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nic0lk , Gauthier DELECROIX - 郭天 Report

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“I Am The Chosen One But I Hate It”: People In This Online Group Share 30 Of The Most Annoying Book Tropes I feel like oftentimes characters are able to read just a little too much simply by looking into another's eyes. "She looked into his eyes and saw hope with a tinge of sadness, layered with uncertainty mixed with conviction."

Obviously that's a bit of an exaggeration, but you see my point.

Final score:

263points

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HoneyBun Arts 3 years ago (edited)

She looked into his eyes and saw that he had a morgage coming up. So she winked and wiggled her eyebrows like a fool until he understood that she was going to pay off his house and they lived happily ever after as just friends.

110points

“I Am The Chosen One But I Hate It”: People In This Online Group Share 30 Of The Most Annoying Book Tropes Basically, anything where "No" from a female character means "you haven't earned my trust yet and I act ~uppity~ due to modern feminism; you must prove yourself by protecting me from the danger I walked into due to my childish refusal to listen to men; only then will my inner woman be unlocked". *gag*

I hate hate everything about that trope and it needed to have died in the 80's.

Bonus: she's got an endearing reason to be super insecure, like a small birthmark, or being held prisoner her whole life. Here, "no" means "I can't believe anyone will find me beautiful and it's going to take some persistence to persuade me you do"

F**k everything about these "women don't really mean it when they refuse you" tropes.

baitnnswitch , freestocks.org Report

Final score:

244points

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Carmen Sandiego 3 years ago

CRINGE and dangerous.

85points

MonkeyBeanSalad , Jonathan Cutrer Report

“I Am The Chosen One But I Hate It”: People In This Online Group Share 30 Of The Most Annoying Book Tropes "Two people of opposite sex have to solve this problem together. There is no way in hell that they aren't going to fall in love, that would just be weird. What are friends or colleagues?"

Final score:

224points

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Carmen Sandiego 3 years ago (edited)

Right? Like I have lots of friends and colleagues of the opposite sex, and they are all completely normal, platonic relationships. Even worse when the woman is all 'strong and independent' (which really just means overly violent) in the beginning, but 'softens down' when she falls in love with the lead male. Oh, and someone or the other almost always has a tragic backstory.

60points

lookylouboo , Christopher John SSF Report

“I Am The Chosen One But I Hate It”: People In This Online Group Share 30 Of The Most Annoying Book Tropes I definitely dislike ‘enemies to lovers’ but more so as a librarian myself I cannot stand the ‘mousy, no personality, meek librarian who solves the day’ storyline. Librarians definitely kick butt but we are not all mousy, bland women!

Final score:

214points

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Norma 3 years ago

Where is this? I must go there now.

45points

santichrist , Dennis van Zuijlekom Report

“I Am The Chosen One But I Hate It”: People In This Online Group Share 30 Of The Most Annoying Book Tropes My biggest pet peeve in books is the chosen one trope. It’s okay when you’re a kid but when you’re an adult you just see lazy writing

Another trope I hate is the rough exterior “b****y” woman with a heart of gold who predictably falls for the hero, like we get it fellas, it’s your fantasy to win over women who aren’t interested in you one bit

Lastly the “weird” girl who doesn’t know shes conventionally attractive trope, she doesn’t care about dresses or boys or “girly” things so she never got attention despite being beautiful and approachable for the main character to romance, like please

Final score:

187points

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Carmen Sandiego 3 years ago (edited)

THIS X 100000

45points

“I Am The Chosen One But I Hate It”: People In This Online Group Share 30 Of The Most Annoying Book Tropes As a woman who married a widower, I really dislike romances where one of them was married before, and even if he or she thought it was a happy relationship, they have to find out how secretly evil and twisted their first love was before they can fall in love with the new love interest. Like... it's possible to be in love more than once in your life. It doesn't undervalue your present relationship to say your last one was also good. Especially when the person is dead.

Far-Adagio4032 , neajjean Report

Final score:

177points

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Amy Broderick 3 years ago

ala Rebecca

9points

“I Am The Chosen One But I Hate It”: People In This Online Group Share 30 Of The Most Annoying Book Tropes Hard-drinking, heavy-smoking, emotionally-disconnected, gruff-rough-and-tough, rumpled-trench-coat-wearing, middle-aged, wife-left-me-because-I'm-a-shitty-husband, blues/jazz-loving, I'll-do-it-my-way, hang-the-consequences, lone-wolf detective that manages to always get-their-man. Yawn.

Finiam , Garry Knight Report

Final score:

159points

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Norma 3 years ago

And eventually wins over smoking hot doctor/pathologist/detective/attorney.

