Five Overdone Story Tropes Readers Don’t Like
No matter how many new book concepts flood the book market, some tropes never fade away
Writers are always looking for new storylines, but if we are being honest, there are only so many different ways to tell a story.
Now, don’t get me wrong, there are ways to put new spins on tropes.
And if done right, readers may not even mind reading these common tropes because the story pulls them in, making them want to read more. However, the key to achieving that is to have an intriguing enough storyline that the trope is only a backdrop aspect of the story.
Here are five overdone tropes:
Love Triangle: This is a romance writer's way to spice up the romance or to get the reader more invested in the relationships that take place in the story. But, unfortunately, it is an idea that is used way too often.
Average Person Comes Out on Top: We all love an underdog story, however, when the average person suddenly excels and wins above all odds it can feel like it’s done too many times.
Hero Saves the World: Action/ Adventure, Sci-fi, Fantasy, and Dystopian genres often have this trope. One hero is set to save everyone and tends to be someone who no one in their universe thought was possible.
Moving Back to My Small Town: Comes off a little Hallmark when you think about it or a small-town romance perhaps. These stories can be cute, but all of them have the same premise. I moved to the big city to chase my career and either someone in my hometown needed me so I moved back home or my life blew up and I moved back home.
Conspiracy theories: This is one you want to be sure is done right. If this conspiracy theory has to do with a secret weapon set to destroy the world, count many readers out. Overdone.
What you may not know is that you can avoid using overused tropes by researching.
Check social media platforms and Google to see what readers aren’t favoring.
Doing this at the beginning of your book idea can save you a lot of headaches later on. It can also allow you to reformulate your plan so that your book will attract your target audience.
Once you figure out your main idea, try running it by potential readers and see what they have to say.
This not only lets you know if you’re on the right track but helps you iron out any potential problems. Who knows, the reader you run your idea by may give you inspiration, insight, or helpful feedback to help your book.
Don’t allow your book to fall into these common tropes and risk turning readers away from your book before they get a chance to see how great it is.