 16:25:30 GMT
Post by Lily on Apr 2, 2014 16:25:30 GMT
Posts on the Internet has influenced me a lot because if something is seen or tagged as cliche, I immediately consider it 'bad'. Cliche isn't necessarily a bad thing either. There's some kind of mythological stigma against cliche...but cliche exists because it's popular, because it works. Like forbidden love, think Romeo and Juliet. I think thematic cliches, like that, are fine, they NEED to exist. There are literally endless ways to tell a seemingly cliche story about forbidden love. Now that you've mention it, I realized that yup, maybe 'plot cliches' are kind of necessary. I totally agree on this. Hahaha!
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Tropes
Apr 2, 2014 16:26:59 GMT
Post by Amber Skye Forbes on Apr 2, 2014 16:26:59 GMT
When Stars Die uses the forbidden love cliche, but it is a forbidden love that can't be helped because Amelia is a nun and Oliver is a priest. Obviously they have to take vows of celibacy, so of course anything romantic or intimate cannot exist between them.
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Lily
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Apr 2, 2014 16:34:29 GMT
Post by Lily on Apr 2, 2014 16:34:29 GMT
From this discussion, I'm learning that cliche is okay as long as it is executed beautifully/correctly.
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Tropes
Apr 2, 2014 16:46:59 GMT
Post by Amber Skye Forbes on Apr 2, 2014 16:46:59 GMT
Exactly! They aren't a sin, and if anyone tells you they are, ignore them. The only cliches you should avoid are writing cliches themselves, like 'avoid it like the plague' or 'dead as a doornail.' These cliches can be appropriate within dialogue because people in real life will use them in dialogue, but in writing itself, you need to come up with something more creative. It is otherwise considered lazy writing.
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Lily
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Tropes
Apr 2, 2014 17:18:36 GMT
Post by Lily on Apr 2, 2014 17:18:36 GMT
The only cliches you should avoid are writing cliches themselves, like 'avoid it like the plague' or 'dead as a doornail.' These cliches can be appropriate within dialogue because people in real life will use them in dialogue, but in writing itself, you need to come up with something more creative. It is otherwise considered lazy writing. Noted. Writing cliches already lost their freshness, so I gotta find a way to liven them up.
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aimeili
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Do I have to recycle the words of the prompt before you understand the subtlety of its inclusion??
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Tropes
Apr 3, 2014 14:59:50 GMT
Post by aimeili on Apr 3, 2014 14:59:50 GMT
The website they've linked you to is actually an amazing resource for writing. If you want to write something but you're not sure how to go about it, tvtropes lists the other texts (books, shows, movies etc.) that have used the trope. I like using that for research - I can see how common an idea is, what tropes are related to it, others who have used it, the general public opinion of those tropes...so long as you don't wind up getting too distracted by looking up your favourite books, it's very effective.
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Lily
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Tropes
Apr 3, 2014 15:04:07 GMT
Post by Lily on Apr 3, 2014 15:04:07 GMT
Hahahaha! Yeah, I've visited the site loads of time, and I always wind up getting distracted with the huge amount of tropes, especially when it contains my fave characters.
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aimeili
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Do I have to recycle the words of the prompt before you understand the subtlety of its inclusion??
Posts: 10
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Tropes
Apr 3, 2014 15:18:23 GMT
Post by aimeili on Apr 3, 2014 15:18:23 GMT
When it's helpful, it's great. When it's distracting, it's terrible. This is the cursed blessing of tv tropes, haha. Which characters do you enjoy looking up??
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