76points

“I Am The Chosen One But I Hate It”: People In This Online Group Share 30 Of The Most Annoying Book Tropes Making a girl obnoxious and extremely confrontational means they’re strong and independent. This is also done purely because the character is a girl.

There are so many better ways to portray this but some authors get really weird when writing women.

AbbaFanClub , Liam Lysaght Report

Final score:

157points

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Carmen Sandiego 3 years ago

As I mentioned before, and they almost ALWAYS fall in love and become more submissive.

54points

#10

“I Am The Chosen One But I Hate It”: People In This Online Group Share 30 Of The Most Annoying Book Tropes How about the " I'm just an average teenage girl...who has superpowers....three love interests....always getting into trouble and then miraculously saved. Blame everyone for my problems and never take responsibility. And by the final book in my series I will not have learned or grown in any way but I'm still somehow the heroine" trope. I've read too many bad YA lol

eriebee , Adam B Report

Final score:

147points

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Carmen Sandiego 3 years ago

Again CRINGE as frick

31points

#11

“I Am The Chosen One But I Hate It”: People In This Online Group Share 30 Of The Most Annoying Book Tropes As a twin myself, pretty much every twin-related trope you can think of. No, we’re not creepy or psychic, we’re not two halves of the same coin, one of us is not the evil one, and we both don’t want to have s*x with you. Thanks.

Edited: I know I worded it in a purposefully funny way, but all of the “oh so you’re the evil twin then” responses are a little exhausting, friends

IndytheIntrepid , i kwan Report

Final score:

128points

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L.j. Bus 3 years ago

And all twins have swapped their partner at least once without the partner knowing it.

40points

#12

“I Am The Chosen One But I Hate It”: People In This Online Group Share 30 Of The Most Annoying Book Tropes It is the « I am the chosen one but I hate it and just want to be normal » trope. It’s super common in books and I feels that it prevent the plot from moving forward and leads to many chapters (sometimes it is the whole book) where the protagonist complains about it every two pages for finally accepting them for the grater good.

R_J2 , Gareth Williams Report

Final score:

124points

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Nikki Sevven 3 years ago

"...finally accepting them for the grater good." Yes, cheese is important, and you should absolutely shred it yourself...for the grater good.

30points

#13

“I Am The Chosen One But I Hate It”: People In This Online Group Share 30 Of The Most Annoying Book Tropes When the main character is a Plain Jane and dogging herself out throughout the entire book until the snarky blonde boy says she's beautiful/like a firecracker/not like other girls/Sooooo unique

TheSilverCrystal , c.art Report

Final score:

121points

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Carmen Sandiego 3 years ago

PURE CRINGE

39points

#14

“I Am The Chosen One But I Hate It”: People In This Online Group Share 30 Of The Most Annoying Book Tropes People getting „sorted“ in a specific group. After the success of HP every fantasy book I read as a teen had some sort of „you are part of this group thing“ going and damn it was annoying. You can‘t all copy the Hogwarts houses. Get some new ideas

gizmuo , Henry Burrows Report

Final score:

120points

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Iʕ •ᴥ•ʔ 3 years ago

I agree , it’s AGGRAVATING

31points

#15

“I Am The Chosen One But I Hate It”: People In This Online Group Share 30 Of The Most Annoying Book Tropes The main character carrying a terrible, horrendous, shameful burden that is alluded to constantly. Turns out to be something very common.

zeropercentsurprised , J Stimp Report

Final score:

113points

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Otter 3 years ago

I remember one Fantasy genre series where the burden that the hero caried was that... he had Hansen's Disease, a.k.a. Leprosy. At least that time, the author picked an uncommon burden!

36points

#16

“I Am The Chosen One But I Hate It”: People In This Online Group Share 30 Of The Most Annoying Book Tropes Protagonists who refuse to respect their friends' ability to make their own decisions in some misguided attempt to "protect" them.

blankbox11 , Christof Timmermann Report

Final score:

108points

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R Carson 3 years ago

Sounds like real life.

34points

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#17

“I Am The Chosen One But I Hate It”: People In This Online Group Share 30 Of The Most Annoying Book Tropes For some reason I’ve never liked the plot of someone unjustly accused who has to solve the crime & clear their name

ragazza68 , fsecart Report

Final score:

97points

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R Carson 3 years ago

No shortage of those.

