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dRoy Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar from Most likely from my study Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: I'm just high on the world
Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar
#1: Mar 30th 2011 at 2:49:59 AM

As of my current draft, The Hero of my story has over 150 tropes. Is it too unnatural?

How many tropes do your characters have? Just wondering.

I'm a (socialist) professional writer serializing a WWII alternate history webnovel.
MrAHR Ahr river from ಠ_ಠ Since: Oct, 2010 Relationship Status: A cockroach, nothing can kill it.
Ahr river
#2: Mar 30th 2011 at 2:52:07 AM

No. What matters is the execution. You can have tropes, you just shouldn't define the story by those tropes.

Your character is withdrawn from the world, but warming up. Not a Defrosting Ice Queen.

Read my stories!
dRoy Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar from Most likely from my study Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: I'm just high on the world
Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar
#3: Mar 30th 2011 at 2:58:30 AM

[up] Hey, it's you. Thanks again for reminding me on trope usage! :D

I'm a (socialist) professional writer serializing a WWII alternate history webnovel.
MrAHR Ahr river from ಠ_ಠ Since: Oct, 2010 Relationship Status: A cockroach, nothing can kill it.
Ahr river
#4: Mar 30th 2011 at 3:00:06 AM

No problem dude, we've all been there.

Read my stories!
Wolf1066 Crazy Kiwi from New Zealand (Veteran) Relationship Status: Dancing with myself
Crazy Kiwi
#5: Mar 30th 2011 at 3:02:43 AM

I haven't bothered counting them all up. I'm rather mindful of the tropes that I use, avert, subvert etc but I don't tend to do a running tally just to see what's going on.

I will occasionally describe a person by one or two key tropes like "Genre Savvy" or "Deadpan Snarker" but it's just a guideline. I'm generally more interested in their quirks and unique skill pools and how they interact with other characters - and that tends to flow out of the mental image I get of the characters.

LoniJay from Australia Since: Dec, 2009 Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
#6: Mar 30th 2011 at 3:23:08 AM

I can barely come up with any tropes for my characters. I'm beginning to think I'm just not a very good troper.

Be not afraid...
annebeeche watching down on us from by the long tidal river Since: Nov, 2010
watching down on us
#7: Mar 30th 2011 at 3:25:13 AM

Stop obsessing over tropes.

No, seriously. Good stories have been told without even knowing what a trope is, let alone "how many" there are in the work.

edited 30th Mar '11 3:27:04 AM by annebeeche

Banned entirely for telling FE that he was being rude and not contributing to the discussion. I shall watch down from the goon heavens.
AtomJames I need a drink Since: Apr, 2010
I need a drink
#8: Mar 30th 2011 at 3:31:21 AM

It really doesn't matter how many. As long you manage to make them your own, thats what's important. Besides, they're more like guidelines anyways.

Theres sex and death and human grime in monochrome for one thin dime and at least the trains all run on time but they dont go anywhere.
dRoy Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar from Most likely from my study Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: I'm just high on the world
Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar
#9: Mar 30th 2011 at 4:18:11 AM

[up] Why does that sounds so familar, I wonder.

I'm just surprised at myself for cramming so much tropes at once, and the series is not even that long.

Anyway, thank you all for the advice/reminders.

I'm a (socialist) professional writer serializing a WWII alternate history webnovel.
AtomJames I need a drink Since: Apr, 2010
I need a drink
#10: Mar 30th 2011 at 4:31:17 AM

[up] Because your smarter than the average bear.

Theres sex and death and human grime in monochrome for one thin dime and at least the trains all run on time but they dont go anywhere.
dRoy Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar from Most likely from my study Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: I'm just high on the world
Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar
#11: Mar 30th 2011 at 4:55:33 AM

[up] Oh, come on. Couldn't you have just played along? :D

I'm a (socialist) professional writer serializing a WWII alternate history webnovel.
annebeeche watching down on us from by the long tidal river Since: Nov, 2010
watching down on us
#12: Mar 30th 2011 at 5:40:11 AM

Another note: You don't use tropes, they just appear in your works.

Don't even think about tropes and you'll be fine.

Banned entirely for telling FE that he was being rude and not contributing to the discussion. I shall watch down from the goon heavens.
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