Most Favorite Storytelling and Writing Tropes?

[rocketspruggs]

I got inspired by the least favorite storytelling and writing tropes thread, so I decided to post its sister thread.

♡ Two characters just see each other as friends at first, and then they realize they love each other and become a couple later on.
♡ A certain franchise gives the main characters two love interests so that the viewers can root for one ship over the other, or both.
♡ The stalker with a crush trope, where a character has an unrequited crush on the main character and stalks him or her wherever he or she goes, especially if it's the female stalking the male.
♡ One of the characters would secretly fall in love with the main character, but bullies him or her to keep a secret, like Helga and Arnold from Hey Arnold!
♡ When someone apologizes to another character and learned his or her lesson after doing something wrong, the scene usually ends with a heartwarming hug.

 

[Yanrima~]

Foreshadowing and hinting were one of my favorite writing tropes because they set up the groundwork or hint at what is going to happen in the later part of the story or leave a clue on who is going to be the hero or villain of the story. It makes the climax more exciting.

 

[Chronos314_XD]

1. When the pushover character learns to stand up for themselves.

2. When they actually make a twist villain work by properly setting it up and giving it good buildup and having them being a twist villian actually makes sense. (Example: Turbo from Wreck-it Ralph)

3. Time Travel, I'm a sucker for anything time travel related cause it's such a fun concept to me.

4. Lessons being realistic but still hopeful, I feel like they're much more impactful instead of being hopelessly optimistic or being obnoxiously depressing.

5. When the pure character has to deal with the most messed up stuff constantly, it's really funny to me. (Example: Butters from South Park.)

 

[QueenCobra]

1. Foreshadowing and hinting, as someone else said. When done well, it enriches the story.

2. I love himbos lol. Think Gumshoe from Ace Attorney or Bolin from Legend of Korra. I wish there were more chubby or strongfat ones, as that’s what I’m into, but they add humor to otherwise dramatic situations. Bonus points if they turn out secretly smart.

3. Sweet old ladies who are secretly snarky and/or have a dirty mind.

4. Anything to do with disguises, I’m a sucker for. But it has to be done well.

5. A time limit— like “if you don’t break the curse in a week, you’ll be doomed forever.”

6. Moral grayness and anti-heroes. This is hard to write well, but is interesting when it is.

7. The underdog ends up blowing everyone’s mind by being really talented or doing something heroic.

8. The hero has a famous alter ego but no one recognizes them when they’re just their regular self.

9. Witches living in enchanted cottages in the woods. (Good or bad)

10. Animal sidekicks, for both heroes and villains.

There’s probably more, but this is from the top of my head.

 

[skarmoury]

SYMBOLISM..... and foreshadowing.... i love symbolism and foreshadowing, i love the bits that never feel like they matter yet they somehow do, it makes me so happy!!

Spoiler: yapping

i was gushing about this w a friend but i read a fanfic where at the first part of the story, the character leaves the door open out of anger. it's such a small thing and it really doesn't affect the story, and when i first read it i was like "it would be so funny if him leaving the door somehow meant something". but omg during the climax of the story where he has this internal conflict, the story goes, "He shouldn't regret his decision, not when it had opened so many doors. So why had he never closed the one behind him?" and i lost my MIND. the callback all the way to the first chapter was insane. i don't have high expectations for fanfics w regards to literary devices because i can understand many of these are just a form of hobby and self-indulgence, so to see good literary devices placed in these kinds of things is nice. ive read many fanfics that are mostly just story telling and there's nothing wrong with that, but i do like those with a lot of symbolism.

another writing style i like is having the same opening and closing lines, or having very similar paragraphs at different points of the story. it's personally helped me write stories as i struggle to conclude them nicely. plus callbacks are so so satisfying to read, it's a feeling of familiarity yet in a different situation, too.

trope-wise, yes i am a trashy enemies-to-lovers and angst/hurt/comfort kind of person. i will read 100,000 words straight if i am motivated by the trope and the genre.

 

[SkyKnight03]

I like intertwining worlds. Storylines that swap between multiple main characters and have them crossing paths.

 

[Kitsuragi]

i am... i am a big sucker for enemies to lovers. i also, unfortunately, love the bumbling idiot/super smartie duo trope, whether its friends or lovers.

 

[Yanrima~]

I forgot to add that one of my favorite tropes is when the hero gets a bright and shiny super form in the climax of the story. There's something about flashy forms and ultimate attacks that i really love when they're fighting the big bad guy.

Or the trope in which the silliest looking characters turned out to be the most powerful or important to the story.

 

[Snowesque]

I love a good glow up story. Doesn't have to just be appearances, just in general an improvement in life.

 

[AccfSally]

I actually like insta-love (love at first sight), if done right.