18points

#18

“I Am The Chosen One But I Hate It”: People In This Online Group Share 30 Of The Most Annoying Book Tropes I love urban fantasy books, though they often fall into paranormal romance, which I don't care for quite as much. I can always tell when it's going to get romantic and who the protagonist is going to be romantic with because it will always describe the guy's pants.

gothichomemaker , Rachel Johnson Report

Final score:

95points

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Carmen Sandiego 3 years ago

*shudder*

25points

#19

“I Am The Chosen One But I Hate It”: People In This Online Group Share 30 Of The Most Annoying Book Tropes Beautiful young ingénue (who is incredibly attractive and somehow doesn't realise it) meets older, emotionally damaged man, and fixes him. A la 50 shades of grey.

magical_elf , Caroline Report

Final score:

93points

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Otter 3 years ago

The lover-as-free-therapist trope has totally turned me off the fluffy romance genre. And it doesn't do a lot for my enthusiasm for dating in real life, either.

39points

#20

“I Am The Chosen One But I Hate It”: People In This Online Group Share 30 Of The Most Annoying Book Tropes When a character is a runner, because they want to be free/get away from where they are.

When a character likes maths or science, because it's binary right and wrong.

Just two very tired characterisation tropes.

RosaReilly , bark Report

Final score:

82points

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Henry Cheves 3 years ago

Science isn't binary! There are many different ways to be right or wrong!

25points

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“Ma’am I Live Here”: Woman Refuses To Back Out Of Driveway, Learns A Lesson The Hard Way

#21

“I Am The Chosen One But I Hate It”: People In This Online Group Share 30 Of The Most Annoying Book Tropes I hate love triangel.

Edit: just got told that it is a love corner.

Ilhja , Susanne Nilsson Report

Final score:

80points

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Seabeast 3 years ago

How about a love polyhedron?

16points

#22

“I Am The Chosen One But I Hate It”: People In This Online Group Share 30 Of The Most Annoying Book Tropes The families opposition in a relationship and particularly the excessively rich family who do there best to destroy this relationship...

Come on guys be original. I hate this trope more than my school's years.

And the fifty shades of Gray's trope with the rich man and the desperately uninteresting women and their even more uninteresting life in bed. Please no.

AaroufGangsta , m01229 Report

Final score:

78points

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Bear Hall 3 years ago

Uhm, but it makes sense. Money usually marries money and many rich man, like Jeffrey Epstein, go after young women with corrupting motives.

14points

#23

“I Am The Chosen One But I Hate It”: People In This Online Group Share 30 Of The Most Annoying Book Tropes Tragic backstories that are never brought up again after they're introduced or effect the character. Only ever used for cheap sympathy.

TippedWalrus , freestocks.org Report

Final score:

75points

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denzoren 3 years ago

His father died at the hands of a mobster while he looked on. Anyways, John works as a Kindergarten teacher who loves to play the piano.

49points

SkepticDrinker , Pedro Ribeiro Simões Report

#24

“I Am The Chosen One But I Hate It”: People In This Online Group Share 30 Of The Most Annoying Book Tropes Love triangles. Trauma via r**e for "character growth". And the chosen one which usually means a mary sue.

Final score:

71points

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K Witmer 3 years ago

This is the worst in books and movies or when the mans story is propelled by the woman's rape or death. It's so annoying and there's no need for it.

35points

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#25

“I Am The Chosen One But I Hate It”: People In This Online Group Share 30 Of The Most Annoying Book Tropes Bad guy/group who never gives up. Like ever. Even right before imminent death, not a shadow of hesitation.

Related - good guy always giving bad guy one final choice to walk away or end the fight. Bad guy never does and “earns” his ultimate death/destruction and not just mere defeat.

that_one_isnt_taken , Matthew G Report

Final score:

69points

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ENEBETH PARKER 3 years ago

90% action movies

22points

Henry Hagens 3 years ago

I've seen that in several books

0points

Lady Snowfall 3 years ago

They also add the "last chance" trope to help justify the hero committing murder, so the audience knows there was no chance of redemption. Even though the "good guy" is still committing murder...

4points

Marlowe Fitzpatrik 3 years ago

This! But in good stories, that's a nice tie-in to the protagonist being f****d up in the (main) story. Like - he shot the bad person and is a murderer and now he feels a) like s**t or b) like a god and wants to go full-on-vigilante

1point

Pepper DeVoe 3 years ago

*Captain America looks away*

2points

Bad puns and finger guns 3 years ago

Team rocket (but the trope works for them)

2points

Eppe 3 years ago

Some bad guys don't even give up right before imminent election loss

1point

J. F. 3 years ago

The hero can fight his/her way through a whole nation's army in a breeze with only a toothpick - but will fight the old, fat villain for at least half an hour

1point

An Co 3 years ago

Especially given our legal system. The proper speech to give a bad guy holding a gun on someone is "Look, I have not seen you kill anyone yet. A good defense lawyer could throw out the evidence I have right now. But if you do not surrender right now, I will shoot you. Repeatedly if you try to kill the hostage.

