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Read on to learn more about fantasy tropes and find examples of how to subvert them.
I think of tropes like stereotypes, only for stories. They are the things we love about our favorite types of books. They are the plotlines that we love to hate when writers overuse or rehash them without thought. Simply put, they are the recurring themes we see repeatedly in certain types of literature and media.
For example, in romance writing, the tropes are often pretty obvious. Knowing that voracious readers are outspoken about their favorite tropes, romance writers sometimes brand their books with the trope. Bridgerton author Julia Quinn's The Viscount Who Loved Me is a classic example of bickering rivals turned passionate lovers: the Enemies to Lovers trope.
As for fantasy, there are more tropes than I can cover in one post. They include, to name a few:
In this post, I'll cover a few of my favorites and how I change or subvert them. (I've capitalized other tropes to highlight them.)
The Chosen One is a fantasy trope that most readers and viewers of fantasy-themed media are familiar with. There can be only one (quoting Highlander here). The Chosen One is often tied in with the Prophecy trope. The Chosen One is the only being in the story universe that can save the world," often by defeating The Dark One.
In The Legends of the Ceo San, Mariah is the Chosen One. She is the only one who can free the Ceo San from Rothgar. Like many Chosen, Mariah is also a Reluctant Hero. In the beginning, she chooses to believe that the missions she undertakes are one-offs and not part of some greater plan.
I subvert these particular tropes in a few ways. I made Mariah a little older than today's popular Chosen Ones, like Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, or Katniss Everdeen. Mariah is almost thirty when Raven Thrall begins and is sheltered. Only her books and select friends keep her from being a complete hermit.
Some subtle themes also tie Mariah's story to the modern American political landscape. Sometimes, I wish the real world had its own Chosen One, but that's another story …
The Wise Mentor is another viral fantasy trope. After all, where would the Lord of the Rings be without wise old Gandalf, the wizard who gives vague advice and often shows up in the nick of time to aid Frodo and friends?
The Wise Mentor is also an essential element of the Hero's Journey. The Hero's Journey is a plotting archetype many fantasy authors use. Popularized by Joseph Cambell in his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces, it describes a stage in which the hero receives Supernatural Aid from a mentor figure. Think of Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars or Dumbledore in Harry Potter.
In the Legends of the Ceo San, Mariah's mentor is Gwyn, an old woman who takes her in after she arrives broken and helpless on the shores of Cillian. Gwyn is less mysterious than most mentors, and she is not a recognized leader like Yoda or Merlin. But she is very important to Mariah and gives her the push she needs to start her own Hero's Journey.
The Dark Lord fantasy trope stands opposite that of the Wise Mentor. Often representing pure evil, the Dark Lord is the very thing the Chosen One is pitting themselves against or trying not to become ("Luke, I am your father …").
Think of Darth Vader in Star Wars, Lord Foul in The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, and the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz.
The Dark Lord has his own subset of fantasy tropes.
In the Legends of the Ceo San, our Dark Lord is none other than the king of Varidian himself, Rothgar. His actions directly and indirectly thwart Mariah at every turn. Because of him, she has lived in the shadows since birth. She and Whitelea will never be free unless he is defeated.
Like some villains, he starts in the background and becomes more known as the series progresses. But Rothgar has no supernatural power. He only manages to obtain it by enslaving those with it, the Ceo San.
The Quest for a Magical Object, or a MacGuffin, is another well-loved fantasy trope. In this trope, the protagonist must find or acquire this magical object to save the day and/or defeat the villain.
Frodo must destroy the ring to keep it from Sauron and defeat him. Arthur must acquire Excalibur to prove to his people that he is the one true king. In the Wheel of Time series, Rand al Thor and his allies must find the Horn of Valere before the Last Battle and keep it from the Dark Friends.
In the Legends of the Ceo San, magical objects exist, including the cuffs that enslave the Ceo San. Mariah is not questing for these objects. But how will she defeat Rothgar when he can use them to keep so many Ceo San as slave warriors?
Last, there is The Prophecy trope. It's so common in epic and high fantasy that it's almost expected.
In Terry Brooks's Shannara world, Prophecy relies on an entire family. The Ohmsfords use various magical objects and abilities to keep dark forces at bay.
Sometimes, the Prophecy hides or is known only to a select few. Although Jim Butcher's is unfinished, Starborn Harry Dresden seems to have a Prophecy he is unaware of. After all, the Powers that Be pay attention to his every move, even when he is a young and inexperienced wizard for hire.
Although she is initially unaware of it, a Prophecy or two also surround Mariah. Like many heroes, she is determined to forge her own path, even if—or despite the fact—that her actions may prevent her from fulfilling those predictions.
Hmm, that's a hard one. Like many things, tropes have no inherent quality of good or bad. Those qualities emerge in the way the tropes are utilized. If writers put themselves into the story and allow their unique flavor to spice it up, the use of tropes can work fantastically.
Sometimes, new fantastical elements tied into the ordinary, like Platform 9 3/4 as a portal to a magical world, can make a trope new again.
As is often the case in darker fantasy, a protagonist who lurks in the grey between good and bad can add layers of interest.
There are a million parts to every story, a million that can be tweaked and turned on their heads. With enough brainstorming, something uniquely yours will emerge.
People like tropes for the same reason they shop at chain stores: familiarity. But who among us doesn't like to find something exciting they weren't expecting when they walk into those familiar settings?
However, if writers stick too strictly to the trope and try to rewrite The Hobbit or Game of Thrones, they can feel trite and overdone.
Humans have a long history. If you think about theme and plot alone, most stories have been written a million times over. What makes them original is their writers. And don't forget readers. We all tend to make stories our own in the reading.
What are some of your favorite tropes as a fantasy reader or writer? Do you have one that you wish would never see the light of day again?
P.S. If you love diving into tropes, check out TV Tropes. The site covers all kinds of tropes, some you've probably never heard of.
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Copyright © 2024 J. Elizabeth Vincent