As a passionate romance reader, I have a few favorite tropes I absolutely love. A story trope is a common plot line. Although the plots may have common themes, no two stories are the same just as no two people…or in this case, writers are the same. If you choose to write about one of these (and I’ve done them all) you can’t go wrong. There is a reason that tropes exist. They work. People love them. Think of all the feel-good stories we love. Chances are, they used one of these tropes.
Here are five of my favorite tropes with a few recommendations along the way!
1. Ugly Duckling – I love this storyline, but I hate to see a heroine with makeover. You can’t take down your ponytail and get contacts and now the hero notices her. Please no. This takes the idea of love and dumbs it down to physical appearances only.
Instead, I want to see the characters go through a transformation of the heart and soul. I want them to start as less than likeable characters and go through a real redemption arc. Act Like It by Lucy Parker is a good example of a transformation story.
2. Fish out of Water – This is all about being uncomfortable and we can all relate. I love the stories where the underdog goes through a series of misfortunes, but eventually through sheer grit and determination rises to the top. Late Night with Mindy Kaling is a great movie that depicts this trope. Who doesn’t love a glass-ceiling-breaking heroine?
3. Friends to lovers – you know he’s been there the whole time, but you never noticed him. You bro-zoned him and left him broken hearted! I love the slow bun here, the glances that last too long, the intimate moments of conversation that can be more impactful than a sex scene.
4. Enemies to lovers – I think this is one of the hardest tropes to write. To make an arc where two people go from hating each other to being in love feels overwhelming. But Sally Thorne did an impressive job with The Hating Game.
5. Speculative fiction – this is more of a genre, but can be a trope too. Speculative fiction takes real world situation and changes the rules. It asks what if?
What if I hadn’t taken that wrong turn? What if I wen to this college instead of that one. What if I hadn’t chosen him?
In my new book, Lost Years, my hero has to answer these questions himself. Jason is plagued by vibrant dreams all his life. Then one day, he spots a clue that his dreams might not just be in his head. Would you take a chance and follow your dreams into reality?
Did I miss a favorite trope? Let me know in the comments. In the meantime, enter the rafflecopter and check out Lost Years.
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Ever had a dream so real it feels like a memory?
I’ve had those kinds of dreams since I was a kid. Each one of a beautiful girl, who is my best friend. We grow up together on a sunny island surrounded by water that’s as blue as her eyes. We share all our hopes and fears until we realize we belong to each other in every way one person claim another. She is my own personal serenity. Sweet story, eh?
Well forget about it.
The cold, harsh reality is that I’m a twenty-year-old, Manhattan-bred, manwhore, who uses his fists to solve his problems. The only comfort I find is inside a bottle… and the dreams. But the dreams are my illness not my cure. Just when things look the darkest, the sun slaps me square in the jaw. I spot a picture of a scenic island surrounded by the bluest water – my island.
If the island exists then so must the girl, right?
So I’m headed to Serenity, Texas to find my girl and make some sense out of the chaos that is my life. Feel free to tag along, but this journey comes with a steep warning — dreams can turn into nightmares in the blink of an eye.
My name is Jason Flynn and this is our story.
GIVEAWAYS
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1 grand prize –
$25 Amazon Gift Card
E-Copy of choice from MK Schiller’s Backlist
Signed copy of Lost Years
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1 grand prize –
$25 Amazon Gift Card
E-Copy of choice from MK Schiller’s Backlist
Signed copy of Lost Years