1point

Chaotic-Pansexual (she/they) 3 years ago

Similarly: unwanted romantic/sexual advances in which the person making said advances says something along the lines of “I’m not taking no for an answer” or “I won’t leave you alone until you say yes” and then the person just begrudgingly gives in. Like bish call the cops

0points

Analyn Lahr 3 years ago

If I had a dollar for every character who has said "you don't have to do this"...

0points

Dolevaal 3 years ago

Twilight *vomits*

0points

Olivia 3 years ago

Pokemon but different

0points

Nikki Sevven 3 years ago

The first one is an amateur mistake. If the villain has no redeeming qualities, the reader can't identify with him. The second one—you have one last chance to redeem yourself—is characteristic of a "good guy." He wouldn't be the good guy if he sought revenge.

0points

ermyneeandwheezy , My United States of Whatever Report

#26

“I Am The Chosen One But I Hate It”: People In This Online Group Share 30 Of The Most Annoying Book Tropes Fake dating. Is my life just boring because I have never met anyone who has ever participated in fake dating. Seems so stupid and unrealistic to me.

Final score:

63points

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denzoren 3 years ago

What's fake dating? Like seriously....I don't have a lot of relationship experience so I honestly don't know.

21points

#27

“I Am The Chosen One But I Hate It”: People In This Online Group Share 30 Of The Most Annoying Book Tropes I'm actually tired of franchise starters.
I love fantasy and scifi, but I almost never see a oneshot any more.
This is, I believe, due to how shitty writers are paid. They have to build a following, an audience, to generate a somewhat stable income, and pretty much the only way they can do this is by binding readers to their name and brand.
Because they always have one more book in the works you guys.
In movies, this has already become annoying.
But there's still plenty of "single serving" movies in every genre, so I don't have to go see Pirates of The Carribean 8, right?
With fantasy and scifi books, all I see is series. Come on! Another series that ends on a cliffhanger, with an author that has taken half a decade to "prepare the ending" while working on other projects and even starting other series?????
Game of Thrones isn't even over yet. Not really. Because the book ain't out.
I'm currently stuck on 3 series, man, each with waiting period of YEARS.

TheWordShaker , Blake Patterson Report

Final score:

63points

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Amy Broderick 3 years ago

The Dresden Files is exactly this but it's too appealing to give up

17points

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#28

“I Am The Chosen One But I Hate It”: People In This Online Group Share 30 Of The Most Annoying Book Tropes "Billionaire player MC1 who lives in a modern minimalist decorated home who is a commitment-phobe but somehow falls head over heels for MC2"

NoeTellusom , andrewarchy Report

Final score:

59points

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#29

“I Am The Chosen One But I Hate It”: People In This Online Group Share 30 Of The Most Annoying Book Tropes The amnesiac spy. Bourne was good. Everyone else sucks.

blacksad1 , Global Panorama Report

Final score:

57points

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Bear Hall 3 years ago

How about the amnesiac accountant? And Bourne started to suck after the first 300 pages.

8points

#30

“I Am The Chosen One But I Hate It”: People In This Online Group Share 30 Of The Most Annoying Book Tropes Prophecy. It's mostly another word for plot armor. As soon as it's introduced, there isn't much tension to the conflict anymore.

Now it does work when the prophecy was fake or misinterpreted since that creates a discussion on blind faith or the characters are suddenly in real danger because the higher powers aren't looking out for them.

detective_number_9 , Chris Report

Final score:

53points

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Tim Pillinger 3 years ago

For he IS the Kwisatz Haderach

9points

Konstancija is a Content Creator at Bored Panda. She has a bachelor’s degree in Translation and Interpreting and a master’s degree in Future Media and Journalism. She is very interested in sustainable fashion and is a perfect companion to go to second-hand shops and antiques for nearly anything: clothes, books or furniture. Her interests also include photography, literature and hiking.

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What do you think ?

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Beans 3 years ago (edited)

Personally I would've liked to see more male story tropes on here. Like that 007 has to sleep with everyone or that Jack Reacher doesn't do laundry cuz he's too badass and buys new clothes each time. And the I'm a manly man lumberjack/ex marine/ex spy trope or the 'sleeper agent' trope or.... I can go on and on. A lot of this list seemed to villify chick lit romance tropes and that bugs me. Can we not judge the escapist fantasy we like? Sometimes I like the ugly duckling trope. I always feel like chick lit gets judged harsher than 'd!ck" lit.

29points

Carmen Sandiego 3 years ago (edited)

Alternate title: How to inspire someone to write a book without any of these tropes in it. It shall be named: The Ultimate Book.

27points

Chloe *Leah* Pheonix 3 years ago

This is exactly what I came here for

2points

Piet Puk 3 years ago

An inheritance, of rich aunt/uncle/friend who is willing to donate enough so money is never an issue. I'm looking at you, David Baldacci.

