Ambiguous Name: Couldnt Find A Pen

Couldn't Find a Pen is a bit too ambiguous. If the trope is about using blood to write stuff on the walls, the name should say something like that.

For that reason, I would suggest renaming it to something like "Blood Writing".

Please read Everything You Wanted To Know About Changing Names, particularly "If you think a name is unclear, remember that you are required to make substantial arguments and provide substantial evidence that the name is really unclear to actual readers, and that this lack of clarity exists outside your imagination."

Well, a trope name is supposed to get the point of the trope across, right?

Then Couldn't Find a Pen could refer to any scenario where a character literally cannot find a pen and has to make do with something else. We need to narrow it down a bit.

What's more, the above part could be taken as a Comedy Trope, when for the most part it isn't.

(And I did read that article!)

edited 17th Jun '12 5:44:51 PM by BlueGuy

Oh yeah? Well that's just, like, your opinion, man.

dilemma:

Claim: "Couldn't Find a Pen is a bit too ambiguous."
Response: "No it isn't."

solution:

Present evidence that the name's ambiguity is causing a problem of some kind, such as misuse. "The name has shortcomings" is not a reason to change it. "The name has shortcomings and that is causing a problem" is.

edited 17th Jun '12 5:59:08 PM by rodneyAnonymous

I suppose you're right. You can lock this or nuke it or whatever.

Well, for starters, the trope has zero wicks and zero inbounds. Edit: struck, never mind.

edited 17th Jun '12 6:59:25 PM by Spark9

Er... It has 153 wicks. And 21 inbounds.

And actually, the trope isn't just about writing with blood; if you read the description, it's about any case an unusual substance/surface is used for writing. It just mentions the blood as a common instance of the trope.

It has 153 wicks and 21 inbounds. Redirects don't log those properly. If you get 0/0 that is a strong reason to suspect an error somewhere. Virtually no articles are actually 0/0.

Does something as simple as "Can I barrow a pen? I don't have one." this trope, where the guy gets his pen/paper anyway or ends using something that isn't unusual (computer, colored paper).

edited 17th Jun '12 6:31:11 PM by spacemarine50

The trope is writing with something other than a writing utensil. Using a different pen wouldn't count, and neither would using a computer (since you type, not write). The surface it's written on (e.g. colored paper) isn't relevant I don't think.

edited 17th Jun '12 6:30:44 PM by rodneyAnonymous

Also, Laconic doesn't match examples (laconic too narrow?) Also, name suggests long search for writing utensil, but guy couldn't find one and gave up (or got someone else to write something).

edited 17th Jun '12 6:34:13 PM by spacemarine50

Huh.

Okay, scratch that. I have no idea why I saw 0 wicks, 0 inbounds when I checked.

Locking because no evidence of misuse or failing to thrive was presented.