13points

Susie Elle 3 years ago

I'd like to add "I'm an orphan so no-one will get in my way with the burden of parental advice on how maybe it's better not to go on that quest that'll put my life in constant danger, but I did conveniently inhert an a**load of money from them" and "I have no idea where I came from but it's bound to be that magical place that everyone keeps talking about in myths and legends."

7points

John Dilligaf 3 years ago

the "blood is thicker than water" trope. A relative disrupts your entire life, putting you in danger, leading you into illegal/immoral/unethical situations and you're supposed to accept it, and support him/her in everything because "family". Doubly so when it's a previously unknown relative (like a half-sibling) that appears out of nowhere.

7points

just another bookish gay 3 years ago

also the friend group with one minority friend (lgbt, poc, ect.) it just seems like the authors don't want to get criticized for no diversity and somehow everyone suddenly becomes ok with just the one character who isn't white straight cis able and attractive?

7points

Karen Lawyer 3 years ago

Actually had this conversation recently. If there are no minorities, you're racist. If there are too many, it's cultural appropriation. So yeah, one person was the "safety" for awhile, but that's not good enough anymore either. It can be really hard to try and figure out what the right thing to do is. I keep listening, but I have to admit that I'm still very confused, and I know that I'm not alone in feeling that way.

13points

Carmen Sandiego 3 years ago

When two people obviously have feelings for each other but don't confess. There are a few stories where this had happened properly and was appealing (these stories also don't have romance as the central theme; I was tricked!) but seriously, it's getting old.

6points

Demi Zwaan 3 years ago

Everything is a trope at this point. It's all been done a million times, there's no escaping it. You just have to find the right balance, plot, setting, characters and hope it works.

5points

Cray Melton 3 years ago

The good wife / mom gets treated like sh*t by her husband and kids. She goes back home to a funeral, class reunion, etc. and finds sexy love (ex-boyfriend, hot classmate who would never even look at her) AND purpose and respect. None-the-less, she goes back to her whiney family that needs her and lives happily ever after.

5points

Charlotte A. 3 years ago

Wasn't this list right here on BP not long ago? Anyway I mostly get annoyed when I start noticing how my fav authors use the same format every time. (E.g. Dean R Koontz - male main character, supported by petite brunette and they fall in love of course. And there's a dog and no matter how supernatural and dangerous the problem in the book is, you can always solve it with a shotgun.) For many of the examples in this list I just feel - try reading something else? (If you don't like the typical tropes of this particular genre, why do you keep reading the less than good authors within that genre? Try another genre!)

5points

Beans 3 years ago (edited)

I agree with you whole heartedly. Most books are obviously tropes like 50 shades. I've never read it cuz I'm not into that stuff but some people are and that's fine. The tropes in it don't bother me because I'm not the demographic, so I just ignore and read something I like instead

4points

Iʕ •ᴥ•ʔ 3 years ago

I got another one : how the main protagonist is always a rebel and falls in love. Like is it so hard to just make a character that’s NOT rebel ?

5points

Marnie 3 years ago

How some male authors write female characters is the most annoying thing. Stephen King has to be one of the LEAST sexist authors I've ever read. It's one of the things I love about him. I remember there was a contest for writing the worst first sentence of a book by a male author about a female character. I remember one submission had something about, "She felt good about herself as she walked boobily up the stairs."

4points

Shoddy 3 years ago

I wish I had the boobs to be able to do that.

1point

H05 3 years ago

Not a trooe, but a major pet peeve: using modern language in a period piece. If your story is set in 1760 and your protagonist uses modern slang in the first chapter, I won't be reading the rest of your book no matter how good the reviews happen to be. Do some research, smh.

3points

Vuun 3 years ago

Sort of opposite to this, but equally annoying, is when everyone in the "olden days" is a pompous master orator.

1point

Grayson Wrigley 3 years ago (edited)

I started off really interested in this list and realized part of the way down "Damn. How likely is it that any of these posters have ever written even a short story in their life?" After that it got a lot more difficult to feel sympathy. That being said, I do agree that I can't stand frame-job stories. I just won't read them.

3points

Jo Firth 3 years ago (edited)

1. Scatty women who always run late, trip over things, say the wrong thing - in general making women seem like idiots who can't fend for themselves. 2. Men who are always good looking, great in bed, who have women falling into bed with them the minute they meet - I'm looking at you Stuart Woods with your character - Stone Barrington. 3. That sex is always wonderful from the moment women sleep with "the one". Thanks for attending my TED talk.

3points

John Baker 3 years ago

The name "Stone Barrington" should have been a clue. ;-)

0points

Catlady6000 3 years ago

Killing the dog, or other beloved pet. SO often a pet is introduced, just to be killed for added drama. I Am Legend, even worse Dances With Wolves-they killed the wolf And the horse. Just for "emotional impact" UGH

2points

Lara Verne 3 years ago

I am attractive guy with tragic backstory and it justify all despicable s**t I do.

2points

Jenifer Riggs 3 years ago

I agree with everything above! I find it so hard to find good books without running into boring tropes and losing interest in the story. I especially hate books in which female characters always make the dumbest, least logical, choices. I mean, if your faced with something like trusting the words of the bad guy over that of your friends/love interest, why on earth would you listen to the bad guy???

2points

NinjaWolfy94 3 years ago

I'd like to add: I only recall seeing one or two stories where a character is lgbtq (usually gay/bi) but the story isn't completely about them finding love. Every other one I've seen with a gay/bi character, they're the main attention and must find someone to love AT ONCE. It's so stupid. That's the only time I ever see lqbtq charters is in romance stories :(

1point

NinjaWolfy94 3 years ago

Also, I get not revealing their sexuality if there's nothing romantic in the story, that's perfectly fine. But it'd be great to have more lgbtq characters that are there on the side too and their sexuality/gender is relevant, but not MUST GET PARTNER NOW relevant... I'd also LOVE to see a plot where the main character finds love along the way like any other cliché story that they just must fall in love with other person (after doing the whole rest of the plot), but they're just... both the same sex. Cause there's PLENTY of lgbtq romance stories, but never really any where the main character is just gay/bi/etc and they happen to fall in love along the way.

1point

Colin Matthews 3 years ago

I personally dislike the " main character meets the one good ........ In the world" and the emotional journey. One good nazi, one good monster, etc etc

1point

Marnie 3 years ago

My suggestion: Read science fiction. Almost NONE of these applied to the SF I've read. (Good SF books are good - as opposed to movies they call SF but which are not.)

1point

Marnie 3 years ago

Although a lot of the older SF authors were really quite sexist. That's the one negative.

1point

Bunzilla 3 years ago

"Male lead is super toxic and obsessively controlling of female lead, schemes creepily to find a way to trap her and does until she 'loves him' (aka, gets Stockholm syndrome)" I see this trope WAY too often, it's seriously disturbing.

1point

Jenn C 3 years ago

Way too many YA novels: I'm in in love with her, buy she doesn't like me, so I'll keep away from her. I'm in love with him but he must hate me because he avoids me. Let's both be miserable and in love from afar. Also, shame on the mutual friend who sees this and let it happen, and never says oh btw you both like each other

1point

Al Christensen 3 years ago

Seems like a lot of people are reading a lot of crappy fiction.

1point

Al Christensen 3 years ago

The same genres of crappy fiction over and over.

1point

ENEBETH PARKER 3 years ago

A lot of them about women tropes. Is that hard to write about women without lowballing their abilities and expecting them to behave in stereotypical ladylike behaviour.

1point

John Smith 3 years ago

I expected to see "low level character turns out to be able to do things significantly more powerful characters couldn't, just because". Harry Potter would have been a much shorter series if someone had just melted his face off in the first book, but [spoiler] the bad guy loses because his mummy loved him. blurgh.

0points

Annanana 3 years ago

Just to add a thought- these tropes probably keep repeating because it's some archetype of human fantasy. And the reason they are, is because they're somehow linked to a basic human reality, an existential experience of some sort. It would be interesting to figure out what each one stands for

0points

Rica 3 years ago

Maybe this is more a TV thing than book, but I'm so sick and tired of all the crime solving shows that has a male and a female lead and they just HAVE TO become a couple... The only way for this not to happen is apparently if one or both of them are gay. I liked Bones for example, until they became a couple... cringe.

0points

Alexandra Nara 3 years ago

wife getting tired of her neglecting/ cheating husband and her boring job start over again gets in shape finds perfect prince and a new adventurous job that finally allows her to express her true self Hate this kinda stuff And clumsy duckling turns into famous swan for mr. perfect. Finally plain shallow story about absolute good versus 100% bad without any shades and twists No matter if it settles in scifi, fantasy or history

0points

F. H. 3 years ago

After reading some of these I think I have found the problem: Stop reading teenage and young adult fiction when you've outgrown it. I mean there are enough people who like to read those books all their lives, but when those common tropes start to bug you constantly it might be time to move on.

0points

Okiedokie 3 years ago (edited)

It is almost impossible to avoid cliche in literature due to the massive amount of content out there already. When something ‘new’ comes along it’s sensationalized to the degree it’s cliche within months because of how connected we are now socially [see: internet]. this will get downvoted into oblivion, but seeing ‘woke’ culture try to navigate into artistic narratives ‘which often are trying to teach lessons about the issues mentioned above [but, y’know, out of context is how we live in this day and age] is really what turned me off to this. And, as others have said, how many here have actually written a book and published it? If you don’t like something, don’t read it. Edit: I do agree with one: lack of representation of culture. But that’s about it.

0points

Jason Melvil 3 years ago

I'm seriously surprised a lot of missing ones here: "You have some superpower, so we automatically hate you and establish something racist against your kind" - for the love of anything this is stupid. If I see my next door neighbor, who is also super attractive and charismatic, has magical super powers that don't seem to be dangerous - I wouldn't try to kill them, I would beg them to let me be their friend (or sidekick). And let's not forget "I have a lover\significant other\spouse who I love more than anything else in the world. They get murdered by the antagonist and I'll go on a journey to avenge them cause they took the thing I care about more than anything in the world - Which I will completely forget about and start a romance with the next attractive main character I see after 5 minutes and I will barely mention the love of my life again". This happens so often it makes my head hurts

0points

Octavia Hansen 3 years ago

I get tickled at the "last of their tribe/kind/team" and they have to avenge something. That didn't work before, why are they still the same mindset?

0points

Randolph Croft 3 years ago

One that always bothers me is the villain being brilliant and dedicated, ruthless and sadistic, while the hero is largely none of the above, but somehow still defeats the Big Bad.

0points

thememyselfandi 3 years ago

I was the eldest. Then I found out that I have an older half-brother, making me the middle child. I don't know how I feel about this. Do I fit the middle-child trope?

0points

Helenium 3 years ago

I wrote a book. The Riveters. On amazon. None of the above are in it. Based on history, it’s got fighting, guns, Titanic, IRA, love, death, tragedy, comedy. Some fact some fiction. You should definitely buy it. And everyone you know should too.

0points

William Teach 3 years ago

Killing off important characters to Motivate The Main Character. MR Forbes was one of my favorite writers. I read the first 16 books of his series starting with The Forgotten. Most were good, a few "meh." In 17 he killed off the main characters wife, child, adopted child, and several important characters in one fell swoop. I could barely finish. Still haven't finished the series with 18. Perhaps if it was 200 pages, not 400.

0points

J. F. 3 years ago

If anybody is interested: "Bad Writing Advice" on Youtube covers a lot of this stuff (His favourite is the Love Triangle)

0points

Angelynn Wichman 3 years ago

How about the 500-thousands of years old Fae male who falls helplessly in love with the 16-18 year old girl who is magically the chosen one to save the universe? It was good the first 50 times, but give it a rest already. LOL

0points

Leo Domitrix 3 years ago

So, Twilight and Harry Potter and True Blood and Game of Thrones. ... And since my 7 godkids are all Potterheads (help me!) I couldn't avoid the "could've been 100-200 pages shorter and still worked" books, and the "bookworm is unlikeable" trope and and and and and.... Yes, I now hate HP. Read DH aloud for the 7th flipping time, and you miss reading journal articles on treatment of skin ulcers.

0points

Auntriarch 3 years ago

Snort-laugh!

0points

BlackPearltheSeaWing/NightWing 3 years ago

I'm sad now because I have some of these tropes in the book I'm writing, which means it's probably super cringey and everyone would hate it :(

0points

Rebecca McNeil 2 years ago

people use them because they been successful. They are fine if they are done well. Try to make sure you have an original take on them. Look up Jessica Brody. She is an international best seller and has classes that help writers. She has helped me a lot.

0points

WolfyDragon_82 3 years ago

The thing I hate the most is like in most books,if a girl is the main protagonist,they know that their ‘true love’ likes them yet they still act incredibly oblivious…

0points

lunar eclipse 3 years ago

I also hate the trope where the female lead is cold, distant and mean to everyone except the one she likes. And she doesn’t like them. She’s OBSESSED and overprotective. Also, somehow a naturally amazing fighter. No one knows how to do a roundhouse kick since birth. You gotta learn that

0points

Sleepyhead 3 years ago

The one where the main suspect turns out to be innocent and the real villain was "who you would have never expected". Boring

0points

Johnny Rodriguez 3 years ago

I love these moments when I read a book, wonder, have to take the book down, think about it, turn some pages back, read this and that again and then wonder that I haven't wondered earlier. I love it, when an author plays with my expectations or bias and forces me to think about my perception. My favorite example for this is 'Set this house in order. A romance of souls' from Matt Ruff. It's been five years since I read it and I think that I finally could read it again now..

0points

Sara Khan 3 years ago

I read mostly mm, and I love urban fantasy / pnr, but my gaaaawd why does it always have to be "unheard" of when something ultra special happens?! Fine, it might never have happened, but please, there are a lot of words and other descriptions. So many eyerolls. And appropo MM, no matter if it's a male or female writer, it seems as no one has the slightes incling as to how a"al-s"x works. You can't just wham bam like m/f 'insert P in V'.

-1point

Glirpy 3 years ago (edited)

So, then, basically every fiction book every written. You people know there are non-fiction books, right?

-2points

POST

Beans 3 years ago (edited)

29points

Carmen Sandiego 3 years ago (edited)

Alternate title: How to inspire someone to write a book without any of these tropes in it. It shall be named: The Ultimate Book.

27points

Chloe *Leah* Pheonix 3 years ago

This is exactly what I came here for

2points

Piet Puk 3 years ago

An inheritance, of rich aunt/uncle/friend who is willing to donate enough so money is never an issue. I'm looking at you, David Baldacci.

13points

Susie Elle 3 years ago

7points

John Dilligaf 3 years ago

7points

just another bookish gay 3 years ago

7points

Karen Lawyer 3 years ago

13points

Carmen Sandiego 3 years ago

6points

Demi Zwaan 3 years ago

Everything is a trope at this point. It's all been done a million times, there's no escaping it. You just have to find the right balance, plot, setting, characters and hope it works.

5points

Cray Melton 3 years ago

5points

Charlotte A. 3 years ago

5points

Beans 3 years ago (edited)

4points

Iʕ •ᴥ•ʔ 3 years ago

I got another one : how the main protagonist is always a rebel and falls in love. Like is it so hard to just make a character that’s NOT rebel ?

5points

Marnie 3 years ago

4points

Shoddy 3 years ago

I wish I had the boobs to be able to do that.

1point

H05 3 years ago

3points

Vuun 3 years ago

Sort of opposite to this, but equally annoying, is when everyone in the "olden days" is a pompous master orator.

1point

Grayson Wrigley 3 years ago (edited)

3points

Jo Firth 3 years ago (edited)

3points

John Baker 3 years ago

The name "Stone Barrington" should have been a clue. ;-)

0points

Catlady6000 3 years ago

2points

Lara Verne 3 years ago

I am attractive guy with tragic backstory and it justify all despicable s**t I do.

2points

Jenifer Riggs 3 years ago

2points

NinjaWolfy94 3 years ago

1point

NinjaWolfy94 3 years ago

1point

Colin Matthews 3 years ago

I personally dislike the " main character meets the one good ........ In the world" and the emotional journey. One good nazi, one good monster, etc etc

1point

Marnie 3 years ago

My suggestion: Read science fiction. Almost NONE of these applied to the SF I've read. (Good SF books are good - as opposed to movies they call SF but which are not.)

1point

Marnie 3 years ago

Although a lot of the older SF authors were really quite sexist. That's the one negative.

1point

Bunzilla 3 years ago

1point

Jenn C 3 years ago

1point

Al Christensen 3 years ago

Seems like a lot of people are reading a lot of crappy fiction.

1point

Al Christensen 3 years ago

The same genres of crappy fiction over and over.

1point

ENEBETH PARKER 3 years ago

A lot of them about women tropes. Is that hard to write about women without lowballing their abilities and expecting them to behave in stereotypical ladylike behaviour.

1point

John Smith 3 years ago

0points

Annanana 3 years ago

0points

Rica 3 years ago

0points

Alexandra Nara 3 years ago

0points

F. H. 3 years ago

0points

Okiedokie 3 years ago (edited)

0points

Jason Melvil 3 years ago

0points

Octavia Hansen 3 years ago

I get tickled at the "last of their tribe/kind/team" and they have to avenge something. That didn't work before, why are they still the same mindset?

0points

Randolph Croft 3 years ago

One that always bothers me is the villain being brilliant and dedicated, ruthless and sadistic, while the hero is largely none of the above, but somehow still defeats the Big Bad.

0points

thememyselfandi 3 years ago

I was the eldest. Then I found out that I have an older half-brother, making me the middle child. I don't know how I feel about this. Do I fit the middle-child trope?

0points

Helenium 3 years ago

0points

William Teach 3 years ago

0points

J. F. 3 years ago

If anybody is interested: "Bad Writing Advice" on Youtube covers a lot of this stuff (His favourite is the Love Triangle)

0points

Angelynn Wichman 3 years ago

0points

Leo Domitrix 3 years ago

0points

Auntriarch 3 years ago

Snort-laugh!

0points

BlackPearltheSeaWing/NightWing 3 years ago

I'm sad now because I have some of these tropes in the book I'm writing, which means it's probably super cringey and everyone would hate it :(

0points

Rebecca McNeil 2 years ago

0points